I was brought up in a very strong Christian home. My parents lived an exemplary Christian life which moulded my whole life, choices and principles.
Over the years I have discovered that because of my upbringing, God has shielded me from a couple of things – regular mistakes. I had and still have a strong sense of self-worth and personal confidence where I don’t believe I have to do what everybody is doing to feel loved and accepted.
While I was at the university, I wasn’t in a relationship and this made people wonder why because I loved to dress up and make up. Sometimes, I made funny hairstyles with colours like red and gold. People thought I was a club girl until they conversed with me and discovered I’m all about Jesus. I became friends with the ‘outcasts’, people Christians would typically judge and condemn.
While I was in school, God helped me to reach out to runs girls and prostitutes. A couple of them are now married with kids, and some are strong Christians. I am grateful to God for that.
Let me go back a bit. I had a very strong Christian background, almost “deeper life-ish”. I was the first person at home to start wearing trousers, making up, relaxing my hair, painting my nails, wearing rings etc. My parents fought me a lot because I was born in their old age. They didn’t understand me.
I want to tell parents out there that even if you don’t understand your children, make sure you don’t stop giving them the Word of God, no matter how crazy it gets. The root of the Word of God in them will always ground them. I remember in SS1, I had just retouched my hair and it was really long. In church, my mum took a pair of scissors and cut my hair in the middle and shouted that it was the hair that was making me go crazy *laughs*. I cried.
Growing up, my parents had problems understanding me and I had problems understanding them, but looking back, I appreciate them more. My dad is late but my mum is alive and we are now very close.