A week ago I was privileged to welcome back my father after what seemed like a Guinness-book-of-record vacation. Or how many people do you personally know that would go for a 6-months vacation without worrying about how many job opportunities they would have lost while away. I know of only two people that would do that and one of them is my father.
I had just returned from my Kano trip in time to ensure there was still enough goodies left for me. He seemed to be eager to share the gifts he had gotten for me. Amidst the jetlag that seemed to ooze from his being, he summoned me into the room that had the good tidings he had brought.
According to him, citizens of Nigeria, Pakistan & India are known to travel with the most luggage. Looking at the portion he had arrived with it seemed Nigerians would still top the list. And to think that my portion was over 20kgs in weight, I was estatic without facially showing that I was estatic.
For almost 40 minutes, in the absence of NEPA, in the presence of a table lamp and a 40-decade-lifetime friend – my mother – the allocation of my portion ensued. From toothpaste, to trousers, to shirts, to socks, to books, to chocolates, there was almost nothing I needed that he didn’t bring. The only thing he didn’t give me was a return ticket to the United States of America as a 31st-October-birthday gift, but then again it could be because I did not ask. Oh well, all things work together for…. Now where was I again…..Oh ok, chocolates….
So the chocolates was the last thing he gave. This session would turn out to be a revelationary one for me. He called me into his main room and asked me to open the fridge wherein about 4 of 5 bags of chocolate variants lay tied up. I can still see the beautiful picture of the inner chambers of that fridge. The only thing more beautiful than it is the 201? BMW 750i that will be mine one day….. I’m drifting away again, sorry. Back to the fridge.
He asked me to bring out one of the bags of chocolate variants and choose whichever ones I wanted. “What type of Jamb question is this one,” I thought. How will I know the right amount to choose. Was this like the test Elisha gave king Joash of Israel when he asked the king to strike the ground with the arrows in His hands. Joash apparently did not take enough chocolates, sorry, strike the ground enough times to avert the wrath of the prophet. How was I to know the amount of chocolate I was to take.
I thought for what seemed like an eternal 5 seconds and decided to take just about 5 of the chocolates. Like Elisha, he expressed his displeasure that I didn’t take what seemed enough. I then asked him if he would choose for me. He proceeded to dish out what seemed like over 25 chocolates variants that was exceedingly abundantly above what I could ever ask or think. Let’s just say I’ve been eating chocolate goodies for over a week now and my joy knows no bounds.
But that gesture of his got me thinking. I thought of how this father of mine has what would seem like a weakness for giving. He is one of the few people that would give his heart as a donation if you needed it more than him. In fact, he would have given the heart before realizing that he may need it also.
It got me thinking about my other FATHER who has a similar trait for giving. In an attempt to redeem us back to HIMSELF, HE gave his only SON as the ultimate sacrifice, an act that some may consider a weakness. The SON came, died and left back to His Kingdom for what would seem like a record-breaking-2000-years+ vacation. Only that it isn’t a vacation wherein HE’s gone to rest; HE’s gone to prepare a place of goodies for those that will accept the gift of the price he paid. Like my father, HE’s heart desire is to share with us the chocolate goodies of HIS FATHER’S Kingdom.
Seun Akisanmi’s father and my FATHER are alike in many ways. They both have hearts that are forGIVING in nature. To some, this may seem like a weakness, but then they’re looking at the image with a tainted and dirty camera lens.
Like my father who was more than willing to give me more chocolate than I thought I needed (come to think of it, I read somewhere that chocolate is good for the heart), my heavenly FATHER is waiting with open arms to give us the chocolates of HIS kingdom. If only we’ll be willing to ask, believe and accept…..
#john3:16
#Selah
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If you’ll like to give your life to Jesus or rededicated your life to Him, please pray this prayer: Father I acknowledge that I am a sinner, that Jesus Christ died for me, that you raised him from the dead. Please forgive me Father. I accept Jesus today as my Lord and my Saviour. Grant me the grace to be a faithful follower of You till the end. Amen.
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#tearsOFaFATHERwithAgivingHEART
#FEELfree2share
Seun Akisanmi 