Ever since my Mum bought a new car, I’ve not seen vehicles the same way. But it’s also changed the way I see people too.
Her previous vehicle was an automatic engine and it served us for many years. But then we hit the age-old challenge of having an American model car without having mechanics that were trained to work with its engine. So each time we took the car for repairs each mechanic would fix it to the best of his ability, but not necessarily to the car’s specifications. And, little by little, the car just kept getting worse like you wouldn’t believe. One time a mechanic, after working on it for hours, called it a day and told us the best person to fix it would be whoever fixed it last. It all came to a head when my Mum decided that she had had enough and was willing to just sell it and buy a new car.
Now my Mum can be very determined. Once she’s decided on something God help whatever stands in her way. For almost two months after her car was sold she walked and moved around by public transport, choosing that over repairing the vehicle one more time. In that time she sought information on getting a new and more serviceable car. And, thank God, she got one towards the end of last year.
I’m still getting used to seeing the new car. Twice I’ve almost opened the doors of strangers’ cars and had to apologise because I’d thought they were my Mum’s car! But anytime I do see her new car, I don’t see it’s make or colour or engine. I see my Mum’s experiences in trying to fix the old car over and over again. I see the two months she had to move around and all she went through without a car, even on very sunny days. I see the many attempts she made in going to car dealerships to compare and decide on which one she could afford.
It’s more than just a car. It’s a story in itself.
And now when I see cars and buses on the road, I think of the stories they’ve been through. The Mercedes over there may have been shipped in six years ago and exchanged owners twice. The BMW behind me may have been driven past the border all the way from Cotonou. The Sienna that just whizzed past may be making that scraping noise because it has to pass through roads that are more pothole than road, every single day. Every vehicle is a story in itself, and is in the course of many more.
Walking People, Walking Stories
I realise that people are kinda like that too. Each person I meet is in the course of their own stories and are the product of some experiences too. No single person, from acquaintance to random stranger to the lady at the checkout stand, no one is just a prop in the middle of our respective stories. They have their hurts, their pains, their doubts and worries, their concerns. They also bear victories and joys, hopes and dreams, likes and passions. They’ve got thoughts and priorities, preferences and distastes, opinions and points of view.
It teaches me that everyone is different and special. Someone is going through a tragedy, another in a comedy, another is at the beginning of a romance or even a grass-to-riches story … they just may not know it yet. The average day can feel like a mix of a billion genres, I can tell you that.
No one is just ordinary. We are truly privileged to be living at the same time in history with the beauty of stories hidden in people-packages.
It’s a true privilege to exist with you, dear reader.
When we understand the wealth of time and experiences locked up in each individual we realise what an honour and privilege it is to be able to interact with them.
And as people are Walking Stories, so also are you. Your life may feel like a mix of genres, or even be in a place you cannot determine or understand. But don’t ever forget that you’re not just one in a million faces. You are different. You are special. Your experiences are valid.
God thinks so. And that’s why He’s intentional about making you the best you were meant to be. It’s why He gave His life for you, so that you could receive and be free from everything that could ever hold you down. He gives meaning to our lives and, in His eyes, we can see others as He does.
That’s one of the beauties that we realise when we come to see how God sees us all, and just what it means in the larger cosmic scheme of things when people meet and their stories coalesce or bump against each other. One interaction can alter the course of a person’s day or even their life, and influence how they interact with others as well. The battles you may be fighting now may make you wiser and stronger so you could better advice someone else fighting the same battle. You may not realise it now, but your perseverance now will not only aid your victory but also that of others that will meet you someday.
God is not lax about your life and experiences. It’s just like when Paul called Him the ‘God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:4)
He knows what you’re going through and is able and willing to work it all out for your good.
If I had one more chance…
If I had just one chance to wrap this up, here’s what I’d tell you:
Value people. They are much more than they seem.
You are special.
Your story is valid and rich with so much. You are a treasure.
God loves you.
You may not have determined how your story has been, but you can enjoy the rest. Like Joyce Meyer says, you may be a product of your past, but you don’t have to be a prisoner of it.
There’s so much else to say, but I think these cover it. Working on this article reminded me of a 2009 song by Kutless called ‘Sea of Faces.’ I love the lyrics so much and it’s still one of my dearest songs (admittedly, my taste in music is frozen in time at 2012-ish, so most of my favourite songs came before that time 🙈)
“Sea Of Faces”
I see the city lights all around me
Everyone’s obscure
Ten million people each with their problems
Why should anyone care
And in Your eyes I can see
I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body’s the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine
Sometimes my life it feels so trivial
Immersed in the greatness of space
Yet somehow you still find the time for me
It’s then You show me Your love
And In Your eyes I can see
And in Your arms I will be
I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body’s the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine
If only my one heart
Was all you’d gain from all it cost
Well I know you would have still been a man
With a reason
To willingly offer your life
I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body’s the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine
Just one in a million faces
An Afterword
The themes of this article reminded me a lot of my novel, Portal. Its still available for download here, or to read on Okadabooks, or Amazon if that’s more your speed.
Thanks for coming by. See you next time!
Emmanuel Onimisi 