“Olubunmi!” Sandra cried, “I can’t believe this, this is terrible, how could this have happened?” She went on, I could hardly hear her as she was sobbing.
“Okay, calm down.
Could you please tell me what the matter is so we can solve it together?”
“Mr Martin is gone!”
The hair at the back of my head stood up immediately. The alarm in Sandra’s voice was enough to infuse fear, yet I could not comprehend what She was saying.
“Gone? Gone where?” I asked still quite confused with the emotions expressed in her voice.
“He is dead”
My stomach dropped.
This was extremely shocking.
“Come on Sandra, what are you talking about? This is not true” I stated in disbelief still in utter shock.
“I saw him two weeks ago laughing with some students at the university cafeteria. Oh my God! This cannot be true.” I screamed as liquid grief took over, flowing down my face. I held the railings on the stairway to keep my knees from bucking.
“Mr Martin is gone” I said repeatedly to myself still dazed. This was not a solvable situation, this was reality.
Mr Martin was a nice man, a perfect moralist, well loved by the students on campus. He was always jovial, ever smiling. He knew how to put smiles and laughter on people’s faces.
It was a great grief he was gone.
The tears wouldn’t just stop as I realized with a greater grief where he might be.
He was a good man, a moralist and philanthropist but he was not born again.
He was just a church goer.
My friends and I had reached out to him and his wife countless times but they were adamant.
They wouldn’t budge, they felt they were okay and comfortable, they were moral and gave to the poor, they didn’t need any Savior.
***
Six years later.
I was walking into the Hall of meeting where the Minister’s conference I was attending was to hold when I heard someone calling my name.
I turned back to search for the voice calling out my name when my eyes met hers. My eyes went wide as big as saucers.
It was Mrs Martin.
What was she doing here in a place like this I questioned myself mentally.
“Miss Olubunmi” she called out as she went straight into my arms.
What was happening here I thought to myself.
Suddenly, I felt wetness at the back of my blouse.
Mrs Martin was crying.
I became confused. Why was she crying? What exactly happened?
I led her to the car pack to sit. Tears flowed in torrents down her face.
She couldn’t speak. She just looked at me and started crying afresh.
I adjusted myself on my seat and waited patiently for her to speak knowing I was running late for the conference.
“It was my fault” she blurted out.
I looked at her not making any sense of what she was saying.
“It was my fault my husband died” she continued. “I was the one of held him back, I was the thorn in his flesh.
Eight years ago, I had contacted HIV which I infected him with.”
My mouth became suspended. I was shocked.
I went down the memory lane thinking about Mr Martin. He looked like one who had no problem in life. He was wealthy and very comfortable. Many people envied him. He did not look like an HIV patient.
“He was on drugs till he breathed his last” Mrs Martin’s voice cut into my train of thoughts. ” He died of kidney failure.”
“Whenever you guys came to preach and it seemed like he was gone give in, I always threatened him. We went to church and we’re nice people, I had thought that was enough. I never wanted us to be counted as ‘churchy people’ the born again club.”
“I hindered him from receiving Christ” she went on as she wept profusely. “Aaaaaaah Bunmi!” She sobbed. “He died a sinner.”
“I feel so bad because a year after he died, I met a missionary who preached to me. I was broken and accepted Christ. I am now born again. I am a young adult leader in my church and I also came for the Minister’s conference.”
“Hmmmmm…..” I sighed, “you don’t have to feel bad Mrs Martin. Every living human is given a choice in life.
God made us free moral agents, he presents us with choices but does not force us to choose the right things. He leaves the decision in our hands.
Mr Martin made his choice. He was presented with the gospel, the good news of Christ on several occasions but he chose to turn away. He preferred to heed the advice of others and enjoy life.
The most important thing right now is that you are alive and you have chosen the right thing. The right way.
Do not feel bad and wallow in self pity. I’m grateful you found God.
You can use this opportunity to share your story with the world, proclaim Christ so that multitudes will come into the kingdom.
***
Dear friend reading this today, surely you are alive that is why you are reading this.
I’m thankful for the opportunity you still have. When there is life, there is hope.
You have the time and chance to choose today. I would implore you to choose the right way, make the right decision today.
Life is but for a short while. Eternity is forever. It is ageless, endless.
It is your choices here on Earth that will determine where you’ll spend eternity. Life is but a vapour. Today here, tomorrow gone. We do not own our lives, neither can we measure out the time we spend here on Earth. Nobody knows tommorow.
Friend, here are the choices.
Heaven or hell.
Jesus or Satan.
No space between. No sitting on the fence.
You cannot serve two masters at the same time.
Choose today who you will follow.
Narrow is the way that leads to life and broad is the way that leads to destruction.
Jesus is still waiting with arms opened wide, ready to receive you. There is no sin you have ever committed that his blood can’t cleanse you of.
You just come.
Choose right today.
Choose Life!
Choose Heaven!
CHOOSE JESUS!!!
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Adedokun Shalom Kehinde.
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