The Amazing story of my life,
Steps! Footsteps!
As I heard those steps, I feared the more the danger I’ve gotten myself in. I stayed
in my hiding. After a while, I decided to step out and I walked a mile. Right then,
great fear came upon me and I ran. I ran and continued to run. I do not know what
pursued me but I continued to run. Not knowing where I was heading to. I don’t
even care, as far as I’m away from this ‘monster’.
After I’d run a distance, I looked behind me and saw no one. I saw nothing. I
wondered why I’d been running. But then, confusion set in as I didn’t know which
way I had come from. So I pressed forward and kept walking.
Pause!
It was like a voice, I looked around me and saw no one, shrugged, and kept
walking. But then I heard the voice again.
“Stop right there!”
I looked around and saw no one. Fear gripped me. And then out of fear, I decided
to reply the voice and I shouted with my shaky voice,” who are you?”
Just then, the voice replied, “Pay attention”
Just as I was about to reply the voice, I heard a noise and it was from a distance. I
decided to follow the noise.
As I drew nearer, the noise got louder and sounded like a mob. I was curious and I
drew near. Behold, it was a village and there were people shouting, and the whole
place was rowdy. The mob shouted and I caught a word. It became clearer and it
was, “Crucify Jesus!”
Fear gripped me the more and I wondered, “Who is Jesus?” This was the
beginning of the Amazing story of my life
I wanted to go nearer and take a look, but I couldn’t. The crowd was much. I then
looked back, and I saw a little boy crying. He sat a distance away. I went to him
and knelt beside him, placed my right hand on his shoulder and asked, “Hello
dear, why are you crying?”
He raised his head and pointed to the crowd. I looked in the direction and back at
him wondering what he meant.
“Or is it the boy’s father?”
His tears interrupted my thoughts. With tears, the little boy said, “That is Jesus.
He’s my friend, but now He’s in so much trouble.”
I looked at the mob once more and just then I saw Jesus. And I thought, “How
could this man be a friend to this little boy?” as if the boy read my thoughts, he
continued;
“He carries me on His laps and tells me stories about His Father’s kingdom. He’s
kindhearted and good. I wonder what He has done for this wicked people to want
to kill Him.”
I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say. What the little boy said made no sense
to me. Just then, I removed my hand from his shoulder and held his hand. And I
said, “If this friend of yours, Jesus is really a good person, believe me, they won’t
kill Him.”
The little boy looked at me and stared long into my eyes. I wondered why. I felt
insecure. And he said something that got me destabilized.
“You are without understanding,” he said.
And he got up and began to walk away. I just stared at him in bewilderment and
wondered what he meant. So I got up. I looked around, just then I saw the soldiers
lead the man Jesus away and the crowd followed slowly. I pushed my way through
to where I could get a good view of this man Jesus. He seemed to have gained so
much popularity, and yes, He has gotten my attention.
Then He was led somewhere. He was stripped of His garments and there they
began to beat Him. I counted at first, 1, 2, 6, 18, 24… I can’t take it anymore. I
couldn’t look. Tears dripped from my eyes. I don’t know this man, yet I feel so
much pity for Him. There was blood all over where He was. I looked closely and
saw the whip in the soldier’s hand; it has blades which cut His skin. As He was
beaten, the soldiers laughed and jeered at Him. Even the one beating Him was
tired. They even divided His garments. People mocked Him and laughed Him to
scorn. They said a lot of mean things to Him. They laughed and jeered at Him.
Then, the soldiers put a crown of thorns on His head, which made Him bleed the
more. What a horrible sight! As the blood flowed from His head, tears flowed
from my eyes simultaneously. He was then made to carry a cross too heavy for
any man to bear. As He carried it, He was on the way to where He would be hung.
At a point, He got so tired that He could move no further. He fell on His cross.
Then the soldiers made a man carry the cross for Him.
And then we got to a place, and I asked a woman standing beside me, “Please,
where is this place?”
The woman quickly replied obviously irritated, “Golgotha, the place of the skull”.
And immediately she walked away.
I saw them put a nail into His hands. He cried out as they nailed Him. What a
terrifying sight! I couldn’t bear the pain anymore. I cried out loud. I shouted,
“What has He done?”
No one seemed to hear me. No one answered. No one paid attention. Instead,
they hailed the soldiers. The soldiers even spat on Him. What a disgusting sight!
And they raised the cross; He was on it wallowing in pain, and in shame. Then I
saw a woman kneeling at the foot of the cross, being consoled by other women. I
moved closer, she was crying out, ‘My Son! My Son!” it was then I realized she
was Jesus’ mother, Mary. She was led away.
Jesus then looked down at me from the cross, and I looked up to Him. And He said
to me, “I did this for you. IT IS FINISHED” he breathed His last and gave up the
ghost.
Right then, there was an earthquake. I heard the veil to the temple was torn
from top to bottom, and tombs were opened. And dead men walked.
Suddenly, the fear that overwhelmed me left. I felt liberated, and I knew deep
within me that I no longer needed to run. And I thought, “It was supposed to be
me on that cross, but He took my place. It was supposed to be me being beaten,
but He took all the beating. Why would an innocent man be punished for a crime
He didn’t commit?” I continued to wonder.
He was later buried.
I saw the little boy again. This time, he was smiling. I wondered why. He came to
me and held my hand. He then said, “He is risen”.
I was flabbergasted. I stuttered as I said, “But I saw Him die. I saw Him buried.” I
tried to explain.
“It’s been 3 days. Just like He promised, He’s risen”
I don’t know that feeling. The little boy left me and ran away beaming with joy. I
walked away. This time, away from the village. I found the path where I got lost.
As I was about to return the way I came, I heard a voice telling me not to return,
but to go forward. It told me to dump my past behind and look ahead, that I’d find
hope. That way behind is full of memories of the past, it’s time to forget that
which is past and look forward to the bright future which lies ahead.
I pressed forward. But then, I got to a cross road. There were two roads: one was
broad and wide, the other narrow. I now have to make a choice but didn’t know
where to go through.
The broad way looked straight and it won’t take me time to get to my
destination, but the narrow way looked even longer, rocky and bushy. Just as I
was about to take the broad way, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I tried to look at
the person but couldn’t. I fell on my knees as I heard His voice, and I recognized
His voice. It was His voice all along. It was the voice of Jesus. I could not look at His
face. It beamed so much radiance and I could not behold His glory. This is the risen
Jesus.
He smiled and said to me, “look up to Me, the author and finisher of your faith.
For this reason, I endured the cross, despising the shame that you may be free. All
your sins are forgiven; the slate wiped clean, that old warrant arrest cancelled and
that fear nailed to My cross. The yoke is removed. And having disarmed
principalities and powers, I have made a public spectacle of them triumphing over
them in it. And now, see, I have overcome the world. I am with you always. My
comforter I leave with you. He shall remain with you and teach you all things and
shall bring to your remembrance My very words. He shall endue you with power
as you forge on the journey ahead. I have gone to prepare a place for you. This is
because I have loved you with an everlasting Love.”
Then He left. I cried out, “Jesus! Don’t go. Please don’t leave me”
And the voice said again: “lo, I am with you always”
I wiped my face and stood. And I followed the still small voice that said,” Take the
narrow path, it leads to life”
Right then I took the first step, I started on this journey; The Christian race. It’s not
been easy, but it will be worth it. Many times have I tripped and fallen, because
the road is not smooth.
But the Comforter has always been there for me all through the Amazing story of my life.
He tells me what to do and directs my path. Even when I’m tired and about to give up, I
remember those words that His Grace is sufficient for me and His strength made
perfect in weakness. I’ll just hold on knowing that I’m almost home. I fix my gaze
on Him and I’ll keep looking. This then is the Amazing story of my life, the summary of
God’s Grace.
Oyinloye Tinuola Beloved