My father died quite young. It was devastating news. My father was our only source of financial and emotional stability. Words cannot describe my feeling of hopelessness, dejection and the void that his demise created.
I confronted God with an obvious question, why me? So young in the faith, I thought God was not faithful. I expected God to rather strike our enemies, not members of his family. My logical and canal mind reasoned so within the context of natural wisdom.
Our rejection
We were evicted from our house soon after my father’s demise. My mother took an early retirement to use her benefits for our education and upkeep. Prior to my father’s demise, I had been a pupil teacher for one year so I supported my mother with my little savings. I was temporarily a teacher because my Ordinary Level Examinations Results were cancelled and I had to rewrite the same. After my father’s death, I understood why I had to work and save. It was a preparation for the unknown future.
My mother relocated to my father’s hometown where he had properties, part of which we were hopeful to occupy. We were again rejected and denied every right and privilege. We were overly harassed, traumatized, vilified as witches for killing my father. After graduating from the university, I resolved to enroll in the seminary but I was again rejected. Family friends and all those we looked up to for help also sadly rejected or abandoned us save only two, my mother’s very young cousin and my father’s distant friend who each in turn voluntarily offered us temporary accommodation.
Trials and temptations
In my father’s days we belonged to the elite in society. After his death we were the most downtrodden.
We received very tempting offers to join or convert to Islam, silent brotherhood, transcendental meditations, Astra travelling, engage with spirits, invocation of guardian angels, lodges, rosicrucian society and many more. As a family of the Methodist faith and the Manse, we remained unyielding.
My mother also taught us to be patient with Jesus even at the heart of chilling challenges. Her only companions were prayer, the bible and Jesus Christ. Today, we also pray over people’s lives and counsel the tempted based on our past experiences. I thank Jesus for his strength and grace without which we would miss eternity. How often do you pray for your children, family, neighbours, or the bereaved? How strong is your foundation in Jesus Christ?
God’s presence and grace
There was no shred or scintilla of evidence that we could be relevant today. However, none of my siblings dropped out of school or fell sick or needed what was beyond our means even in our state of abject poverty. Soon after graduating, my first job gave me enough resources and has continued to date. This grace has since extended to all my siblings. We are role models to many and committed to assuage the sufferings of others because of our past experiences.
We now understand the deceptive and fleeting loyalty of man. We now know that surely, there is only one faithful friend who will never fail and he is called Jesus Christ. Because Jesus knows the future, whatever way he takes us is to prepare us for the future that we do not know. He knows our end from our beginning so let us depend on him, accept his ways and be thankful to him always in all things.
If we know who Jesus is, we can smile at the storms of life rather than cry; appreciate Jesus rather than complain; embrace him in adversity and not run from him. My life is a miracle and I am eternally thankful to God. The Lord said in Jeremiah 29 that, for I know the plans I have for you, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Be thankful to God all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you, 1 Thessalonians 5:18. The Lord is faithful. I pray to the Lord to guide you to appreciate his ways without complaint or wavering in spirit. Shalom!!
