A young man entered a cafetaria, sat down in one of the chairs and waited to be attended to. Meanwhile, his mind kept wandering away in thoughts. The following week would make it a full year since he completed his National Youth Service Scheme. So many people had promised to help him secure employment at one time or the other but each promise always resulted in disappointment. He is now used to disappointments.

His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle tap on his back. He quickly gathered himself together and turned around to see who had tapped him. Standing behind him was a middle-aged man with an oval face devoid of any wrinkles of age. “Young man, I’ve been keeping an eye on you for the past ten minutes.” The fellow said, “you obviously seem not to understand how things operate in this cafetaria.” The man then pointed to another end of the hall and said, “over there is a tray rack. Go there, pick up a tray, and then join the queue so you can get served. In this cafetaria, nobody comes to attend to you. You pick up your tray and join the queue.”

That message ran deep within this young man like still waters. He had been buried up in thoughts that he did not even take notice of what had been going on. For him, what the older fellow had just told him was more than a guide to the cafetaria. It was the antedote to his problems. This young man walked out of the cafetaria determined not to depend on anybody any longer. He felt like a fool for doing that for a whole year. He maed up his mind to go out into the market place.

Life, definitely, doesn’t give you what you deserve; It only gives you what you demand. Never sit down waiting for someone to make things happen for you. God will no doubt use men to lift you, but don’t sit idle, waiting for the lifting to come. Go for it! If nobody employs you, why not deploy yourself? Remember this – in life, you don’t wait to get served. You go out there, pick up your tray and take your turn!