Look Beyond The Shrub

In our lives we go through so many trials and temptations.

The situation one finds himself can sometimes become so desperate that one looses all hope of ever coming out of it.

In my life, I have had several trying experiences involving my health, work and financial situations.

I would like to share these with you, to demonstrate the love the Lord has for us.

In 1961, when I was only eight years old, I suffered from a sickness that almost took my life.

For over three months, I was bed ridden with no hope of recovery. My parents took me for treatment at various health institutions without any improvement.

Finally, they sought services of a witchdoctor who, somehow, managed to restore by health!

As a result of this sickness, I had to repeat my Grade two class in 1962.

On 28 October 1994 I was admitted into an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital . This was after I lost nearly two litres of blood due a bleeding stomach ulcer of the duodenum .

I went into a comatose state due to shock brought by the loss of a lot of blood.

My life was saved by emergency blood transfussion. For several days, my breathing was via an oxygen mask covering my face.

The condition became so critical that, at one time, my family lost hope of my recovery. Rumour even went round that I had died in hospital !

I stayed in the ICU ward for ten days.

The peptic stomach ulcer was as a result of a heavy beer drinking habit, which had been going on for more than twenty years.

I started to drink beer in 1974 when I was at the University.

During campus holidays I used to spend time with an uncle. He introduced to me to a social life of late nights and heavy beer drinking.

In April 1996 I and a workmate were suspended from employment. This was after investigations of a senior official we were working under, linked us to his questionable activities.

On appeal, we were both found innocent.

The truth was that the official used our positions to carry out his activities behind our backs. The ordeal took fifty ones days of torment before we were reinstated.

The lesson that I learnt from that experience is, one should always keep his eyes open to any form of corrupt practices around him and report them immediately. One should not be intimidated by the fear of reprisal from the wrong doer.

In May 2005, I was in another near-death situation due to a infected appendix of the stomach.

An operation to remove it, saved my life on 19 May 2005.

The surgeons who removed it could not believe their eyes at how big it had enlarged.

The appendix was filled with a lot of pus due to the infection. This could have killed me instantly, had it burst and introduced the pus into my blood system.

On 8 January 2010 a fixed term contract job I had from 2004 was terminated at short notice. It was due to expire in a year's time.

As I write this Blog post, I have been out of employment for over four months, with no immediate sign of getting a new job or getting into any money generating business.

This latest crisis has brought me closer to God and strengthened my faith in Him.

I was baptised in April 1969.

It has also has opened my eyes as to who my real friends are.

I am inspired by the story of Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis :

"Early in the morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, and sent her away. So she went wandering aimlessly through the wilderness of Beer Sheba.

When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved the child under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot away; for she thought, "I refuse to watch the child die." So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably.

But God heard the boy's voice. The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Don't be afraid, for God has heard the boy's voice right where he is crying. Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.

Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink." (Genesis 21:14-19).

As a christian , I believe that the Lord shall see me through this episode of my life as He had done before.

The Bible says :-

"Stop your striving and recognize that I am God! I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!" (Psalms 46:10).

"No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Glory be to God.

Amen !

Scripture taken from the NET Bible at http://bible.org