Life has thrown numerous curveball at me; all designed to terminate my life, but God’s sustaining grace pulls me through. Every time.
The latest one was what someone had told me was a “journey of no return.” I heard these words from four different people who I held in high esteem. It was disconcerting to hear such discouraging words at a point where I needed encouragement the most. Looking back however, I cannot blame anyone for reacting without hope to a patient of kidney failure.
The Nigerian society is not in any way prepared to deeply empathise with the severely sick. Nigerians have seen many cheap deaths. Most adults in Nigeria certainly know one family who died because of the crass negligence of medical personnel or the failure of our health system.
With 72.24 per thousand live births, Nigeria has the fourth highest infant mortality rate (according to UNICEF 2020) in the world. This ratio is worrisome when compared to what obtains outside Africa in year 2020. Slovenia recorded 1.76. Norway recorded 1.79. Japan recorded 1.82. While Singapore recorded1.85.
Do not undervalue your life.
Life, although not cheap, is treated cheaply in Nigeria. Despite this, do not undervalue your life when confronted with debilitating conditions or overwhelming challenges. Refuse the temptation of desiring death when all doors to recovery from sickness of a tough challenge seem to be locked.
You must stand firm trusting in the sustain grace of God when life shows up for up.
As a child of God, you must convince yourself that nothing can separate you from the love of the all merciful and powerful God.
Romans 8:28-38 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The ultimate end of a disease that resists treatment is death. As morbid as this sounds, death is not the end of a true child of God. There is eternal life for every child of God who sleeps while I the Lord. Therefore, when the fear of death or loss grips you, dare death by preparing yourself in righteousness to be able to confidently stand before the throne of judgement. Put your house in order.
My health first became a source to me in August 2012. I had just finished observing 40 days of dry fast. It was my ninth annual 40 days dry fast that I started observing in July 2004. I usually started the dry fast with three days of absolutely abstaining from taking anything orally. Not even a sip of water. Then as the fast progressed I usually drink 60cl of water between6:00pm and 10:00pm for the next 18 days. It is from this moment that I would start sipping juice for the next 19 days dry fast. This fasting habit was derived from my observing some men of God fasting in my early days as a young believer in the late 1970s.
In retrospect, I am now fully aware that depriving your body of water for a long period of time is not a good thing for your organs. Your kidneys especially require at least three litres of water daily to function well in the long run. I digress.
Two weeks after I broke my annual 40 days dry fast in August 2012, I started feeling unwell. My body was heavy. My movements were clumsy. I became easily confused. My wife and I agreed that I needed a proper rest.
To ensure I would rest, I went on a ten- day- “sleeping” vacation to Dubai in the United Arab Emirate.
“Why are you in Dubai this time?” an immigration officer at the Dubai airport enquired from me. “Business or pleasure?”
“I came here to sleep,” I retorted.
“Sleep?” the immigration officer’s eyes bulged out as if they were going to jump out of their orbits.
“Are there no more beds in Lagos that you took a flight to sleep in Dubai?” The bulging eyes threatened to pop out of the man’s face.
“There are. Just not the type I want,” I retorted smiling.
“Officer, I have worked very hard. I am tired. I need rest.”
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