Orange, Books and Midwives of Destinies

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Golden beams from the huge orange ball setting behind the forest ignited like flames of fire upon the trees. Dazzling tongues of orange flames hung on the trees in place of leaves. The forest was aflame with the brilliance of orange, gold and russets. Dry autumn leaves glowed beneath the trees.

The beauty of this autumn sunset was captivating. I was mesmerized as I drove past the forest on my way home a few years ago. I wished I had a camera with me to capture the image and share it with the world.

Orange—brilliant as light, it can't be hidden. It stands out.

The first time I saw an orange-coloured book was in October 1992. I had been invited for an interview for the position of Nutrition Officer in an international organization. I prepared as best as I could. On my way out of the office, I stopped by my big sista's cubicle. I happened to look up to the bookshelf overhanging her seat, and an orange-coloured publication caught my attention. I pulled it out and it was—…Nutrition Goals for the 1990s! Needless to say, I read the book all through the 150 kilometres trip from Ibadan to Lagos (located south-west of Nigeria), and half the night. The following morning, every question I was asked at the interview came from that book.

Three months later, I was called to take up the position. An orange-coloured book, which we later found out had been sitting on the same shelf for at least a year unnoticed, just at the right moment, stood out among other books, caught my attention and was used of God to midwife a dream career that spanned 15 years in three countries.

Orange - warm, visible, captivating and arresting.

SISTAPOWER

On February 12^th, 2013, I held another orange-coloured book, just a few days out the press—SISTAPOWER embossed in orange on the glossy cover decorated with a wind blown sunflower peeking at the lower right corner. The book glowed with the radiance of an autumn sunset. "Discovering the power of collaboration" was illustrated with a picture of hands connecting together. I knew in that instant this book authored by Bidemi Mark-Mordi will stand out among its equals to captivate and to touch lives.

The glowing cover compels you to open and look inside. When I did, the aroma of fluffy vanilla cupcake decorated with swirls of butter cream frosting tantalized my nostrils and made my taste buds to water. The flavours of vanilla perfectly captured the enticing texture of  the smooth cream bond paper used in SISTAPOWER. And the print is friendly to the eyes. Simply beautiful and beautifully written, it is sprinkled with graphic illustrations.

Armed with my orange highlighter, my pen and a notebook, I began my journey through the book. The foreword was written by Coach Anna McCoy, Founder, Women Act Now, USA, which spoke volumes about Bidemi's qualification to write this book.

In the introduction, Bidemi described how she received the inspiration and her mandate to write this book. It was explicit right from the beginning that she was not going to do this project alone. Writing the book itself will demonstrate the power of collaboration she sought put forward in the book.

"He was going to raise for me a group of women, who will make themselves available to work with me on my dreams and birth them together… " - page xviii

SISTAPOWER refused to be read in a hurry. It prompted a re-read of the Bible stories I thought I was familiar with. I swung like a pendulum between my Bible and the book. For everyone who would read this book, you will find there is no quick reading of SISTAPOWER,  it will prompt you to revisit the stories you thought you knew so well These will ignite with illumination as deeper meanings are revealed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the many stories shared in the book, you will see the power of collaboration at work. You will see how destinies were entwined—one person fulfilling his/her part so that the purpose of God can be fulfilled in the life of another. You will see the power of God at work connecting His servants to people, things and information, He had prepared ahead of time so that they can fulfil their destinies according to His plan. You will read of women who took audacious steps to do the never-done-before and therefore contributed to fulfilling destinies.

SISTAPOWER motivates every woman to be a woman of excellence in every sphere of her life starting first in her home:

"There is a usually ripple effect when a man is connected with a woman who compliments and complements him …" - page 29. It affects all the other relationships the man is involved in, including his work and business. Remember the Proverbs 31 woman? Her husband sits at the city gate with elders in the land, in a position of honour. The husband of such a woman is full of confidence and he has no fear of alarm (emphasis mine).

Books and Midwives:

It is amazing what God can use to midwife His purpose in our lives. Books containing vital and powerful information add value to our lives, and bring about life-changing experiences. I testified earlier to how God used an orange-coloured book in my life. Bidemi shared about two of the books which impacted her life.

"Someone brought me a book by Joyce Meyer…She immediately became my sounding board…No, I didn't have access to her, but her books proved to be very helpful in putting into perspective the issues I faced, and like Rick Warren, she helped midwife the confidence with which I stand today." - p. 64

I believe that SISTAPOWER, though a book about midwives of destinies, will be used of God to midwife divinely ordained connections and powerful collaborations in the lives of as many as will take time to diligently follow the principles shared therein. I am persuaded this orange-coloured book will elicit testimonies with far-reaching impact similar to the one I shared at the beginning of this article.

Certainly not because of its colour or the high quality presentation but because of its powerful and rich content. It is well researched and filled with wide-ranging Biblical truths which have application for our day-to-day lives if we want to fulfil God's call upon our lives.

In this book, Bidemi defined a paradigm that demands movement and action. It challenges the reader not to wait for someone to give us permission to participate but to be willing to lead the change ourselves in the different spheres of influence God has placed us. It encourages us not to do it alone.

"For each of us, there is an ability that has been given, which if we utilize properly, has the potential to bring about change and create value for mankind" - page 173.

"Gone are the days when you needed a pulpit within the four walls of a church building to be able to make divine impact… All God wants from us is to use what we have been given by Him, where we are, to bring about change and be the midwives of destinies." - pages 173 - 174

"… we have become an army of women spread across the continents, who come together daily to pull each other, hold each other accountable, pray for each other and love each other enough to contend that the highest possible good be made manifest concerning us." - page 185

Bidemi wrote this book with the passion of a woman who wants to see other women achieve their God-given potentials. In it you will find a selfless commitment to help another Sista birth and live her dream.

Published by Verbatim Communications, Lagos, Nigeria, SISTAPOWER is a manifestation of an audacity to dream and to dream big. It will be available in the international market in April, DV.

I encourage you to get your copy of SISTAPOWER and position yourself to achieve uncommon results which comes when women collaborate on significant ideas and provide exceptional encouragement to one another.

Bidemi, a delightful treat of fluffy vanilla cupcakes decorated with swirls of orange cream frosting, awaits you when SISTAPOWER is launched in Geneva.