It was a pleasant cool evening as opposed to the hot uncomfortable evenings of the previous week. Motivated by this, I picked up my pen to write. Just then, as though someone spoke audibly to me, I heard these words: RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
I paused, made a quick visual sweep of the room just to re-affirm what I already knew … or at least thought I knew; I was alone in the room. Indeed, i was alone in the whole building. Oh well! I thought to myself, my mind was being overly imaginative again, I needed to stay off the movies.
I turned my attention back to the pen in hand, ah! Yes, I was about writing. But what do I write about, i thought? Then as though in response, I heard a repeat of the same words that intruded my mind only moments ago; RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
At this point, I decided to give those words ample attention. I looked around the room for any imminent signs of danger and found none. I tried to observe if I could perceive the odor of anything burning; there was no such smell. I got up and looked through my windows, I could still clearly make out the figures of the four Rottweilers lying lazily and quietly in the compound. Even the sun had almost completely set and seemed to be saying relax Kunle, everything is alright.Though everything around seemed reassuringly calm, I still couldn’t shake off those words from my mind.
I returned to my chair thinking; since everything looked so calm outside, maybe I should look inwards. I took note of my breathing pattern, it seemed normal. I then shifted my attention to my heart rate, placing my right hand on my 5th left intercostal space, mid-clavicular line, to feel the apex of my heart (Hehe). Basically, I put my right hand over the left side of my chest. I could feel the soft, gentle thuds of my heart drumming merrily against my fingers. I had no signs of anxiety; no rapid breaths, palpitations or sweating.The bottom line is everything still seemed normal.
At this point, I thought to myself: What the heck is going on? How could I be thinking of running for my life when there was no apparent danger! As a Medical Doctor, I started recollecting accounts of Patients with paranoia, auditory hallucinations and delusions and thought to myself; so this is how it starts! I got a grip of myself and quickly refuted that “Crazy” thought and said out loud: God forbid!
As a Christian, I also remember the story of a young boy named Samuel. He heard a voice call out his name 3 times, and it turned out to be the voice of God. At this point, I decided to say like Samuel, speak Lord, your servant listeneth.
As I closed my eyes and muttered those words, I felt a stir on my inside. I opened my eyes with a whole new attitude. It seemed like my mind had gained altitude, my perception of what those words meant and their relevance to me had changed!
Three distinct scenarios came to my mind and they offered me much needed answers:
- The first scenario is from Greek mythology,
- the second from a song
- the third from history
1. Greek Mythology:
It tells us the tale of King Odysseus and also that of Percy Jackson and the Lightening thief. The particular point of similarity in these two tales of interest to me is the Lotus Flower. Legend has it that the plant has psychotropic properties and gives those who eat it such a pleasurable feeling that they just want to stay put and continue in “pleasure”. Literally, they say “to hell” with all other purpose and activity in life.
In the tale of Odysseus in the Odyssey, King Odysseus and his men’s priority was getting back home on their ship when storms threw them off course to an island of lotus flower eaters. Once there, all the men who ate of the lotus plant instantly let go of their topmost priority: returning home! They even payed no heed to the dangers of remaining on that island. Two of the men were captured by a Cyclops, but later rescued by Odysseus. The men who ate the Lotus flower literally had to be carried back on board and forced to fast.
In the tale of Percy Jackson and the Lightening thief, Percy Jackson and his friends were on a very important mission to prevent a war of the gods, which would most likely consume the Earth, he and his friends inclusive. The other important point to note here is he had a limited time to complete this mission, else the war would begin!
As Percy and his friends progressed in their mission, they encountered a set of Lotus eaters in the Lotus Hotel who fed them Lotus flowers. They, just like Odysseus’ men instantly gave in to pleasure and lost sight of the urgency of their mission and the gravity of the grave danger looming over them and the world. To them now, all around them was fun and not even a tint of danger.
I thought to myself; there could be real danger and yet no apparent danger… hold that thought.
2. A song:
the second scenario is from a song by a Nigerian musician named ASA, titled Fire on the mountain. Part of the lyrics of the song say: there is fire on the mountain, and nobody seems to be on the run, there is fire on the mountain top, and no one is running.
Another part of the song says: One day the river will overflow…and we (they) would run, run, run.
This song apparently talks of imminent disaster against the backdrop of a calm unperturbed people. Are you seeing a pattern? Hold that thought.
3. From History:
The third scenario is from two occurrences in history.
The first historical occurrence is the 1986 disaster of lake Nyos in Cameroon which released an estimated 100-300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, killing an estimated 1,700 people within about 25 km of the lake, as well 3,500 livestock. Many of the victims were sleeping at the time of the disaster and died in their sleep.
The lake was dubbed the world’s deadliest lake by the Guinness book of world records in 2008. The point is this; many were living close, probably bathing in the world’s deadliest lake and didn’t even know it!
The second occurrence from history is the biblical account of Noah and the Ark found in the book of Genesis.
God was displeased with how evil man had become and decided to destroy the whole world with a flood! He decided to spare a few Righteous, namely Noah and his family. He was instructed by God to build an Ark and enter in with his family and a lot of animals before the flood began.
Noah was known as being a preacher of Righteousness (2 Peter 2: 5). In those evil times, people may have mocked him for his devotion to God, and may have scoffed and deemed him Lunatick if they saw him build the Ark.
The people were eating, drinking and getting married, oblivious of any danger, when the flood came upon them ( Matt 24: 37-38). No one or thing survived the flood, save everyone and thing in the Ark!
Now, remember those thoughts I told you to hold? Put them all together with your thoughts spurned from this final account. You should be able to conclude that many great disasters happen to people, many of whom weren’t convinced or aware of any apparent danger….till it struck them.
My reverie was shattered abruptly by a sensation on my right arm. It was then I noticed that moisture had dropped onto my arm from my now very sweaty forehead. At this point, I could feel my heart beating rapidly (palpitations).
Like one being weaned off a lotus flower meal, i was starting to feel a sense of urgency! Like…like there was danger! What exactly is this danger, I thought?
The feelings bubbling inside me at this point made me realise that the issue on ground was bigger than the fear of Robbers, Terrorist attacks, famine or war. It is a deeper one, an eternal one, an issue of the soul!
Jesus Christ the son of God said about 2,000 years ago that He’s going to come back for His own, i.e those who believe in Him and are living Holy (not all church goers and people who say they’re Christians fall into this category).
The rapture is the hope of every true believer in Jesus. On the other hand, it spells doom for others.
But He didn’t leave us a date some may say. He definitely left us clues for example, those in Matthew chapter 24 verse 36-42
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[a] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
The days of Noah sure seem similar to these times we live in on the basis of the level of evil that is prevalent.
You may also want to ask; where is the danger if I’m dead before Jesus Christ comes? The truth is judgement still comes. Everyone who dies either has an eternity of joy (heaven) or an eternity of pain, and regret (Hell) all based on if He or She died as a believer in Christ who was living right at the end or not.
At this point, I turned my thoughts inwards. I had become complacent, at ease, a bonafide Lotus Flower eater. I had somewhat become too familiar with the truth that it was losing its impact on me. Thank God for this necessary jolt!
Noah’s time may have had a lot of atheists and Lotus eaters who could’t see the truth. I have a feeling atheism became extinct the moment the floods came on them. Belief in God came a little too late for them!
We all need to remember that a day of reckoning is coming, only those who run for their lives, who run to Jesus will be saved.
This post may seem apocalyptic and unreal to you, but the truth is it is real. It is not a message of fear, but of hope for a better day, achievable only through Jesus Christ.
As I drop my pen, I know what I must do. I must RUN FOR MY LIFE by surrendering totally to Jesus, trusting Him daily, living a responsible life and not one of complacency.
I leave you with these words from Amos chapter 6 verse 1:
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion…..
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!
kunlesafe 