Friends, it doesn’t
feel so good to be far away from you for so long a time. As some of you already
know, I was on my National Assignment in Kwara state, Nigeria and I had very limited access
to the internet but now, it feels good to be back so we can inspire
each other again! I missed you a lot and I hope you missed me too. I’m sorry
for some of the expectations I could not meet
up with- some calls unreplied, some columns not written especially that of Explorer magazine but right now, I'm glad to be home.
Please consider this
short piece; I hope it says something to you.
It was ten minutes past
ten. The night was cold and lonely, the silk cotton moved rhythmically to the
spinning fan on the ceiling. As Mama Emeka knelt down, tears percolated in her
eyes and streamed down to wet her palms. She clenched her teeth and muttered
something under stiff breath. She had lost count of how long she had been
kneeling there but she had been beckoning on God to restore her one and only
son, Emeka.
“Oh God, let my son
come back to me!” She silently said with a weird mixture of faith and
hopelessness. The night was cold but she managed to open the door to step out
in the chilly cold and dangerous night in search of her son.
She felt she needed to
stretch her faith beyond measure. She searched many places and finally found
her son exhausted and abandoned in a “Pot Avenue” Emeka had been smoking and
had lost consciousness. Emeka had preached in the church, sang in the choir,
led many to Christ yet the alluring fantasies of a supposedly sweet world would
not let him be.
One step after another,
he derailed, became a frequent visitor at the jail house, an addicted smoker
and a gangster.
Mama took him home
amidst tears. “I had you in my womb for nine months, I breastfed you, I have
always loved you. I could even die if only that will make you live; but son,
come back to the Lord!” She wailed silently.
Indeed, Emeka later
gave up his bad habits and returned to God, got rehabilitated and restored.
Indeed, Mama’s love
could be tough but God’s love is even tougher! Would you take that love for
granted? Don’t give up on God because he would not give up on you. Are you lost
right now like Emeka, the waiting arms of the Lord are ever ready to welcome
you back!
Just call home; Jesus
is waiting with open arms!
Yours in active
service!
Chijindu.
