Grown up?Grow up!

My six months of probation at work ended and I was slapped with a confirmation letter.I don't mind such slaps.Doubt anyone does.


Today is the 8th day of October,2013.I am seated at work reflecting on the faithfulness of the Lord over my life.
Undeserved faithfulness in its fullness. 
How in more ways than one I have steered my life recklessly but He has been right behind me,watching,guiding,protecting.
Undeserved grace in its fullness.


October 2008,I landed in campus.Freshman?Freshwoman? 
Stop trying to calculate how old I am.24!I turn 25 on the 31st of December this year.
Back to 08...
My campus life was a blur of sorts,the academic bit at least.We were bombarded with units I doubt will ever help anyone of us in this life nor in the life to come.Maybe in the life to come they will help.Who knows!

Thing is academics have never been a struggle for me.(No bragging or things.I'm just telling my story here.Ehem)But seriously.I was one of those kids who used to love school.[Disclaimer:anything positive said here about academics refers to 8-4 without the last 4.Everything before campus was good-in short]So anyway-I was that child who  woke up without a hassle and I actually enjoyed listening to teachers and things.I was that student who asks 10 questions a minute before the bell to go to lunch rings.I was the girl who got to be prefect and at some point the teacher's pet.It wasn't my fault now was it?Kids who are teachers' pets don't necessarily choose to be.The teachers just choose to love them.Ask any teacher.I'm not one but who wouldn't love a kid who does well in the subject(s) you teach them.All through primary school for all the three different ones I attended I mostly stuck between position 1 and 3.I came across my report cards recently.I actually maintained 1st place for  three years in the final primary school I went to.1st place out of 50 other kids and best believe they were bright kids as well.(Note to self-my son must read this blog post once he gets to 3rd grade or 4rth,I will choose when.) So in essence I was that chic who got a prize on every prize giving day in elementary school.
Then came high school.I went to a national school.Ehem!(Everyone who was with me in high school may know why I am eheming) And I continued with the brightness.Scooped a prize in 2nd form for being position one overall that year.Position 1 out of 300 give or take.
Slipped abit-who I'm I kidding-slipped a great deal in 3rd form but got out of the slipping/sleeping phase and straightened my act.Got out with a mean grade that did me and my family proud.
I was that girl.

So as I said campus was a blur.A big blur.I got slapped with supplementaries.
That girl got supplementaries?Yes!
And for some reason they did not shake me one bit.I lived my life on the fast fast lane.The thing about the campus life and staying on campus is that nobody restricts your movement.You are a 'grown up'. Do what you want is sort of what we're told as we are sent off to campus by our folks.So I did.I went and did what grown ups do.Or so I thought!Do grownups party Monday to Monday?I did at some point in campus.Freedom-the abuse of it perhaps?The problem with living such a lifestyle is you get overtaken by the important stuff.The significant stuff.Companies would come to recruit guys for jobs and I'd never get wind of it.At some point one of my close friends looked down at me(he's pretty tall) and said "Manze Carol wewe huniangusha saa zingine." I was never in the know about current affairs on those campus grounds.I was really sort of in my own world.So with that trend,when people would go for internship and make their CV's look prettier, during long holidays,well I was busy getting pregnant.Sounds bad eey..ehem.Truth be told though.
Told you I wasn't bragging..just telling my story here.
So graduation came and we wore our graduation gowns.And we were happy and ready to face the world.Or were we?Or was I?
Now this is the point at which it occurs to you!You are NOW a grown up!You need to do what real grown ups really really do!For me it was a double blow:First:The knowledge that I had a child to take care of.Second:I JUST had to grow up.Two blows.No one is giving you pocket money any more.Grow up.My mum and my in-laws would raise my child in the event that I ceased to exist on this earth.Comfortably they would. Or even though I choose to seat at home and do nothing.The boy will be raised.And he will not lack.But that was not a life I was going to choose for myself.I was going to take charge.Take care of my son and myself.
Be that girl again.
And after we graduated and threw our hats  in the air that was a symbol of a life gone, a new one beginning.
I managed to get an internship position at no pay for three months.It was a good experience.
And in January I consulted a friend of mine who had already gotten a job,just to find out how she had done it.And she shared an interesting way of applying for jobs. I sat,typed out my CV and application letter and made approximately 80 copies.I found out as many names of HR bosses as I could. My target-financial institutions.Then I bought white A6 envelopes and put the CV and cover letters in there.Soughta looked like the mail we used to receive in high school.I prayed over those applications.Told God I needed His favor on this one.My prayer life at the time was scanty but I prayed,I prayed in faith,because in the end all we ever have is prayer!And I walked..for a week and a half..classical tarmacking,dropping cvs.Banks mostly,because I have always been fascinated by how they function,curious about how they operate and have wanted to work in them.Who doesn't want to be around money anyway.
Typical job hunting is what happened.Then I sat and waited.For a call."Have some faith!" my mum would say to me,prolly when she'd sense despair."Out of 80 applications somebody must call you!" I did not know she used to say a prayer for me everyday.Everyday she told God "please give Carole a job" And I'll tell you God heard the lady on her knees.
I got only one call out of the 80 applications,three consecutive interviews,passed all of them and I was the first girl in that group we got interviewd with to be picked as a graduate trainee.
I sit, a banker,telling my story.
Employment status:permanent and pensionable.
I have one person to thank.His name is Yawheh!I have seen the favor of the Lord.
Another person,my mommy!The lady on her knees.
And Sally ,thankyou for the advice because I know you are reading this!
I have told my story.