My Learning Today – 31st August : THE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP AND LOYALTY.

The sweet benefits of loyalty remind me that the worst thing that can happen to anybody is to be destitute of sincere friendship. Without loyalty and true friendship, life becomes cold and lonely.

George Kaitholi once said, “A friend is someone who knows you all through, yet loves you all the more.” This is the truest picture of loyalty in friendship.

In my own case, I discovered this when I met Barnabbas Dogara, my first driver. The day he resumed, pot belly and all, I joked, “I hope when we go about our business, people won’t think that you are the boss.” That was the beginning of a relationship that would move far beyond a job description.

I gave him principles that mattered to me: don’t be late, don’t steal, respect my family, ask if you need anything, and stay focused on your work. Barnabbas lived by those values and soon proved that loyalty and integrity were his real job description.

Before long, I noticed bills paid, groceries sorted, sports runs for my kids done, all without me asking. Every month he would deliver a brown envelope with receipts, laughing, “Oga, see all your solved problems.” Suspicious at first, I checked prices, verified with vendors, and all I found was efficiency and honesty from a man earning just ₦40,000 at that time.

Soon, Barnabbas was no longer just a driver. He became my friend. I met his family, shared meals, knew his story, and trusted him completely. Jesus once said, “I no longer call you strangers; I call you friends, because a friend knows what his friend will do per time.” Barnabbas had become that kind of friend.

When he finally left for a government appointment, it felt like losing more than a driver. I was exposed. Life was never the same. Even now, whenever he’s on leave, he finds a way to help me again, just to give me peace from the chaos of other drivers. He even named his son after me, proof that our friendship is mutual and deep.

This is a tribute to loyalty, to friendship, to Barnabbas, truly a son of encouragement.

If you’ve never experienced real friendship, you may not know what you’re missing.

By all means, find one. Look at David and Jonathan in Scripture, and you’ll see how a true friend can save your life.

Shalom.

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