Goodbye 2014 - What A Year! Earlier in the year I had sent a text message to friends to save the date for what would be my 40th birthday/thanksgiving bash..I had tagged it An Overdressed Evening at Home with Bola so as expected, I requested that everyone should seriously overdress and if it was going to cost them a bit extra, they could miss out on getting me a gift just so they could really splash out on looking good...It was going to be my 40th birthday, my way!!..My Sisters-in-law, Feyi Ogutuga & Bimbola Ogunnaike-Ashade where the Chief Organisers, Mrs Ash had worked out the decor, she sent me the floral arrangement plan, it was so beautiful I started dancing on the spot..., Sis Fey had the most beautiful candy bar and food ideas..I then shifted my attention to what I would wear..I figured I would have to bling from head to toe after all it was my big 40th Birthday! My brother Dr Sean and his family bought their tickets and booked hotels and the thanksgiving date was finalized at Church..It became obvious that I would have to extend invites to more friends and then I started to consider whether I had enough time to have invites printed or just do the text thing.. hmmm I don’t want to offend any of my friends ooo..but how would everyone fit into the house..?? OK maybe we need to hire a marquee in the garden?? maybe this...maybe that..hmmm..little did I know that my 40th bash would remain a figment of my imagination...as with just 2 weeks to go..my Brother telephoned to tell me that my age-old father had died..He had been ill and bedridden for over 8 years.. For 2 years I had proudly cared for him during my time in Nigeria, I had bathed him and with the strength God gave me carried him up to do chores he could no longer do..If you’ve ever cared for an older disabled person you would know what am talking about..it was no easy task but I was always grateful for the privilege to help my mum look after my dad but also because I felt a bit responsible for his predicament. How was I responsible?? Well, I had begged God that he should NEVER let my father die without giving his life to Christ. I had always respected how he lived a life of integrity and how in his ‘Muslim-Cleric’ way loved God..My Father was a good man. God fearing and principled...but he was also a tough cookie..determined to live for God the only way he knew how..but like me, my sisters were determined that my father would give his life to Christ but even in his dying bed, my father held on to his beliefs but if you’ve ever met my older Sister Rev. Bisi Arogunmati you would know that she was a Major in the Army of Christ - A relentless woman of God and she never gave up on him... To cut the long story short and with all glory to God, my father gave his life to Christ and died 2 weeks after! With gratitude to God along sides my siblings and my mother, we buried my dad and a day after his final burial rites, it was my birthday. As expected my big day was super scaled down waking up with my mother, siblings, cousins and long lost relatives as we all reminisced about my Dad’s life..certainly not how I planned it but I am so thankful to God that he heard my prayers and gave me the best birthday present ever..My father’s soul in heaven. There was no overdressed party for me but I sure hope the Hosts of Heaven’s overdressed in joy to receive my father’s soul into heaven. 2014 has taught me to commit everything and every plan to God and trust that no matter what happens God’s plan will always take precedence over mine above all His plan’s are always better than ours! Whatever your plans are for the year ahead, remember to commit them all to him. May God’s hands and eyes NEVER depart from us all IJN. Happy New Year Everyone, Wishing you a truly blessed and highly favoured 2015. PS: I will be overdressing to Church tonight by God’s Grace just to go and give him all the Glory for the year I turned 40!!! Come and join me sing Halleluyah oooh !
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:38:10 +0000
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