“NEEKS, I WANT YOU TO WORK ON BEING A WISE WOMAN.”
Those were the life-changing words from my brother/guru, Kevin, years ago. I can genuinely say my life can be divided into two parts: before that statement, and after. No joke! The chaotic, emotional, drama queen version of myself needed to give way to a wise, calm, and focused Nik. I do not claim to have it all figured out yet. Still, it meant approaching life with what I often describe as walking with one foot on earth and the other in heaven, having constant conversations with God about what He wants me to do (or not do), what I should say (or not say), and where I should go (or not go). I’m talking about tapping into divine wisdom every moment of every day!
This week, I experienced a beautiful “God wink” when, that morning during my appointment with God, I read about my husband cooking for us when he got home from work. That very evening, I freaked out when I realized that he was in front of the stove after work, cooking out of the blue, saying he didn’t like the way our cook made a certain Nigerian dish. So, here’s that old post for you today, filled with Kevin’s Godly wisdom:
ANOTHER SACRED CONVERSATION WITH MY BROTHER, KEVIN
I shared with him how our daughter, Ember, had a moment of frustration with her dad, which honestly took me by surprise. After we talked, it dawned on me that our core conversation wasn’t only about Ember — it was about the importance of taking our work for God more seriously. It’s not just about passing along the wisdom Kevin gifted me; it’s about spreading these vital lessons on maintaining a Godly perspective in life to the world.
My gratitude for Kevin is boundless. He often reminds me, “Neeks, you have a husband who respects you and takes great care of his family. You can’t ask for anything more than that. Enjoy your gorgeous life!” I remember a night when I briefly lost it with my husband. He calmly approached me and said, “Nik, I’m here for you every night. All day, I’m out working hard for you guys. What more could you want from me?” Honestly, there’s nothing more I could ask! Instead, I need to seek God’s strength to be an even better wife, mom, and person.
The next day, as I was getting ready for an outing, a Babyface song played, and the lyrics resonated with me:
“I give good love…
I’ll cook your dinner too
Soon as I get home from work”
Can you believe it? After a day of calling my husband to check what he wanted for dinner, I returned home to find him in the kitchen, still in his work clothes, preparing dinner for us! It felt like God was gently nudging me, saying, “Nik, Nik, Nik! Look at this beautiful husband I’ve blessed you with! Don’t take him for granted!” He poured so much love into that meal, and I was more than happy to clean my plate, sharing in the goodness he made.
Ember was disappointed that her dad didn’t take me out for our anniversary, but I explained that I was the one who felt we didn’t need to go out because our “restaurant” comes to us every evening. We enjoy a “date night” experience with our cook serving us food that’s even better than restaurant meals! Like Uncle Kevin says, “Your mom has a gorgeous life!”
The essence of this story is that we live in a world filled with anger, hate, and bitterness. May we strive to be representatives of God, reflecting His love, mercy, kindness, faithfulness, loyalty, gentleness, and patience.
We can be far too hard on one another! I told Ember to recognize her blessings — she’s attending a beautiful university in New York, thanks to her dad’s hard work! She should overwhelm him with love, respect, and appreciation. He goes above and beyond as a husband and a dad — may more men step up like him! It’s easy to find faults in others, but let’s be the ones who discover the gold within them! Let’s continue to forgive, because none of us is perfect. The love God shows us is what we’re meant to reflect to others.
Thank you, Kevin, for being my guiding light and helping me avoid poor choices! I appreciate Ceri’s reminder that God is strategic in bringing people into our lives. It’s clear God orchestrated our journey together over the past several years, holding my hand and supporting me through tough times. Every conversation has been sacred, and I feel more motivated than ever to finish our book! Everyone truly needs a Kevin in their life!
BE GREAT EVERY DAY…WE ROLL WITH GOD