Intermission: Your native story

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THE INTERMISSION

I will tell you a story of two men, one greater than the other but both must live to fulfill a purpose, while my granny sat on the straw mat, and I sat with my two legs folded, and my hand rested on my chin. I had just consumed my mother’s delicious beans and plantain when granny called me outside the house to listen to her tale; I hurriedly left the sitting room holding the straw mat with me as I opened the door.

‘Sit demilade’ granny spoke softly

I obeyed spreading the mat for our comfort on the cold cemented floor, the night was chilly enough to set the senses on fire that sitting on a cold floor wasn’t advisable for the health. Granny wrapped in native wear held unto a toothpick while I sat staring into the sky with a prepared heart to hear a lovely tale as always.

Granny began with the humming of an old song, one that called the attention of my father who joined her in singing, I watched them sing with such joy that I wished I could sing along. Maybe one of the days, I would ask granny to teach me, I concluded within me. When the song ended, granny began to tell me of two individuals, in actual fact three men but one was higher than the other men but each bare a purpose.

Their names according to her tale were; Timi, Paul, and Safarina. Yes, there was a woman among them. Safarina, as granny told was married to Paul, and they both lived in a beautiful town called Frost where they had all they ever could dream of, Paul was a man of authority while his wife was a lover of nature and leisure walks. For years, both lived in this little town peacefully until there was a day Safarina, a lover of relaxing walks made a mistake and defied the law of the small village called frost, Safarina called her husband, and he too joined hands with her to defy the law. Granny mentioned, the law always has a repercussion when transgressed, so both Paul and Safarina didn’t escape the consequence for their mistake.

Granny paused before she continued her story, ensuring I was paying apt attention, which I was. Paul and Safarina because of their mistake did obtain mercy but what they did was in remembrance in the town of Frost, their descendants after them continued daily to transgress the law and soon the earth was filled with many transgressors, and like the law demanded very transgressors were bound to die; there was a lot of death and bloodshed.

I was enjoying every bit of granny’s story, and even while mosquitoes danced together with the chilly wind and I repeated slapped my body to avoid their bite, granny only smiled at me.

‘Should I go on or should we go inside?’ Granny asked, concerned about my health. I urged her to continue her story, not wanting to wait another day. Granny continued, the focus of the story now shifted to the third man called Timi. Somehow I felt Timi was the hero in granny’s tale because she had a beam on her face when she was about to tell the story of Timi.

Timi, my granny, began was the greatest among the three men. Granny spoke of him as if he was seated with us while I listened. Timi was a man of meekness and untold gentleness, though a descendant of Paul through natural birth yet he was different from others in his generation.

PREVIOUSLY ON SEARCHLIGHT, WEDNESDAY: WHAT IF I DIDN’T: A TRUE STORY

“Is Timi the hero?” I asked granny, but her reply was nothing but a pure smile. Timi, while he was alive was loved by a few and hated by many of his kind because he was different and they judged him because he lived as though he couldn’t transgress just like his forefathers. The law, granny, mentioned bounded many to live a life by their own effort to be free, but Timi defied the law by living a life free from transgression.

For some reason, I suddenly loved Timi for living a different life and defying all odd. But why did his kind hate him? I asked granny. Her reply was simple, he was different, and they hated it. Everyone expected Timi to be like them, but you know a hero can’t be like everyone else if it is so, why would they call them heroes?

Timi lived for years but had a little time with the people who loved him and his kind to teach them how to live a life free from transgression. Timi offered a way out of the binding law filled with flaws, and while his enemies increased daily, Timi touched a few individuals while he lived. Granny said Timi was killed by those who hated him and though while he died yet, the town couldn’t forget him for what he did, and thus a group of people who were close to Timi while he was alive continued his legacy by teaching those around them a way out of a life of transgression.

“A hero is not without followers, but Timi had the greatest number of followers even till today.” my father broke into the story.

Surprised at what he said, I questioned. “Dad, did you know Timi?”

“Oh, yes I do son,” he said proudly as he took his position beside me on the mat with a smile on his face

“Who is Timi?” I asked curiously

“Son, your granny just told you a story of Adam, Eve, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Really?” my eyes settling on my Grandmother who smiled at me

“Demilade, Jesus’s death offered a way out of a life filled with transgression for mankind” my father spoke while staring into the star-filled sky.

“Adam brought death, but Jesus brought life. The disobedience of the first man in the garden made every man born of a woman a sinner, but it is only through the obedience of one, who is the Lord Jesus was we made righteous. Just imagined what would happen if Jesus never died?” mother joined in the discussion.

“Who knows dear” granny answered.

Searchlight Verse: Romans 5: 19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Read Romans 5:17 also

YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ THIS: FIVE BIBLE VERSES THAT TELLS GOD’S LOVE

Writer’s Corner: Earlier this week, I was reading the above chapter of the Bible when I stumbled through the verses I mentioned below, and I decided to coin a story from it. I believed there was an intermission during the time of Adam and now before the death of our Lord Jesus on Calvary. And I would love to conclude that during the intermission, heaven decided to send help to a degenerate world filled with transgressors by sending our Lord Jesus Christ who died for the sins of all. Just imagined if Christ never died? Well, I just don’t want to think about that, but I must say out of millions in this world I’m grateful the Lord Jesus died for all.

Decision’s Corner: The world we live in is filled with iniquities, to sum it all wickedness here and there but I have good news for you, yes you reading this wondering what my story above means. Do you know you can live a life without sinning? You can be righteous and holy. The thing is, you can try all your best effort, humanly possible to live a life free from whatsoever you want to be free from, but the freedom is only temporal. You can try to run away from the guilt, depression, unworthiness you feel by doing good and trying to buy your eternity by the works of your hand, but the sad truth is that everything you do is all going to amount to nothing because you can’t save yourself. You can only try but you just can’t because whatever you run away from will one day paralyze you. There is only one way out, a sure way out; you don’t even have to pay for it, you don’t need to work for it; all you need to do is say this prayer with faith in you. JUST BELIEVE

“Dear Father in heaven, I thank you for sending your only begotten son to die for me on the cross of Calvary, I thank you because you love me even before I was created. I am saying this with faith and all sincerity in me, dear Lord, please do hear from heaven and deliver me from this body of sin. I can’t save myself, only you can; so please forgive me and wipe away all my sins, my evil deeds with your atoning blood. Give me Grace never to sin again and grant me true freedom again. I thank you for accepting me as one of your own, I thank you for loving and forgiving me. Amen”

Having prayed that prayer above with all sincerity, I congratulate you for your sins are forgiven and you are free, it looks like magic right; don’t worry you don’t have to understand because really we all can’t because trust me you will begin to live a life free from sins through the help of God. Congratulations once again, I pray the spirit of God to be with you. Do well to join a Bible Believing Church, and also you can connect with me through this number: 09033239444; or email me at [email protected]