For a better enlightenment and for a misunderstanding lets define the following words:
Girls: According to the Oxford Advanced learners Dictionary, the first definition given about girls stands for a female child: a baby girl. It also refers to a daughter and a young woman.
Total: The word “Total” on the other hand means completeness; including everything.
You are privileged to be a female, not just an ordinary female with scanty endowment but a full fledged, complete female endowed with beauty, excellent physique! Born of a woman! Whao! You will someday grow up and become ‘The Total Woman’ and give birth to champions, world changers, philanthropist, proclaimers of the word of the Lord and so on and so forth.
Let’s move on Daddy and Mummy’s girl. Let us now look at the words the “Total Girl” in their acronym:
Truthful and Thoughtful: The total girl should always speak what is true and accurate in any situation she finds herself Ephesians 4:2 5, therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body. She should also remember to think about others and their feelings. Philippians 2:4, each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interests or others.
O- Obedient: God’s word says obedience is better than sacrifice! She should be obedient to her parents, elders and the community where she lives, the school and church authorities, so that her days may be long (Ephesians 6:1-2) if she is asked to commit anything evil, she should not.
T-Trustworthy: The Total Girl should endeavour to be trusted. Whatever is put in her care should be well taken care of. She should be straight forward in her business (school work, religious activities, etc) with others. Let her yes be yes and herno, no! (Col. 1:10, Matt. 5:33-35).
A-Admirable, Attention: The respect, honour, self-less interest and compassion she gives and shows her elders and peers would accord her admiration. Everybody likes something good, that you should know. People must get attracted to you because you care about them. You may not have the money, but the little helping hand, the little good turn you do would be appreciated. As a total girl you must pay attention to and respect people by giving genuine courtesy and consideration to God’s word or a person’s word, the latter when it is not in conflict with the word of God.
L-Leader: As you grow into maturity you should be able to assume leadership role. Be responsible at home, school, church and other places. Do not shy away from responsibilities. You can do all things through Christ who gives you and me strength. (Phil. 4:13).
G-GodIy: In our contemporary world or better still in the world today, godliness is not given priority because the moral standard in almost every sphere of life has fallen! Nevertheless, I can convince you that there are some who are still maintaining their standard in God, living holy lives. As the total girl that you are already trust God to grant you the grace to lead a godly life in all ramifications! Offences must surely come, people will tempt, lure you to sin against God, but be disciplined and decisive and separate yourself from such people and sure you’ll overcome in Jesus name. Amen! (Read 3 John 11).
I-Industrious: You should be an industrious person. You should be ready to work hard in whatever you do. The total girl can’t just fold her hands and sit at one place expecting manner to fall down. No! There are vast opportunities for getting money ranging from petty trading to office work which our parents are engaged in, As total girls, we should be ready to help.
Talking about industriousness 1 would like to share a testimony of how I helped my loving, caring mother who is a total woman, a wife, mother and a committed school teacher.
My mother just like every other mother had been a hard-worker. As a schoolteacher, a devoted one for that matter, she has always taught and trained us on how to work with our hands. During the short and long vacations she would teach me and my younger sister how to make buns and puff-puff which we take to sell at the Mile 1 Market in Port Harcourt, the garden city of Nigeria. Other things she taught us how to prepare were fried meat, fish and snail, chin-chin, pancakes, Akara balls, meat-pie, coconut candy, meat roll and scotch eggs. I humbly learnt how to prepare these recipes, took them to the market, disposed them within 2 to 3 hours and got back home with an accurate account.
It had been wonderful times for me because most of my customers told me that they always buy these confectionaries from me because of my character-humility, respect and godliness among others. These virtues I grew up with through the grace of God.
The times spent in visiting Super stores like Chanrais, Kingsway, Leventis, Supabod are vividly remembered.
It pays great dividend because God must surely bless the work of your hands. I was glad I helped her before I left them on the ground of further studies and marriage.
I would like to give this piece of advice as far as hawking s concerned. The right of the total girl must be protected. The ‘Child Right Act’ has been put into law and the government and private and religious bodies are still informing and being informed of the abuse of children and youths in different ways.
Care must be taken! Please, total girl you should be decisive, strong-willed (when it comes to not giving in to any immoral act!). Why I’m saying this is because there are some who would like to mess you up by trying to touch the delicate parts of your body, leading to sexual immorality and rape which some children have faced innocently. And some wayward girls entice men or boys who would not like to commit such sin. I remember an elderly man, a tailor by profession, married with three children. This was the conversation that transpired between us:
He asked, “would you like to be my friend?” I will buy whatever you need. Soap, cream, clothes etc for you”. I responded, “Sir, please, I am a child of God. I can’t keep the type of friendship you are talking about”. I asked him, “Sir, you are married, aren’t you?” No, he replied. “Okay, thanks for patronizing my business”. I left. Now on a fateful day, I was passing by with the snacks and he called again to buy it. He insisted on the friendship thing. Lucky enough, I met three little children who looked very much like him in the shop. I asked respectfully “Sir, are these children yours? “Yes, they are my children”, he confirmed “But you said you are not married; see these lovely children you have! Oh Sir, it is not good for you to have more than one wife or even keep friendship with any girl for that matter A. On hearing .this he mumbled,” But…it doesn’t matter”, it matters a lot sir”, I frankly told him. ###
Angela Inyena Anietie
