Letter to God

Dear God,

1. Writing to You is not what I do often. I usually speak to You in prayer even though I know I should be speaking with You a lot more ("blushing", have mercy on me!). Guess what, Lord? Today is my birthday! Yeeeeeeeeeeees! I am feeling special. Laughing Out Loud! I know You did not forget, Lord! :-) You don't ever.

2. Usually on a day like this the spotlight is on the celebrant but I have been thinking Lord it really should be about You and deservedly so. Reason - You are why I exist. First, I had no say, input or contribution whatsoever to make when You were at work forming me. Secondly, you "tailor-chose" my parents, physical attributes, natural endowments and core giftings. Those decisions were too complex even for my parents to have made any meaningful input. They were simply God decisions. So what started out as an intimate private moment between tall, fair-skinned and handsome Matthew (my Dad) and his curly haired nubian beauty Jummai (my Mom) on that cold Yola night was actually Your top secret project codenamed Richard.

3. I have no recollections of my own of my birth in Yola and those babyhood days (babies are not supposed to I guess. Laughing). I am sure my parents did a good job and You were there Lord to help and guide them. My earliest childhood recollections go back to when I was 3 or 4 years old and we were then living in Ilorin Kwara state in a 3-story apartment building, infront of which was the road to Jebba and behind, the railway track. Yes I recall these vividly. I recall, with glee, my Dad buying me a musical toy machine gun that sprays water during one of his foreign trips. I also recall, with remorse though, hitting Charles, my elder brother on his arching arm when we had a quarrel. That left him weeping sorely. I felt good but I also felt bad. I am sorry Lord please forgive me! Charles forgive me too! :-). You know my childhood and teens were itinerant in nature in how I lived them as Dad relocated from town to town on duty tour. So we moved from Ilorin to Jos, Jos to Akwanga, Akwanga to Langtang, Langtang to Nassarawa Keffi, Nassarawa Keffi to Bassa, Bassa to Barkin Ladi and Barkin Ladi back to Jos. During this period, I attended 6 different primary schools, a new one every year, before finally completing and without repeating a class! God, I know you must have been there behind the scenes helping me out or else......

4. Now concerning my childhood pranks and mischiefs, two stand out that make me still wonder. You remember that evening in Jos when we went to pump up our rubber ball so we could play a game of soccer. That elderly man whose house was on the hill obliged us with his bicycle pump. While the ball was being inflated with air, my eyes had zeroed in on his watch lying on the ground a short distance away. By the time we left him the watch was already in my pocket. I severed the metallic straps off the watch head which I kept with me! Of course, the "koboko" lashing I got, first from Mom and later Dad, to say the least taught me lifelong lessons! The second mischief happened while we were living in Langtang. My brothers and I were returning from an errand and sighted a mango tree with big but unripe mangoes staring at us. We decided to climb up the tree in disregard of the "no treepass sign". Unknown to me the owner had sneaked around and as I was climbing down fell straight into his hands! My brothers had noticed his presence and had quietly withdrawn. So there was I arrested and detained for plucking unripe mangoes! (LOL) and the condition for my release was my Dad showing up. That was unthinkable! I felt I had let him down and that was not an option. So this brilliant idea came up and I pleaded with the owner to allow me pass a message to my brothers as they were leaving and "vroom" like lightening bolt I took off and did not look back till I was sure I was safe and no more in danger of being caught by my initial pursuers. I spent that whole day feeling miserable because I became the laughing stock of my brothers. I decided never again to trespass anyone's property from that experience (Hahaha )

5. Dear God, with the benefit of hindsight, I want to say thank You for my Dad and Mom for inculcating godly moral values in us. My first impressions about walking with You were formed as Dad would have us attend Sunday Mass at St Theresa's in Jos. I must confess though that that mix of roasted groundnut and popcorn in cone-shaped paper bags sold at the church gate seemed a more convincing and irresistible exchange for my offering than putting it in the offering box with nothing to take back in return. My secondary school days at St Joseph's College Vom served to further build in me a healthy concept about You. However, it was my stay in Sofia Bulgaria that truly brought to bear the need to have a relationship with You that goes beyond You being only God but also Father-God. For this I remain eternally grateful to You for opening my eyes to the reality of Jesus Christ, Your gift of love to mankind. Receiving Jesus has made a world of a difference in my life. So as I step into my new year help me to know You better and deeper.

6. I thank You for my parents, biological and spiritual, for my siblings and circle of friends. I thank You for my enemies and frenemies (same people who would be friends or enemies depending on the situation). I pray that You have mercy on them and bless them. Life can be confusing without insight from You.

Thank You for making me me. Thank You for making my life meaningful. Thank You for the blessings you pour over me. Thank You for healing and health. Thank You Father God for Your protection from evil, harm and danger. I celebrate You today as I celebrate me!

Yours truly,
Richard