My new abode is  right across a chapel of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). Yesterday evening, the sound of the Praise Worship in the church attracted me to its evening service. It happened to be a joint service of Bible Study and sharing of the Lord’s Supper. I took part in the Lord’s Supper and the Pastor asked us to pray that God should put an end to all evils that surround us. I prayed asking God to quiet all the storms that surround me.

Later in the evening, as I checked my phone, I had received various texts from my lovely wife – all indicating that all was not well with my in-laws. She made certain requests of me and I dutifully carried them out and thereafter went to sleep. It was about three (3) hours later when I woke up and saw a text message from my wife saying “My sister is dead”. This wasn’t good. While I wasn’t shocked, for she has been sick for quite a while, I knew that I had to place a call to my wife. I called and the voice at the other end was one of sobering, my wife was crying! Now, I had seen her crying once before and in our years of marriage, I have decided that anything that will cause her to cry, I have to prevent it. In this case I failed or was t that I could not have prevented this? She was never consolable when she cries and my heart melts in such instances.

I tried all my possible best to persuade her to stop her tears and request that she should make a trip this way, if she wants to otherwise direct me the way she want so that I can help to address things she wanted done. Her cry wasn’t stopping and with a barrier of distance, it was impossible for me to have my hands around her, cuddle her and provide the support she needed in this period of grieve. I knew how well she was concerned for her sister and what the sister meant to her. I could understand how emotionally pained she was regarding this death and yet I was helpless in this period of her need.

Now, the bible makes us to understand that it is given for us all to die only once and following this will be judgement. None of us is going to escape this earth alive, except a few that will see the Lord at his appearing. In the past couple of weeks, the news have not all been well. A friend lost his wife, my daughter’s tutor lost his son and now my in-law is dead. Death has a peculiar way of reminding us all of our mortality and that one of these days, we will succumb to its cold cruel hands. As a result of this constant reminder, I have changed my mantra. I have started asking myself, what I can do differently each day to bring happiness to my life and the lives of those that surround me.

The founding fathers of the American state got it right when they declared independence in congress on the 4th of July 1776 stating that ”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. It is our individual rights to pursue happiness, whatever that means to each and every one of us.

As you read this piece, please ask yourself what makes me happy and how can I further such causes that provide happiness to me and those around me. Remember that life is temporal and one day you will be gone just as my in-law has gone. When the end comes, will you be full of regrets of the things that you should have, could have, would have done but did not do or would you gladly yield to death in the expectation of a more glorious home in heaven?

Adieu Mama Ojo!

….and off goes Baba Ojo to join her..

For most of the day, I was away on a work assignment. The day was drawing to its end when I alighted from the speed boat that had conveyed me to the place of my work assignment. My feet were just touching the land at the jetty when I heard the tone signalling that a message was coming in on my phone. I reached for my pockets, pulled out the phone and there it was. Another dark day of our lives, Baba Ojo was dead.

Less than a month ago, he was hale and hearty. No one would have thought that dead was lurking behind, so close by to take him away. The news was that he tripped while coming back home from work, hit his head on the floor and lost consciousness. From then hence, it was a case of a stone rolling down the hill. He was rushed to an hospital, revived from a coma and then taken to Badagry General Hospital to be cared for. Alas, it was too little, too late.

Today 15th Oct 2014, he said bye to mother earth and he is gone….never to come this way again. Life is short and yet we all are hustling and bustling all around, never giving thought to what happens after our temporary sojourn here. This world is not our home, we are but passing through!