TRUE FATHER

Where do I go from here? Who else do I need at the moment? I am home and I know it. Many of my acquaintances (though few) have told me I can’t live in this world alone. Every man is dependent on another they say, but I stood up in the middle of the service to ask the question……… who have I been depending on?

Born into a family that my mother wasn’t even sure who my father was; you’ll know I had lesser dependency level compared to you. She was so poor I’m still tracing if she had a family she came from. I grew not knowing any cousin, uncle or aunt, just no relative at all. To me I look like no one and no one cared to look at me in respect of resemblance. My existence was daily and the menial jobs I did earned a living. Sincerely I had no life and I should be close to twenty six years of age. 

Growing up with a mentality that I am not equal to others made me a slave in my nation. The luxury of houses with windows and children sleeping on mattresses were assumptions I could never imagine. I never wore a new cloth in my life till four weeks ago. I always had some people who could look at me and dash me their rags. I started enjoying the status and lived within those confines of poverty and pains. To me that was reality. From one incomplete building to another; craving in the midst of mosquitoes and ants, I build up my immunity to little illnesses like malaria and typhoid. I fed on what human despise and munched waste in houses during occasions around the corner. All the people around me knew me for one thing……. Hakuna is strong.

 The strength that I needed for survival lied within me. I thought I was respectful because I called everybody uncle and auntie, even primary school children.  They later gave me a name on the busiest street in gwarinpa where I sleep (matata). I was a nobody, no lineage, I didn’t know my local government, I don’t know my age, I don’t even know my surname. What a life to live. I spoke three Nigerian languages but none fluently. I understood English a little but can’t speak correctly that much. I envied people that went to school and sometimes I stay at the gate of the Gwarinpa School to spy at transformation in the process. There was something about the environment that I noticed and that was “everyone that went in came out differently”. Thus one night I jumped the fence of the school to find out what really happens there. I saw a hall with chairs and table and a wall with something white. On this white board was written GOD.

 I kept the picture of this word in my mind even though I couldn’t pronounce it. Then one faithful evening I saw that picture on a signpost and asked a woman at our marijuana joint how to pronounce it and she spoke it out. I kept the word in my mind for twelve good months and i know one day I would have an encounter with this person that causes transformation inside that school. 

One faithful day, in the midst of hunger and frustration, some set of people were doing their ministration and they were sharing food and cloth to people. I was invited into their midst and for the first time I had new clothes. They gave me eight shirts and three trousers. They took me to a barbing salon and asked where I stayed. They took me away from the shanty house I lived in and brought to a better place. They fed me with good food and for the first time I entered into the luxury of what I always assumed. I cried so well that night in joy. At the end of the day I asked Brother Paul to tell me in all sincerity who they are. And he told me they are children of God. Immediately I knew I had to meet their daddy. I was amazed what God has done for me to allow me meet his children. I told them my experience about how well I have been looking for their dad. And that I have kept HIS name in my heart for over a year now. 

They looked at me and started crying. They all hugged me in tears and told me to kneel down. I asked what we were about to do and they said we are about to talk to our daddy. I was so happy and thus I knelt down. They said all the wonderful things in the world to HIM and told me to tell HIM whatever I wanted to tell HIM. I asked where he was and they answered he has always been around. He has been waiting for me to talk to HIM ever since but as I wouldn’t notice him, he sent them to me. I looked around and saw nobody and in all curiosity I told HIM, God please show you to me. And this was the message I got. He said I should walk into their toilet and look into the mirror and whatever I see there……. That is God. To my surprise the image was me and that led me to church to meet the senior pastor. 

My brothers and sisters, now I have given up everything to God and the rest of the story I guess you know. I now live in a good place. I have good food to eat and joy unspeakable is my housemate. I am covered with peace of mind and the grace that surrounds me in amazing but the reference in this story is eighteen people attend this particular church on my street and none of them ever came to me to tell me about their God our God. The almighty God sets all things in motion and expects to see the actions of men towards one another.

Now that I’ve known God as my father also I am no longer fatherless.

 He gave me the Holy Spirit who is teaching me all things. I now know the good from the bad and discovered all through those times that I was suffering God was always with me. Those times I slept in the midst of mosquitoes; God covered me, when I felt I have never eaten all day, I was fed spiritually. Those happy days in my penury God told me a joke. And when he discovered I wouldn’t come closer he sent me to the school if the church wouldn’t come to me.

Think about these for a minute, are you truly a reflection of God in your office, in your house, at school, even in church or wherever you find yourself. Don’t think you are too special to have found God that so many people are looking for. Talk about God to someone today and if necessary do more than talk. A candle looses nothing by lighting another one. God loves you so you should love others also