A few days ago, I wrote a language exam.
I walked out laughing, not because the questions were difficult, but because I realized I had made them difficult all by myself.
One question asked:
“What does your father do?”
A few questions later, another one asked:
“What is your father’s profession?”
The answer was exactly the same. But instead of writing it confidently, my brain started overthinking.
“They can’t possibly be asking the same thing twice.”
And
“No one gives away free marks.”
Especially not Nigerian lecturers.
I convinced myself that the second question had to mean something different because, in my mind, nothing worthwhile comes easily. And that’s when it hit me. Maybe this isn’t just how I write exams. Maybe this is how I’ve been living.
Somewhere along the journey to adulthood, I picked up the belief that everything valuable must be difficult. That if something seems easy, I’ve probably misunderstood it. That if an opportunity comes too smoothly, there must be a hidden problem waiting around the corner. Hmmm, I wasn’t always like this.
Back in secondary school, I loved understanding the basics. I believed that if I understood the foundation, I could solve almost anything. I stayed curious, flexible, and open to simple answers.
Then adulthood happened. Life became more competitive. People celebrated complexity. Suddenly, it felt like knowing the basics wasn’t enough. Everything had to be harder, deeper, more difficult. Without realizing it, I started expecting hardship everywhere. Even in places where there wasn’t any. And I don’t think I’m the only one.
Sometimes we’ve lived through enough disappointment that grace begins to feel suspicious. We assume the worst before we allow ourselves to hope for the best. We expect rejection before we’ve been given an answer. Not because we’re negative people, at least I know of myself, but because life has taught us to prepare for disappointment.
The world isn’t nice.This dunya is a place of trials. As Christians, we know that in this world we will have trouble. But here’s what I’m learning: Living in a difficult world doesn’t mean God wants every part of your life to be difficult. God is not glorified by unnecessary struggle.
He is a good Father.
Throughout Scripture, we see moments where Jesus simply received the Father’s goodness. Friends welcomed Him into their homes. People cared for Him. Mary poured expensive perfume on His feet and Jesus accepted it. He didn’t reject kindness because it looked extravagant. He received it for what it was: an expression of love. Sometimes we become so accustomed to hardship that we struggle to receive goodness. We question every blessing. We overcomplicate things, overthink gestures…And even mistake ease for laziness. But maybe grace is meant to feel… gracious.
Maybe every opportunity doesn’t have a hidden trap. And some exam questions really do have the same answer.
Life is already hard enough. Don’t make it harder by refusing to believe that God is still kind(not nice). Leave room for grace. Leave room for simple answers. Leave room for unexpected favor. Now I’ve come to accept that sometimes, the easiest answer is the right one. And just maybe, that’s how God’s goodness works too.
PS: I’m listening to Shepherd of my soul while penning this down.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! Permit me to say i am committed to sharing my journey and feeding your reading appetite with every diary entry. If you have stories of your own or messages to share, feel free to reach out to me at jemmylistens@gmail.com—I’d love to feature your stories too! Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog and follow me on Instagram. I’ll be in the comments section, eagerly waiting for your thoughts on this post. I’ll see you here sometime next week or sooner!
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