The Heart of A Pastor

Author’s Note

This work is a true life story. A story of joy, sadness, fall, mistakes, disloyalty, exploits and triumph. I chose to write my story not just to entertain but that it may serve as a warning guidepost for people to take heed lest the fall. And to those who are down at the moment, it’s not over…God can never be too late and He is too gracious and you are so precious to him to be abandoned. All the names of characters and places are true except a few middle names used because of the sensitivity of the situations that brought us in contact. I know Nairaland is like a pub, I quite aware of that fact. All the same, I will tell my story.I want sincerely thank God for those whose life and works have imparted and impacted me so much. John Bunyan (1628-1688). His two classical works, Pilgrim Progress and Grace Abounds for the chief of Sinners were helpful during darkest moment of waiting for admission, the books kept me busy. Iain Murray’s The Puritan Hope was helpful during my teenage years. Yea, I won’t forget Arthur Wali’s The Radical Christians. The following works also deserve mentioning: Buy the Future by Mensah Otabil, Loyalty and Disloyalty by Dag Heward Mills. These are the few works I will like to mention. Of course, there are others like late pastor Tayo Adeyemi of New Wine Church, London; Rev Austin; Gbile Akanni, late Rev. Dr Thomas Ogunrinu.

Let the story starts…

Chapter 1: Run…Let’s Run!

My name is Ayo. I am the first child of my mum but my father’s first son. Growing up was a challenging one. As I grew up I discovered I was different from every other child. Every other child would run but I couldn’t run as they could. If I ran, they would make jest of me and ridiculed me especially, the mischievous ones. Oop ! Polio had damaged my left leg. I was struck with the terrible disease according to my mum when I was two years plus. How it happened was unexplainable. She trained as Community Health Officer back in those specializing in Child Health but alas her first child became infected with that terrible life threatening ailment. Later in years I have to admit the fact that God knows why. I saw the pictures of my first year birthday, it was nice one. In one of the pictures, I was dancing like a boy who would one day surpass the dancing steps of the legend MJ. However, in spite of that, I have something going on for me. I was brave hearted and quite intelligent with high I.Q. At about age four I stopped crawling. When I was struck, I was forced to crawl like a baby learning to crawl at age two. By age four I started learning how to walk again but my left leg was weak, thinner than the right leg. I could recollect how I always felt not been able to do what others could do in my primary school. And of course, I remember doing the odd things because I refused to accept that my leg was affected with polio. Two instances came to my mind. I remembered running marathon race with other students in my year one in secondary school. Though, I have to trek half of the distance and finished off on a teacher's bicycle. I was glad I did. Staying back all alone would have brought sorrows to my heart. The second time was my service year in Abuja. I went for the endurance trek…the army officers were amazed how I did that. This shows how terrible the infliction of poliomyelitis and its stigma. God was gracious to me through those odd formative years. Thing I couldn’t do physically pushed me to mental exercise so that I won’t loose on both sides.

Inspiring.

Chapter 2 : Where Does God Live
Sometimes in 1983 during the Christmas vacation, my family was invited for a retreat organized by Deeper Life ministry. It was yet to be a full fledge church then around where my mother was newly posted to. It was there at the retreat I started having greater urge for God in my life. I was just 7 years plus then. Just before this retreat, I queried in my heart as I sat one Sunday morning in that small church of ECWA Obbo-Aiyegunle, Kwara State, ‘does God exist? Why must we come every time to pray to someone we can’t see? ’ The retreat was an answer. I need to state that prior this time, I had had encounter through the children church I attended in ECWA, the crusades of Ade omo oba Jesu, Obadare, Jesus Film and Street Revival of The Apostolic Faith Mission. After the retreat at St Luke’s Anglican Primary School, Obbo Aiyegunle, I was fully aware of God, the reality of sin and its consequences at a greater level. As a child, I was still childish in my behavior and played all the pranks of the childhood. From that time, I started desiring God and more and more. I stopped the bad things I was following others to do as little children whose hearts were filled with follies such as peeping through windows, stoning goats and other domestic animals for fun, cursing and railing abusive words on age mates and others. I started telling others how bad it is to be bad. God in deed showed me He was real. There was a particular event in June 1984 I won’t forget. Yes, it was a weekend. On Friday of that weekend, I slept and had a dream of rapture. As I looked backed, it must have been summation of stories I heard about rapture replaying in my sub consciousness that night or at best, God was reinforcing the reality of heaven in me. I woke up terrified and awed by what I saw, the angels, the blinding lights and the street of gold. Although nobody led to anywhere neither was any angel giving me messages nor was I shown hell. As we were going to the farm that morning, I remembered telling my cousin and other kids like me what I saw and they told me I was lying so I kept quiet. In the evening of that Saturday, I was with other children outside playing before nightfall; there was a bright light that shone as if it was noon time. It was terrifying and everyone thought the world has come to an end. Adults were shouting ‘Jesus, Jesus…have mercy’. Kids were asked to run inside. From that day, I was taken serious. It was earth tremor with greater impact in Ijebu Ode that night has I would later understand. From there on, my urge for God increased. I started engaging God in covenant partnership. For instance, I remembered telling God if he could make me top my class, I would come back and pay a vow of any amount that is truly mine. The truth was that St Luke’s had four arms at the time at all level. I was in D class taking 4th position. That was the closest since I moved to that school in early 1983. Amazingly, God did his own part; how I made first position overall my set was mystery. From nowhere I just led the entire set. Pupils and teachers were dazed. As soon as I started receiving gifts and money I kept on reminding myself of my vow. As small as I was I fulfilled my vow. It was an experience that further strengthened my young mind that God is true-the true and the living God who dwells in light inaccessible.

texanomaly: Inspiring.

Tanx sis...cud u help me get others to read the story...update comes up later in the day

LifeQuest:
Chapter 2 : Where Does God Live
Sometimes in 1983 during the Christmas vacation, my family was invited for a retreat organized by Deeper Life ministry. It was yet to be a full fledge church then around where my mother was newly posted to. It was there at the retreat I started having greater urge for God in my life. I was just 7 years plus then. Just before this retreat, I queried in my heart as I sat one Sunday morning in that small church of ECWA Obbo-Aiyegunle, Kwara State, ‘does God exist? Why must we come every time to pray to someone we can’t see? ’ The retreat was an answer. I need to state that prior this time, I had had encounter through the children church I attended in ECWA, the crusades of Ade omo oba Jesu, Obadare, Jesus Film and Street Revival of The Apostolic Faith Mission. After the retreat at St Luke’s Anglican Primary School, Obbo Aiyegunle, I was fully aware of God, the reality of sin and its consequences at a greater level. As a child, I was still childish in my behavior and played all the pranks of the childhood. From that time, I started desiring God and more and more. I stopped the bad things I was following others to do as little children whose hearts were filled with follies such as peeping through windows, stoning goats and other domestic animals for fun, cursing and railing abusive words on age mates and others. I started telling others how bad it is to be bad. God in deed showed me He was real. There was a particular event in June 1984 I won’t forget. Yes, it was a weekend. On Friday of that weekend, I slept and had a dream of rapture. As I looked backed, it must have been summation of stories I heard about rapture replaying in my sub consciousness that night or at best, God was reinforcing the reality of heaven in me. I woke up terrified and awed by what I saw, the angels, the blinding lights and the street of gold. Although nobody led to anywhere neither was any angel giving me messages nor was I shown hell. As we were going to the farm that morning, I remembered telling my cousin and other kids like me what I saw and they told me I was lying so I kept quiet. In the evening of that Saturday, I was with other children outside playing before nightfall; there was a bright light that shone as if it was noon time. It was terrifying and everyone thought the world has come to an end. Adults were shouting ‘Jesus, Jesus…have mercy’. Kids were asked to run inside. From that day, I was taken serious. It was earth tremor with greater impact in Ijebu Ode that night has I would later understand. From there on, my urge for God increased. I started engaging God in covenant partnership. For instance, I remembered telling God if he could make me top my class, I would come back and pay a vow of any amount that is truly mine. The truth was that St Luke’s had four arms at the time at all level. I was in D class taking 4th position. That was the closest since I moved to that school in early 1983. Amazingly, God did his own part; how I made first position overall my set was mystery. From nowhere I just led the entire set. Pupils and teachers were dazed. As soon as I started receiving gifts and money I kept on reminding myself of my vow. As small as I was I fulfilled my vow. It was an experience that further strengthened my young mind that God is true-the true and the living God who dwells in light inaccessible.

Did you study more after asking for this?

texanomaly:

Did you study more after asking for this?

Oh sure I did...i studied hard...God couldn't have honoured that prayer if i was lazy

LifeQuest:

Oh sure I did...i studied hard...God couldn't have honoured that prayer if i was lazy

Good. I get annoyed when people pray for things and expect it without any effort. Thanks for sharing your story.

texanomaly:

Good. I get annoyed when people pray for things and expect it without any effort. Thanks for sharing your story.

The story has not started sis...tanx for following

LifeQuest:

The story has not started sis...tanx for following

I meant so far I have enjoyed it.

Merry Christmas readers...update coming soon

Chapter 3: Wanted!

One sunny afternoon of the first term of 1984/1985 session, my teacher told me I was wanted by the headmaster. My heart skipped a thousand times. Many thoughts raced through my mind, galloping like the chariots of the ancient armies going to the war. I wobbled down to the headmaster’s office, trembling. Mr. J. A Alu, the headmaster, was no nonsense person. His baritone voice was like shattering thunder. Teachers and pupils have a lot of respect for him because of his discipline and charisma. I got to his office, the very first time to enter his office. I was scared to sore to say the least. ‘Are you Ayobami’? His baritone voice queried as it echoed. I answered timidly, not knowing what my offence was. I was afraid that my name will not be written in the ‘black book’ of the school. His next question jolted me to the reality. ‘What says the clock’? As he pointed to the swinging pendulum clock hung on the wall. I answered him briskly with great trepidations. Whether my answer was correct or wrong I couldn’t tell till now. The next thing I heard him saying was that ‘from now on you are the school time keeper’. He then directed the chaplain who had come into the office to hand over the time table, the bell and the wall clock to me. My immediate take was a mix feeling. What happened to Olu Olorunmaiye? He was the time keeper. He was cool headed fellow too. His father was the principal of Benevolent College, Obbo-Aiyegunle then. I took delivery of my new responsibility working tools to my class. My classmates were happy that one of them, a primary 5 pupil is a prefect. All others were in primary 6. Before I got home, my parents were already in the knowing of my new responsibility. There was no telephone service then in the town and how they got to know was a misery to my childish mind. In fact, the only phone I know of was that of Pa Ajibola, a WW2 veteran who had a non functional, pre Elizabethan II era phone in his small living room. I got home and was about telling my mom when she cut in that the Olorunmaiyes were on transfer to Lokoja (I think so). Lokoja was still part of Kwara State then until 1991. I could then understand why I had to step in as time keeper. Such was our lives as children of public servants back in the days. For instance, I changed schools four times before I could finish my primary school education. In fact, I went to two different schools in my primary 6 apart from St. Luke’s where I got promoted and was made head boy. Unfortunately, I didn’t stay more than two weeks into resumption as my mother was on transfer to Offa. That was how I went to stay with my maternal grandma in the village. I never had the opportunity to perform my duty as the head boy beyond two weeks. I also missed the opportunity of finishing in that school, so sad. I remember how tears dropped from my eyes torrentially like the tropical rainfall as we bade the community good bye. The pains and the agony of leaving the church, the school and my friends was so much that it affected me in the weeks that followed. As I write there some of my friends I never set eyes on since September 1985.

Following! Merry Christmas Op!

click2cbn: Following! Merry Christmas Op!

Tanx for reading

Thanx for sharing. Still I follow.

@Op you are making sense here.... @ECWA experience ...doctrinal upbringing should be sound to some extent...if u stayed and grew up for in that environment long.........Lots Of "Don't's to be battled with....till you are bold enough to ask some questions......lol

Keep it rolling op.
#4lo up mood.

Op, whr r u ooo,dnt leave me dry!

Don Tim: Op, whr r u ooo,dnt leave me dry!

Tanx for reading. I am a pastor over a local assembly...and i am busy for the new year programs. Notwithstanding, i am going to update. Tanx again

Jerry2i: Keep it rolling op.
#4lo up mood.

Tanx alot

Dear Readers and Followers of this thread,

First and foremost, I want to thank you for reading and following this thread. I have singular reason of writing my story and I hope you will be encouarged. You are the reason. Why? I don't want you to fail where I failed, fall where I fell, stumble where I stumbled but to be encouraged where I got courage. That is why I put in the Religion section.

God bless you..oh my good! Welcome to 2014. I won't say 'I see you up or down or sliding' cos you are not a smart phone ( just kidding). There is only one thing that will make this year thick...and that is your Choice. I will like you to ask God to help you choose correctly. Days are the same, weeks are the same too. Years are are also. Some some say happy new year but I say happy new you.

The story continues here

CHAPTER 4: ODE TO VILLAGE LIFE

We left Obbo-Aiyegunle and made a stopover at Omu-Aran where my parents maintained an apartment, being the Local Government headquarters and both had met in the same town in early seventies. The apartment served as holiday home for us back then. My mom had worked in Omu Aran till 1982 December when she got her major transfer out of the town. My dad, being a local contractor shuttled between wherever my mom’s station was and Omu-Aran. The night we got to there made a terrible change in the family that took almost two decades to recover from the damages caused over a little matrimonial argument. Although, I was small but I wasn’t too small to understand that decisions are being taken by my parents on my behalf or our behalf that would have life threatening consequences. Within one week, my siblings and I were dispatched to different locations. Ayodele my immediate younger brother was on the train to Minna to stay with our aunt. The train was still plying Mokwa and Minna from Offa and Ilorin then. My only sister, Ayoola stayed with my mom in Offa while my kid brother Ayodeji and I went to the village with grandma Omoyeni. That was a great dispersion of once united happy family. The details of what led to this has been chronicled in my yet to be published book titled, A RIDE ON THE STORMS. I got to the village happily sad. Happy because I was the beloved of my grandma, however, sad because all my siblings save for my kid brother who was just 11 months old then were far away from me. There were no brother and sister to play with. No more splashing of water from the tap until everyone was wet. No more wrestling in the sitting room. All of that went with the decision my parents took that night. The village life was not as boring as I had thought but not as pleasant as I had thought too. I got enrolled in the only community school that has only one arm of class. I was cut off from my favorite TV programmes such Sesame Street, Tales by moonlight, Saturday Musicals (where the likes of Kris Okotie, Bolaji of Silifa Bamijo etc were the rave of that time), Koko Close, Mirror in the sun, Village Headmaster, Cock crow at the Dawn and Frank Oliseh’s NTA Newsline on Sunday evenings. There was no pipe borne water in the village neither was there any power supply. I have to learn how to put on gas lamp, use bush lantern, how fetch water from the streams and wells. Locally made pomade and soda soap became my body cream and bathing soap respectively. I have to wake up early to help grandma along with other cousins to fry and hawk ‘akara’ before going to school (although I was never allowed to hawk due to my orthopedic condition) . In the evenings, we would go to nearby farms to work, pick fruits, harvest crops, process cassava and okro as occasion presented itself. It was fun but it was hard for me because of the life I had lived with my parents. Farming was not that extensive for my parents, it was just past time. I adjusted to the life in the village quickly but I was by far carried away by the alluring life of the village. My school work suffered. I rarely did home works and assignments. Not that I didn’t want to do them but because there was no supervisions, the daily activities took toll on me too and I started lagging behind. That first term of my primary 6, I got 4th position out of 42 village pupils. The result only reflected ‘once a brilliant boy’. At the end of the term, I had to leave after the Christmas and New Year break. I didn’t understand why this latest order, I just have to leave the village hurriedly. Again, I could see the handwriting on the walls; certain decisions have been made by my parents without my consent. As at that time, I was just 10 years old. It was the first time the family was not together to celebrate Christmas and New Year together.

Nice story.I know that someday people will read my own story.Iam just 18 but i have passed thru a lot in this life.

Munner: Nice story.I know that someday people will read my own story.Iam just 18 but i have passed thru a lot in this life.

Yea....writing brings reflection to bear. Stay strong

Hi friends...by His grace i am working on how i can be updating regularly. I also want a larger readership. We can get this done by comnents and questions.

The next update is about the grooves in the village and attending night party for the first time

Iam with you bro.

Munner: Iam with you bro.

Thanks and have a blessed day

Love your inspiring msg here and courage to impact meaningful life to others. Cant wait to finish the heart touching story of yours.

andyanders: Love your inspiring msg here and courage to impact meaningful life to others. Cant wait to finish the heart touching story of yours.

Thanks for reading...have a blessed day

CHAPTER 5: GROOVES IN THE VILLAGE

My one term stint in the village made me to understand that decency in the village was murdered long time ago. Things that were happening then indicated that there was no innocence in the village in spite of its innocent look, serenity and quietness. Though daily activities of the villagers would start at the sound of Church’s bell calling for Morning Prayer in the church at 5 am. The service was usually 30 minutes daily except on Sundays. During the day, the village would look deserted. Men must have gone to the farms, women to either farm to help in harvest, process or cook food on the farm during eeya. Eeya is when men team up to help each other work from one farm to another. Children would be in school. Only the aged and sometimes toddlers were usually left in the various homes. Oh yes…from about 9 am you could hear the sound from the foundry as the blacksmith foundered hoes and cutlasses. The village was full of grooves and swags. In the evening men would gathered at Abete to play ayo and drink palm wine…I mean fresh undiluted palm wine. It was always a pleasant thing to watch adult play and drink except for the fact that it was place you could pick and master vulgar words. I started picking vulgar words and that was the beginning of the break of my innocence. I remembered attending my first night party. When I was given a handwritten letter by Wole, a classmate of mine that I would be the Chairman at the party, I didn’t know what it entailed. Party could be held if you have money to prosecute it. All you need was to buy trebbor (the orange coloured one), get some palm-wine if you could afford it, and buy cabin biscuits. You needed radio cassette player loaded with bereck blue battery and with the album of the likes of Kollington, Sunny Ade, Yusuf Olatunji, Ayinla Omo Wura and Haruna Isola. The lightning was of course, a gas lamp. I told grandma about the party and since one of my coursins was going, she allowed me. I dressed in a Mark & Spencer jacket…it was because I thought it was normal birthday party I was used to. What was the reason for this party? Ade had gone to the farm and got bitten by a snake; however, he was lucky that his uncle who was vast in herbs was on the farm too. He was saved and that was the reason for the party. I got ready for the party not knowing what to expect. As the chairman I was asked to dance with the chairlady (of course, a classmate too). It was awkward moment for me the girl could dance but I didn’t know how to dance. She was also too close for my comfort. I was ridiculed throughout the week that followed. They had expected a boy from the town to be more exposed but they were wrong. I saw for the first time boys and girls engaging themselves in the dark alleys over wooden bench in immoral act under the influence of alcohol. My hormone was from that day activated and alerted. All that I saw started replaying in my mind. For the first time I started feeling strange at the sight of girls I liked. We wrote first term exams and the following week was used for end of the year party. It was another dangerous time. Desks would be parked to the rear side of classrooms. It was easier for the spoilt pulpils to have flings under the parked desks and benches. It was during this week I got a letter. The writer was also the postmaster that delivered it. I had come down with malaria after our exams and decided to stay away from school till the day we would have the report card given. During this time some of my classmates both boys and girls came visiting me. However, a girl out of the pack came calling again. She was Ruth, the daughter of the village pastor. She came again to greet me with some items that included fruits but before she left, she slipped a note by my side. I saw her doing that though there were my cousins and grandma around me. I wasn’t sure if they knew what she did. I was curious to know what was in the note. I opened only to see heart shape drawn with crayon pencils dotted beautifully and ‘I love you…do you also love me? YES OR NO. If YES doxology, if NO why?’ Ruth was a slim tall girl. At that time she looked more of a model in the making. I was too weak to be excited about it. I kept the note secret in my Macmillan’s Straightforward for English text book. I got well about two days after and discovered she was avoiding me. That love relationship was never established because there was no answer from me though there was somewhat a craving. Just a day before we vacated for Christmas holiday, her father was transferred to another station in the then Ondo State and I was moved back to Omu Aran to continue my schooling.

interesting

lovelani: interesting

Thanks for reading

CHAPTER 6: LEFT ALONE

Once again, I was armed with another transfer certificate from the Community School in the village and was taken to Omu-Aran to stay with my dad while every other arrangement made that night around September 1985 was still valid. Why I was withdrawn from my grandma was still mystery. I remembered my dad and I travelled back in his Peugeot 504 SR. My mom joined us the following day with my younger sister, Ayoola. The school was scheduled to resume the following week. Since I started KG and got to Primary 2 before I left ECWA School, it was not hard to gain placement plus the fact that our family was a member of that church. My mom tried to help me get all the things I needed. It was when she left for Offa that it dawned on me that I would be staying with my dad all alone. There are things they decided that I wish they didn’t choose to do. For instance, my immediate younger brother was still in far away Minna and kid brother left with grandma in the village. Mom left with Ayoola and I was alone with my dad. Yes, the life in Omu Aran was by far better compared to the village; there was electricity, TV to watch by 5pm daily, water supply, however, it was more traumatic for me. I have to learn cooking, iron cloth on my own, wash cloth, clean our apartment and most times sleep alone. I started school…it was nice to see my classmates that I left in primary 2 again. There were new faces too. There were people who were a year ahead of us then that I saw in the class. There were new teachers and a new head teacher. The head teacher that was there then retired the previous term ( as a matter of fact, he retired mid 1985 during the high handedness of Buhari/Idiagbon after 38 meritorious service years and just died in 2012 which made him to collect pension for 27 years). The new head-teacher never mentioned writing any pupil’s name in the dreaded Black Book of the school. The school uniform was still L&K Khaki material. It was easy for me to blend because 80 percent of my classmates were from families that were members of the Church. I was assigned desk to share with Moji and Joseph who I was meeting for the first time, they had joined in primary 5. The arrangement was the best for me as preparation for Common Entrance was on top gear. Moji and Joseph were very brilliant. Moji was exceptionally good at English. Her grandfather who she was staying with was a retired principal who had MA Ed from Oxford as far back as 1953 as reflected in the framed picture of his graduating class. It was easy to spot the then young black man among the whites. Joseph was like the famed ancient Pythagoras, one of the greatest mathematicians of the ancient Greek extraction. His understanding of figures was quite exceptional. I was good in English but not as Moji neither was I good at Arithmetic like Joseph however, I was naturally configured to excel at General Papers. It was so amazing to my classmate how I managed to know virtually all the world and regional organizations and year they were founded and where they are headquartered such as WHO, UNICEF, NATO, WTO, OAU; Nigeria political history from 1914 to the 19 states and their governors; the various coups and the heads of state. What made me popular was the way I gave daily updates on the trail for Anini’s arrest that year by the police in the old Bendel State (now Edo and Delta states). The three of us were destined to make great team. Alliance was formed for academic synergy and result was fruitful with the three of us leading the class on ties sometimes. It was initially thought that we were cheating, on the contrary; we joked and talked about what we knew before the exams, correcting one another. At a point, we were scattered during the second term exams. That was when Moji took first position leading Joseph and I with just 6 marks over all as I came second with Joseph. Unfortunately Joseph did not make it beyond Form 2 (later changed to JSS 2) due to bad companies he kept. He lost focus and took to smoking and truancy. Moji went on to qualify as a medical doctor based in the US with her family as at the last time I saw her cousin about 6 years ago. During this time, I was left alone as my dad would travel for days for his business. I was left to fend for myself and therefore opened up for some adolescent delinquency and my heart turned against God completely. The God who I loved back then, who was real to me and helped to come to top class overall in Obbo Aiyegunle. I started skipping church services, no one in sight to police me and boss me around. That was what led to the BREAK OF INNOCENCE