Valentine’s Day Of a Single Nigerian Girl

Dear blog readers, family, friends and loved ones,
I’m not sure of where to start from with today’s letter.
Ok, first of all, how are you all?
How was your day? Happy Valentine oh!

 
I didn’t forget to write today’s love letter, I have just been BUSY!
Yep, I have been BUSY even as a single girl on valentine’s day.
But let’s get the serious stuff off the ground before I give y’all the main gist.

I woke up this morning, not with thoughts about a boyfriend and all that…
I woke with the thought of “Lord, how do I love others?”
To be frank with you all, the way the world sees love just makes me sad/pissed/sad sometimes.
So while others were just talking about dates and the lack thereof, I was reading and thinking about 1Corinthians 13 kind of love.

 
Now, that’s not all I did today oh, before you think that it’s only serious stuff I do, but we will come to the rest in a minute 🙂

 
So as I asked God “how do I love others?”
He said, “the way you love me, just take it and love others the same way”
And I thought/said, it’s easy to love you Lord, you are perfect and all good, all glorious…just perfect.
But people are just….(insert annoying phrases here)
He said, “you can’t love God who you haven’t seen if you can’t love your neighbor who you’ve seen.
No matter how somehow they maybe.”

 

 

So how do I love others I asked again? How do I love others Lord?
Again he said “the way you love me, take it and love others the same way.
I am always in your thoughts, you always praise me, you will never plan anything evil towards me, take it and love others in the same way.
The love I have placed in you, let it spread to others.
It might not come naturally to you, but see them through my eyes, not yours”

 

 

And so my people, you just got a sneak peek into my early morning conversations with God.
I am still learning and trying to learn on what God wants to show me as regards love but one thing is for certain, the world has killed and murdered love as it was created by God who is love Himself.
I will write on that soon, but for today, let’s go into some more sweeter gists.
What did a single girl like me do on valentine’s day?
Without being coupled up, cuddled up or loved up(loved up in the words of one guy like that, lol)

 

 

I had a pretty bussssy day!
First of all, I started my February 12trip challenge yesterday(You’d have some inkling about this if you follow me on instagram, so follow me already @frances_okoro)

 
So, I saw one new place yesterday and coincidentally, the second place I had to see fell on valentine’s day.
I went mountain climbing with fellow Christian corpers!
The mountain was steep nor be small.
But thank God for ajuwaya boots, these things have a solid sole so no shaking.

We all climbed to the top, had a bit of prayers and worship and then pictures time!

 

I can’t upload too much pictures on this post though, I know I have to write on my memoirs from January and February 12trip challenge and I will get to it soon, forgive me.
You will get all the gist in that post… soon to come 🙂

 

So after that morning appetizer on valentine things for me, I had already purposed in my heart to indeed spread forth the love as I should, not only to the non-existent boo right now, but to those who really need it.
I usually go personally to orphanages but you know last year, I and SUG in law school organized a visit to the orphanage for valentine, this year I almost didn’t want to do anything like that but I couldn’t rest easy without doing it.

 
I don’t have too much(excuses, but sincere excuses nonetheless) but I decided that I must do it and do it I will.
Almost everyone I invited made excuses except my friend Dan.
And I don’t cajole people on things like this again, the benefits of giving and showing love won’t come to me if you come along with me.
So now, I just say in my mind whenever God convicts you to start caring about the less privileged, you start caring about them(i say that with absolutely no ill feeling)

 

I just have one thing to say after the visit though… -“Lord, let your love be shed abroad in my heart, more and more.
Love from you for others around me, let it be shed abroad in my heart more and more and more”
I have not gotten there yet, I still struggle but I want the entirety of what love really is in 1Corinthians 13 to dwell in me.

 

 

Last phase of events for the day was a dinner at church.
I enjoyed myself oh.
I ate Ofada rice and some plenty meat.
Wore my red shoes and just chillaxed!
Ah, comfort and food well deserved after all the waka of the day 🙂

 

 

I am grateful to God for grace to be content in this stage of my life.
I do not take it for granted that I don’t worry about love and boyfriend and husband and all what not.
I do not take it for granted that I can enjoy my own company.
I do not take it for granted that I am content in my relationship with God till He decides to bring a son after His own heart for me.
I do not take it for granted that I love God with all my heart.
I do not take it for granted that love for God has so overwhelmed me and made/makes me whole.
I am so complete in Him, free from all the troubles of worrying about marriage and all what not.
And this isn’t because I am still young, God has just so taken control of my entire life that I just know that I am secure in Him.

 
He has given me such peace and joy in my life that nothing can take away.
Nothing can take away the joy that God gives me in Him and for this, I am grateful.

 

 

If you spent your day worrying about all what not, then you obviously didn’t use your time well.
The love you are holding back and waiting to show to only a man is needed by millions of people out there.

 
I mentioned in our last Bible study that I am trying to study the book of Timothy.
You know what Paul said to Timothy about women who claim to be devoted to God?
1Timothy 2:10
” For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.”

 

So we should be asking ourselves… do I have enough good works in Christ?
If we don’t, now is a time to start working on that and stop pining for a man that God will only bring in His own time.
So many things in our lives need urgent attention.
Our character, attitude, purpose in life and the lack of a man is the least of our worries.
Especially when we know that God has got that covered.
You focus on the things that matter.
Your good works and being complete and absolutely fulfilled in God.

It is my prayer that every single woman soaks in the truth contained in this letter.

 
You can see my previous articles on Valentine issues below…
Do read them, they will help you.

 

https://www.hephzibahfrances.com/can-we-make-this-month-of-love-different/

https://www.hephzibahfrances.com/to-my-single-ladies/

 

https://www.hephzibahfrances.com/can-that-someone-be-you/

And still on love, Maggie published a post I wrote for her blog yesterday.

You can read it here - http://worshipandswag.com/let-true-love-save/

And just a bit of some sneak peek into the chronicles of my 12trip challenge for february..

Don’t I look cute in my swing?
Hehe.

I will update with chronicles of my trips for January and February soon, I promise.

For now, I wrote about the January trip on connectNigeria, you can check it out here - http://connectnigeria.com/articles/2015/02/06/how-to-set-forth-on-new-adventures-with-just-500-naira/

 

I love you all,
Frances.

 

P:S-Forgive the tenses used in this post, I wrote this yesterday but was too tired to put it up + I just gave up on the bad network 🙂

 

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