I went to Ekiti
Where I met my grandparents
E kule o I said as I knelt to greet them
K’abo my grandmother responded
Full of smiles to see me.

Soon I heard the sound of pestle hitting yam in the mortar
My grandmother gave me iyan and obe egusi
And as I looked upon the hills of my hometown
I asked what Ibiloye means
I saw my grandfather’s chest puff up with pride as he said to me

It means it is your birth or lineage that determines you are worthy of the throne

I saw why he was proud to have a name that sounded so noble
But what I search for is not thrones or titles
So, I continued on my journey.

I have within my veins the blood of the ancient city
So, I went to Ibadan
The birthplace of Olayinka
Where my mother comes from
I saw my grandparents
I went on knees and said e kasan baa mi agba, e kule maa mi agba.

My mother’s mother gave me amala with gbegiri and ewedu
And as I ate my amala and abula
I said grandfather, what does Olayinka mean?
My mother’s father said to me

It means wealth surrounds me

I said grandfather that is beautiful
To know I am surrounded by wealth
But what I search for is not riches or possessions
So, I continued on my journey.

At this point in my journey, I thought to myself
If Ekiti and Ibadan did not show me who I am
Then I must look inward to see what I can find.

Then I heard the voice
A very still small voice
It said continue on your journey
I will show you the way to go

I went the way the voice said to go
And soon I got to Calvary
It was at Golgotha
I found a very old cross
It was the cross on which
Jesus the Christ was hung
I placed my hand on the cross
And felt a force so great
It swept me off my feet
And caused my knees to bow

The force was so tangible
It was love in its purest form
And there I surrendered
To the truth of who I was.
Although I asked no questions
It was there I found my answer
It was at the cross
I found out who I was
When I met Christ my savior.

The voice said to me
Now you know who you are
I want you to know your purpose
So, I have one more stop for you

I went as it bid me
And soon I came to a tomb
A holy sepulcher
With its stone rolled away
I went inside the tomb
And saw that it was empty
The voice said Christ the Savior
Was buried here three days
On the third day He rose
And became Christ the Lord
And there I began my journey
To discover my mission
When I made Christ my Lord.

My parents named me Ayooluwa 
It means Joy of the Lord
Truly that has been my strength
As I go about my mission
I ride in the strength of that Joy
As I do my Lord’s bidding.

I am a soldier
And Christ is my Captain
I am a remnant
Rising from the ashes

If you ask me
What is your name?
I will tell you it is
Elizabeth Ayooluwa Ibiloye

But if you ask me
Who are you?
I will tell you
I am a Christian soldier
I’ve sworn allegiance to that old cross.

Now, I ask you
Who are you?

So I tiptoed to see what it was
I stood on the edge
Hovered on the periphery
Gazing from the brink
Then
I saw what it was and I ran
I saw what it was and I tried to hide
But the more I ran
The more it gained ground
The more I hid
The more it sought me.
The more I resisted it
The more it clung to me.

So
I surrendered
I yielded
I allowed it to knock me with its force
I allowed it to sweep me with its flow.
I surrendered and I watched
I watched as its painful current
Broke my walls
Tore my defences
Ripped my insides
Shook my core
And caused me to feel a deep hollow.

Just when I thought I was at my wits end
And I thought it would never end
It began to fill me up
I watched as
It began to rebuild me
But
This time it built me stronger
This time it built me wiser
This time it built me braver.

Then
It said
It is time
It is time for you to be
It is time for you to become
It is time for you to bring forth.

So
The tide ebbed and the waves pushed back
And it left me feeling different and whole
But
Before it went, it whispered to me
I would be back.

When you have outgrown this time
When it’s time for you to come up higher
When it’s time for you to move on upward and forward
I would be back
And we would do this dance again
Only next time you would have learnt to dance better
You would have learnt to bend to my force without breaking
So see you next time
I would definitely be back
Because
I am inevitable
I am constant
I am change
I am GROWTH.

“make stumbling blocks your stepping stones”
but I say take it a step further;

Why walk when you can fly?
Take those stumbling blocks you’ve made stepping stones and turn them into springboards!
Let the thing that caused you to fall be what causes you to fly.
The harder the fall, the higher the flight!

The master’s last piece, His masterpiece

She was the original solution

The master’s remedy.

She was His last piece, His master piece

The highest of His craftsmanship 

The show of His creative excellence

He made her and He had nothing more to do

His order of creation increased with sophistication.

By the time He created the woman

There was nothing more He needed to create

He formed her and then He rested

He put within her the ability to be a solution

She is the only creature called a help (hebrew word; ezer) like her creator is called.

He put within her the power to be just like Him; the suitable help (ezer).

He made her with gifts and talents that no other creature possessed

He made her and He said, now I am done

Let me take my rest

There’s nothing more that I need to do again

And so He rested

The master rested

O woman, do you not understand the excellence with which you were crafted

Do you not understand what your master placed within you,                                                                       

Do you not understand the power on your inside                                                                                          

Arise! let your light shine

Harness all of the strength and power that your master deposited in you.

Be who he created you to be and not just what you are told to be.