I love Shea butter, especially the grade A type; raw and unrefined, straight from the nut without any additives. I don’t need to do a lot of research to know its health benefits as I have personally experienced its wonder working effects, from my hair, skin, to healing of wounds, athlete’s foot and relief from the effects of cold weather. Regardless of its very many benefits, I don’t know of many women or beauty queens who will go for the unrefined shea butter as their beauty treatment. To start with, the aroma of the unrefined one is not so appealing. Secondly, it is usually not whipped so when using it, you might have to wait for few seconds before it melts into the skin. Set the not-so-attractively packaged unrefined shea butter down amidst hundreds of eye-catching creams and lotions even with shea butter content and tell ladies to indulge themselves. I am sure the unrefined shea butter will be the least selected.
A similar situation occurred in the early Bible days. A powerful queen had just been relinquished of her throne. Beautiful ladies of the empire were invited to vie for the post. Tradition had it that they would be nurtured for twelve months, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet odours. At the end of the twelve months, when each girl was to meet with the king, she was to ask whatever she desired. There were no restrictions, there were no limits. Whatever they thought and knew would make them attractive enough to the king and win them the throne was to be given to them. As a lady, I drool thinking about this. What an offer! All those dreams I’ve had as a little girl, anything to make me beautiful? Bring it on! I would fill my bag.
As tempting as the offer was, one of the girls stood out in what she requested. While others filled their bags with eye-catching creams and lotions, beautiful bracelets, earrings and attire, this very lady asked for nothing but what the king’s chamberlain recommended. You see, in those days, kings usually had a eunuch appointed to oversee the care of the women in the palace. Such men, having served the king for years, know nothing short of the king’s preference. Who better to give the ladies the best advice on what to go in with to meet with the king. Esther’s preference paid off, amidst the hand of God over her life. She was preferred above others and she was made queen.
Many times, life throws us in the valley of decision. We find ourselves at cross-roads and we are at a loss as to what decisions to take. Decision-making processes are more daunting when we are faced with many good options; every option from the human point of view seems like the best option. At such times, who or what can we be sure will guide us right to making the right decision. No man has the ability to tell the future; hence, we can’t even judge what the outcome of our decisions would be. Many only hope that things work out well after making a decision. But God knows the future because time and eternity to him is just one linear reality. It would do us good to involve him in our decision making. He has given us his chamberlain, in person of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and makes known the mind of the Father to us.
So, when we are faced with the many options of life, we need not feel overwhelmed or discouraged, knowing that the one who knows tomorrow, the Spirit of the eternal God dwells in us and will lead us right. Even when his choices are not attractively packaged, when his leading and path are not laid in beauty, we must learn to trust that he is the mind of the one who owns the universe, time and eternity. We do not have the ability to make the best choices without his help so why not leave it all to him who has never made any mistakes yet and would never do.
Proverbs 3: 5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths” (KJV).
Kemi Adeyemi
Kemi Adeyemi
SAP HCM Consultant
+234 813 804 5311
