8th May, 2013
It’s my birthday today (the 24th day of April) and all I can say is thank you Lord for everything.
I sat down as usual to take stock of my life and try to evaluate this being called Stella DAMASUS.
I see the world around me now, how it was, how it has been, how it should be and how I wish it could be.
Through it all, I thank God for times I had plenty and times I had nothing.
The times I was happy and times I was sad.
The times I gained and the times I lost.
The times I was judged and criticized by too many and the times I was celebrated by only a few.
The times I loved and the times i could not love.
The times I fell and the times I picked myself up.
The times I made mistakes and the times I did it right.
The times I felt alone and the times I felt complete.
The times I was married and the times I was not.
The times I did not have anyone and the the times I had a family.
The times I thought I had it all and the times I thought I had none.
The times I thought I knew it all and the times I knew nothing.
The times I blamed the world and the times I blamed myself.
The times I thought I could fix things and the times I knew I could not.
The times I could have died and the times I was saved.
The times I cried and the times I smiled.
In all of this I realised that I could not really control any of these factors on my own. That was when it dawned on me that while we are here on earth breaking our backs to control everything, God has already done that and has decided who we will be, where we will be, how we will be and when we will be. So, no matter how hard people try to, it is impossible to interrupt other people’s lives or theirs. It is said that who God has blessed no man can curse and whoever God has already cursed, no man can bless.
I want to use this opportunity to say that it is time to start thinking right. We all have to acknowledge the presence of God and fear Him.
The world around us has changed so much and it is so scary.
People are killing young children, women, old folks; some are bombing places to kill innocent people who don’t even know them; some are kidnapping, many are raping young girls and more are killing their wives.
Also, brothers are killing brothers because of land and money; fathers are beginning to lust after their daughters; women find more comfort in their drivers than their husbands; pastors are loving their choir leaders.
Men prefer sex with other men and have decided to do it openly, women just hate one another for no reason and so many other unthinkable things that make our parents shudder at just the thought of it.
The greatest nations in the world still do not know why these things are happening or how they can be stopped. The most intelligent people in the world cannot provide any solutions.
What about the diseases that are killing people all of a sudden without cure? AIDS, cancer, meningitis, lupus, DVT, heart attacks and so on. With all the intelligent doctors in the world, we still have unanswered questions. If we sit and ponder these things, it’s not hard to see that we all need to fear God and turn to Him now that we are still able to.
I worry for our children and future generation and I ask myself the kind of world we are leaving behind for them? Will they be better or will they turn out worse than us? Will all the technology help their world or will it further destroy it.?
Today ( my birthday), I mourn the death of loved ones, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, children, women and men all over the world who died suddenly without any sign of sickness. may their souls rest in peace.
I wonder what their last thoughts or words were before life was taken from them. I wonder what they saw and how they felt. At that point were they able to right the wrongs they had done? Do they have the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness and let them enter into heaven or is it too late at that point?
I don’t want to have to wait till that point to find out. I want to start while I am still alive and able to change my thoughts, words, actions and everything about me.
The moment I realised the truth about life, love, success and God, it changed everything about me, and I am happier, more mature, fulfilled, more successful, though not necessarily in terms of money. I am talking about a quality of life that you can only achieve when you allow the owner of the world give it to you.
A lot of you might wonder what I am trying to do, some might even say ‘ha! Stella has turned into a preacher’. The truth is that I don’t have to be a pastor to speak the truth that I have come to know; and I don’t have to be a perfect person to know this truth.
Regardless of what a lot of people might say, think or even call me, it will not stop me from loving God and speaking the truth.
I have studied life, the word of God and realised that even the greatest people in the Bible who were used by God to do great things were no where near perfect. Even when His son came, he did not come for the righteous he came for the sinners. If God thought we were all so clean and perfect, why did He sacrifice His son and why did He still send the Holy spirit to teach us and comfort us.
I may not know much, but the little I know has taught me that life is not about the amount of money in my account, it’s not about the fame and glamour, it’s not about trying to get ahead of others, it’s not about speaking evil and telling lies about others just to look good, it’s not about the connections or positions, it’s not about the number of houses I have bought or built, it’s not even about the amount of money I give the church or how many gospel songs I sing. It’s about God and what He wants me to do for Him. It’s about the kind of life He expects us to live, it’s about the kind of love we should have towards one another.
If we fear and love God, our world will be a better place. Muslims, Christians, Jews, blacks, whites and whoever should be able to live together in peace. No fighting, no killing, no hatred and no judging.
It’s so painful that we cannot see how fast the world is ending. I remember the book of Revelations 3 vs 15, 2 Timothy 3 vs 1-5, especially Matthew 24:7 which says ” nations will go to war against nations, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world ( New Living Translation Bible). There are many more that most of you already know.
This article may not make sense to you but it means the world to me.
I am not perfect, neither are you. Even the priests and pastors who guide us are far from perfect, so no one should ever make you feel you are not good enough, no one should tell you that your sins are too much for God to forgive, no one should make you feel you have to go through him or her to confess your sins to God and ask Him for forgiveness, no one should mislead you and tell you that masturbation is not a sin and try to justify it by confusing himself more than the people who are already confused.
If you want the truth, read the Bible.
I am grateful to God for all the real men and women of God in the world who speak the truth and stand by it no matter what. So please ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to a good church where you can be filled spiritually and free to express yourself.
Like I said, I am not a pastor but I am living by this principle in Ezekiel chapter 3 vs 17 – 21.
God bless you all and thank you for all your birthday wishes. I love you.