Latent is a word borrowed into English from Latin, by Physicists.
In the course of study of heat, they observed that at a point between two states of matter (e,g, between solid and liquid, such as from ice to water), the matter absorbs heat without a rise in temperature. So they set out to look for the heat that was received but not revealed! They never found it, but one day it was linked to the change of state! The heat was employed to convert the ice to water!
“So what do we call this heat?”
“Hidden heat?” “No. That sounds boring!”
“Latent Heat!”
“What is that? ”
“Latent is the Latin word for hidden!”
And that was it.
Between the night of the 31st of December 2012 and the morning of January 2013, I found out that my temperature did not rise! And interestingly, it has never risen over the past thirty something years! In fact, while many of us were in church, some people were sleeping, and it doesn’t show on anyone’s face who was at church/mosque, and who was in bed! And certainly, that is a fact that wont change in the future.
What then? after crossing a few 31st of December nights, we are called old! Is that a goal?
The years have deposited values in us which we call knowledge and experience.
First, they bring about change in us.
Second, they bring about change in our environment.
Else? Inputs wasted? Maybe we do not need so much to be imbibed in 2013; maybe all we need do is to dig up and make the most of the values the previous years have added!
They were absorbed, but often times Latent! Let us put them to use!

Every year has purpose in someone’s life but the values are hidden due to many reasons; 1. unable to review the past; 2. Negligence; e.t.c… Above all, to be able to identify and utilize this “Value”, someone needs to seek for divine grace from the Heavenly father.
I pray that God should give us ability to identify and utilize the value of every moment of our life in Jesus Name.
Bro Lanre,the lord is your strength….!
Life is shrouded in such a mystery that cannot be fully unravelled, no matter how much Science and Technology (and maybe Arts) try. We pick up much knowledge and experience each passing day but we may never make use of them, either by no fault of ours or as a result of laziness, lethargic attitude to life etc.
The way forward is to consciously endeavour to use every opportunity to its fullest and seeking opportunities to utilize our newly acquired knowledge/skills on our part and to ask for the grace to identify our ‘latent heat’ and the opportunity to make the most of it (them). So help us God.