Growing up years ago was full of drama. I still remember jumping over the school fence to go for a football match. I was a good footballer in my secondary (High) school days but also wise when it came to my academics. I would read all through the night, go for classes but when it came to football at lunch time, I played very well. I was in the school’s junior and senior team as the top striker. The memory of my high or secondary school was full of fun, laughter, pain and shame.
Interestingly, I was made the class captain/ prefect in three classes as I moved from one class or level to another. In one of those classes that I was the class captain, I remember a lady who was bigger than me in my class attacking me on my way home after the close of the day. She was angry because I reported her to a dreaded and a no nonsense teacher when it came to flogging and discipline because she was disturbing the class. The so called no nonsense teacher had told me he would hold me responsible for all the noise made, indiscipline, fighting and so on if I didn’t take note of those who did it. The lady gave me the first attack and started rough handling me. I didn’t know where the strength came from because this lady in question was much bigger than I. I fought back and gave her some heavy blows and from my point of view, I won the fight (hahahahahahah). Some senior students saw us fighting and led us to the Vice Principal in school who later suspended us. I was suspended for one week for fighting back, while the lady was suspended for two weeks.
Also, I remember the trend in my day as a high school student. If you didn’t have a boy or girl friend at that time, you were an odd person. I had twelve (12) girlfriends between Junior Secondary/ High school and Senior Secondary/High School. There was a beautiful lady back then I was trying to woo who told me that the only way she would say “YES” to me after I had pestered her life with my affection for her for some time, was if I knelt down and begged her. I was like “seriously”? But I did it after I looked round to see if anyone was looking or coming in our direction. Guess what, she said “NO” after kneeling down. I was really ashamed of myself that day as she walked away. There are also other things I did back then that I am still ashamed of.
Romans 6:20-23 says, “20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
I am really ashamed of some of the things I did when I was much younger, but I thank my heavenly father for the rescue and the divine exchange. If he had not rescued me, I would have been a terrible person today. Before I gave my life to God, I remember longing to have my own piece of accommodation after high school where I would be free to do anything I wanted to do. But God showed up in the nick of time and gave me a new lease on life. Accepting Christ Jesus is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am really proud to be a Christian and I am not ashamed to live the life and tell people that Jesus can change their lives the way he delivered and changed me no matter what they have done. If God could change me and others, he can change you.
I got talking to someone very close to me about Jesus after I gave my life to God many years ago. He responded by saying that “I should not disturb him and that when I was doing my own (running after babes), nobody disturbed him. So, I should leave him alone to enjoy his life because he was young”. He is still alive today but some other person might not have had another opportunity to give their lives to Jesus Christ. The life I have had since giving my life to Christ Jesus and accepting him only as my lord and savior has been great. It is not a boring life as some see Christianity to be. Instead, it is the life that everyone should embrace. There have been ups and downs but God has been faithful and he has been with me because that is his promise to everyone who embraces him. Christianity is the life that you and I have been longing for. Don’t resist him today but come to him and obtain mercy and find grace even in the time of need instead of judgment. Wilson Ileogben
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