Teens Meet Outreach

On Sunday, 6^th November, I clocked 20. How does 20 feel? I’ll let you know at the end of this post. My teenage years were really beautiful; I rocked them well. Maybe not as other teenagers, but at least, I feel satisfied.

At 17, I wasn’t so sure about my purpose in life; I couldn’t tell if I had a direction. Many things had happened at that age, and one very important thing that I will never forget is how I watched my future sit at the verge and about to slip away from me—the only dream I could hold on to as at then. I knew that if it slipped, there would have been a kind of goals resetting and change in future plans. I was at a crossroad, and I couldn’t even see a future anymore. It was blank! But then, light came, and there was a way out of the whole knot. I don’t know how this happens, but there’s always a way out of any knot.

Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen! Life happened to me. I don’t want to bore you with details, and besides if I should begin to write about my teenage years, I may end up writing a book. My teenage period wasn’t a smooth one; wasn’t straight; wasn’t beautiful; wasn’t perfect. There were many tears, failures, flaws, hurts, struggles, getting to meet the Black and White Life… I got to understand the definition and language of pain, and what it means to stand and find out that everyone around is missing.

It’s been twenty years of fruitful living; of growth; of becoming; of getting to know myself in-out. My birth story is an unbelievable one. I came when everyone least expected it, and I lived even when many thought I wouldn’t last a week. I want to believe that I was named “Faith” because my mum held on right from the labour room, that she wouldn’t have a still birth, and even though I came out as the size of a pencil; looking immature, she knew I would live, pushing aside the fact that she couldn’t afford me an incubator. So far, my birth story has pushed me to soar and find my stance as early as I can; it gives me this assurance that I am not a mistake, and I have a great purpose that must be accomplished.

I have learnt a lot as a teenager, and this is not me saying bye to those years. Whatever I’ll become from this moment, I’ll have to refer back to my teenage years, because I’m certain a strong foundation has been laid in many areas of my life. My twenties are for building on some of these foundations, and for those with buildings already, I’ll make them into castles and take my time to design them so well.

I am not what I have envisaged myself to be at 20, but I can boldly say that there’s only a little space between the me now and the me I envisaged. Some flaws were made, but I’m glad I rose back up and refused to give in to them, which is why I don’t have regrets.

Like I said earlier, I have learnt a lot as a teenager. I’ll be summarizing my lessons into twenty, and make them into a post on TMO’s site (teensmeetonline dot com) later this week.

I was a happy teenager and I ensured I enjoyed every bit of it in whichever way I could; this includes not going around telling people I’m 22 when I’m 18. Why do people do this? Take a chill, please. Adulthood is forever.

So, how does 20 feel? Well, I can’t even feel the 20. That’s the truth…I woke up that day, and nothing really felt different (even till now), except for the numerous stunning wishes. There was just this feeling of accomplishment that I have crossed teenagehood, and I didn’t just cross, I crossed mightily. I rocked my teenagehood! I broke grounds! I attained feats! I dared! I’m living still…

God’s got my back, and he remains faithful. I got a deeper revelation of Philippians 4:13 at the middle of this year, 2016, and it has been working so well for me.

My name is Oluwatosin Faith Kolawole; I dare to rock my twenties and do the extraordinary!