Psychologically Complete

I'm no expert but...

 In my primary and JSS school, Alsyd Academy, we did course work meant for the following year in order to complete the syllabus before the exam, which at the time was one of the biggest things any of us had ever faced - our first external exam; the BECE! This lesson was in Religious and Moral Education and my energetic teacher, Mr Akoto, May God Bless him for his dedication to duty, had as usual covered the board with his perfect penmanship. In order to score high on Mr. Akoto’s exam, from my observation, you had to answer the exam questions as it was written in the notes. So I always learnt RME about 2 weeks before exams began. That is probably why I remember what I am about to talk about; I took my time to digest it such that even if I forgot the exact words, I’ll write it how I understood it best.

Source: www.blogger.com

Under the topic of prayer, we learnt about the importance of prayer. One point that I kept in mind because I pondered on its meaning and have come to realize its relevance is that Prayer Makes Man Psychologically Complete. Of all the things I learnt in school, this one resonates with me the most. Without prayer and casting our burdens on God, most of us would have lost out sanity. When a Muslim says If God Wills or If God Permits which is most popularly known by most people in its Arabic form-In Shaa Allah, we have cast all our worries of tomorrow and the unknown to Allah and put everything in His hands. If we were to ponder and wonder, we’ll just go round and round in circles like a lizard chasing its own tail. And for what? To seep deeper into our anguish? This is not different from when the Christian sings this hymn... “What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and grieve to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer” Islam and Christianity and many other religions encourage us to leave all our troubles to God.

Take note of the beautiful local names that remind you that we as Africans in our cultural spheres believe in leaving everything to God. (I got these names from friends! Thanks for the help!)

Chenti Wuni – Leave it to God (in Dagbani)

Maltiti - Solve it for us (in Dagbani)

Oluwatishe - God has done it (in Yoruba)

Tonilola – God Has Taken Care of Today and Tomorrow (in Yoruba)

Oye/Nyameye – It is alright/ God is good (in Twi)

Esinam- He has listened to me (in Ewe)

Selase- God has answered my prayer (in Ewe)

Hunsuyaka –God’s Gift (in Busanga)

Nyonnmowoko-God is not asleep (in Ga)

Nyonnmo Egbele nwen ehami-God has opened the heavens for me (in Ga)

Nyonnmo Ekplekesshi k3ba heremi-God has left his seat in heaven to come and deliver me from the hands of my enemy(in Ga)...

The list in endless!

It is said that you should pray hardest when it is hardest for you to pray. At that moment when your mind is clouded with the hundred and one things that would In Shaa Allah become irrelevant in the near future, go down on your knees or prostrate in sujood and cast all your burdens to God. He is always ready to lift the weight off your shoulders and leave you psychologically complete and at peace.

Neina

The Little School Girl

What do you make of this?

Source: www.infoghana.info

Today, they came to my school as well

I had already told Kwame that I too would get mine

I remember how Mama and Papa were excited to see Kwame in his new uniform

I remember saying “But it is too big!”

And Mama replied “That’s good, he can use it until he completes primary”

Now, I am a proud owner of my very own Kokonte and Ab3nkwan uniform

The short-sleeves reach my wrists

And my pinafore sweeps the floor when I walk past

But it is mine.

“...for what we have received, we are truly grateful. Amen.”

Now, I don’t have to leave school hungry

There is food in school

And we can eat to our fill

But by the time I get home, though

All the food is gone

I don’t feel the weight of the food in my belly anymore

And the bottom of my pinafore is twice as dirty as

It was before I set off in the morning

I’m exhausted but I have to do my homework and the dishes before dark

Because we don’t have electricity in my village

And I have to wake up early, do my chores and get to school before classes begin

I am scared that I would become like Sister Akos

Mama says she’s just lazy

Sister Akos said she won’t go to school again

Because we have to walk to the next village to attend primary school

She was fine with that

But when she completed primary,

She had to walk to the next two villages to attend JSS

That, she refused to do

I’m scared because I’m in Primary 5

Two more years I’ll have to walk more than twice the distance I do now

In the heat and with all that dust and with less friends than I walk with now

With my pinafore sweeping the dusty road that leads to my village.

Neina.