Did you remember Oreofeoluwa Lawal? The four-year-old boy that trended in 2020 for telling his mum to be “calming down”. He became an instant internet sensation, met the Governor of Lagos state, and was given a role to play in a movie. Like many people we were all carried away with the dramatic expression of “Mummy Calm down” and we totally lost the message. “Be calming down” that came from that boy to the mother was, a prophetic counsel and instruction. He was simply telling the mother to relax and take it easy, though in a dramatic way. Three years down the line, we heard that the mother committed suicide. The message of Oreofeoluwa was not properly interpreted by the mother and the rest of us. She had struggles, pressures and situation that she cannot share with the public, but the angel of the boy discerned it and said to her three years before she committed suicide, ‘calm down.’
‘Calm down’ is the message for everyone today. It means cool down, relax, take it easy, don’t panic, do not be anxious and do not fret. Don’t loose your inner peace. “Calmness is a state of mind and heart where you are at complete peace and free from agitation and are not bound by any strong emotion.” I once work with someone that is not calm at all, If he wants to collect something from you, he takes it with force, his words are harsh and loud, he interrupts conversations aggressively and go to where he is not invited. Often my words to him is ‘calm down.’ I learnt how to BE CALM, COOL, AND COLLECTED many years ago.
Always calm your mind, when you do, you see life more clearly. After you have done your best, calm down. Never allow worry and aggression to take toll on you. Learn not to take yourself too seriously. Learn to dislodge anxiety and worry that is building castle within your mind. Learn not to be intimidated by people’s actions and opinions. You have just experienced business failure; calm down. Someone you love died, calm down. You couldn’t meet the target having done all within your capacity, calm down. You have the wound of betrayal, calm down. Your economic power has been decimated, calm down. You are wrongly accused, calm down. You are confused, feel drained and have gotten to the end of yourself, calm down. There are times we just have to stop, sit still and listen.
You must learn to put things behind you and calm down. “The mind is like water, when it’s turbulent, it’s difficult to see, when it’s calm, everything becomes clear.”
King David undestood this when he wrote, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters”.
Do not let circumstances around you, especially, the behaviour of others to take away your inner peace.
Today, Be Calm, Be cool and Collected, believing the words of Pst E. A Adeboye when he prayed, “ your tomorrow shall be alright.”
Remember, God does not lead in turbulent waters, He leads you in still waters.
I am Pst Femi Ajayi