THE DAY I ALMOST DIED: my main concerns in the fleeting moment

#pastorbiodunsoretire

…Then, a shout of wailing

Now, an eternal serenity

For man forgets too soon

The memory of the late…

The date was 25th of July, 2015. That date was remarkable too. It was the eve of the first birthday of my long-awaited son – our marriage waited without child seven years. I had boarded a car conveying me to my Ijebu-Ode base from work. A light shower had covered up a pothole at the foot of the sloppy section of the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway near Babcock. Our cab fell into it and the ignition went off. Before the driver could struggle it out we got hit from behind by a galloping articulated truck. Viola! Our car got on the run, out of control of the driver, heading for disaster. We all in stunned silence sorrowfully waited where this evil momentum would land us.

At that moment I was not thinking of my wife or my son’s approaching birthday. I was not thinking of my church members or my work colleagues. I was not thinking of my relatives or fond friends. As the car conveyed us in fearful suspense to an uncertain end, only two things preoccupied my thought: "Is that all?" and "Will I make it?"

My concerns in the valley of shadow of death have two faces: what is behind me and what lies ahead of me.

Is that all - What is behind me!

No matter what you do or don’t do in life, you will have at least one or more persons to celebrate you when you are gone. But, what is more important is that who are those celebrating you and why are they celebrating you –  even the most wicked person will have sympathiser(s) or rather “praiser(s)” at his eulogy.

Who will miss you? That is the question. The society or your evil-wreaking accomplices, the church or your fornicating gang, your family or your concubines. It is about the “whos” and the “whys”. It is a serious matter. In fact, I tell you, the church, a right set of people, may hail a pastor at his death while his home, his immediate and most important constituency, will be hurling insults and abuses at him.

Life should be more than just numerical years and biological yields, but correct and long-lasting impacts.

Someone died and the local church had to arrange for Peter to come and try to raise her up. Whereas, someone else died and the church breathed a sigh of relief. Indeed, life is about making positive influence and impact on the right set of people.

Will I make it - What lies ahead of me!

Since 1994, I have shunned many vices and evil. I waste no time to repent, confess and forsake once the Holy Spirit brings any wrongdoing to my consciousness. Can I count the many worship services, bible studies, prayer meetings, fellowships, vigils, workers’ meetings, ministers’ meetings, EXCO meetings, seminars and workshops I have attended, and the tons of messages I have heard? I doubt. There is something at the back of mind for doing all of these. Definitely it cannot be something having to do with the life here. I have a mission. I have a goal. I have a target. It is to make heaven. I want to make heaven. So, when death came knocking, the question I found myself asking myself was: will I make it?

My concern is not only about my being celebrated here by the right set of people. I want heaven to celebrate me as well. They rejoiced when I was born-again. They should rejoice the more at my death when they fully receive me unto themselves as a saint triumphant.

This celestial celebration of life is about which of the spiritual realms will celebrate you at your death. Will it be the host of heaven or the host of hell? Will it be a triumphant entry into the heavenly Jerusalem or hell’s grand reception of another eternally lost soul into their fold? The choice is yours. And you can make the right decision right away and be sure you are on the path to heaven. The only way to be sure is the biblical way:

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

Won’t you rather give your life to Jesus?

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