Introducing Eavesdrop

Lesson from everyday life!

Introducing Eavesdrop 

It was a rainy afternoon, my mom and I went to the farm that morning and the rains caught up with us on our way home. When we alighted from the taxi, we ran to the nearest shed—a roadside restaurant. On getting there, the chef in charge sent us away, saying the shed was only for her customers. With our drenched bodies, we both found a nearby wall to lean on, having to  endure the rain splash. 

However, something happened before we left. Immediately the woman pursued us, there was lighting. After we got to the makeshift shed, I told my mum, “God took us and her a picture,” my childish mind said that because I equated the lighting to the flash of a camera. 

“I was a stranger and you invited me in,” this was the scripture that came to my mind; Matthew 25, where Jesus talked about “the great judgment”, and how the verdict will be based on how we cared for those in need while we were on earth. (Cf Matthew 25:35-40).

This event is my earliest memory of my experience with eavesdropping on my everyday life to find lessons for my life. Since then, I have become more conscious about my environment and the sermon that God is preaching through the waiter I met at the cafe, the cab driver, my nieces and just about everyone and everything else.

Sometime in 2018, my friend, Chimaobi gifted me the book “Seeds in the Winds”, authored by Alex Rebello, an Indian Catholic priest who was a missionary in the UK at the time the book was published. The tagline reads, “God’s Touch in Live Events”. In the book, Fr Rebello shared what he learnt from 40 of his life experiences. It remains my favourite book up till this moment. The inspiring stories deepened my spiritual sensitivity of looking out  to learn  from my everyday life experiences. 

I later fell in love with Ignatian Spirituality—the way of life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola that inspires the work of Jesuits—and one of the key things that Ignatius taught was that “God is present in our world and active in our lives”. And it’s true! As I go about pursuing my purpose and passion every day; from the workplace to the market, the hospital, and the classroom, I see God; in the actions of the people and things around me. I eavesdrop on them and over the years, these lessons have formed my perception of life; including my career. 

Let me cut to the chase! For a long time, I have kept these lessons to myself and sometimes I share them with my loved ones, but I was talking to my friend the other day and I had quite a burden to start sharing some of these lessons publicly. 

Who knows? It might inspire someone. 

I wouldn’t have started typing this but last night, I was lying on my bed; not thinking of anything in particular when  all of a sudden,  the Holy Spirit placed a word on my mind; Eavesdrop! And that was it! 

Like I said in a text to my friend, “Eavesdropping is generally listening to a conversation secretly without the consent of the speaker, and that’s what writing from ‘everyday life’ is. You don’t get the lessons with the consent of the characters.”

I won’t keep these lessons to myself anymore, I will share them with you; maybe monthly or bi-monthly. I’m yet to decide. These life lessons often come from diverse issues, you will get to know as we continue. 

I will stop here for now. 

I’m Johnstone, the Eavesdropper!