A lesson or two...from Terry G!

 Fiddling with my laptop I thought of what to write, but didn’t feel like posting any pre-written article so out of boredom, I put on the TV, hoping to watch some documentary or some news but guess what I stumbled upon? An interview with Terry G yes, Terry G! Okay! So what is it about this 'bling'-wielding, street gangster-like “akpako master” that could possibly draw my attention enough to do an article on him? 

Well, before you run off (as I probably would) with bias concerning his person or on me for doing a piece on him, lets quickly learn…and run off still! Well, straight to the point. During the interview he was asked why he no longer has his piercings and he made valid points which struck me which I feel every artiste and individual reading this could learn a thing from. 

Firstly, he made a valid statement, “we are all children of God”. Of course we all know that yeah? Pretty sure a number of us including myself may be quick to judge this statement including the person saying it but hold on a second, I guess we were the same ones that judged the biblical Rahab in the Old Testament or Mary Magdalene or even, the 'brief' Zacheus! As much as we all advocate for a closer relationship with God, it is important that we never miss the baseline truth “we all are children of God”. As a Christian, Pastor, Preacher, Evangelist or Church leader, if you would bring someone to God, you must not miss this baseline truth. 

Whether the individual has taken up his son-ship by accepting and reciprocating this love is a different matter all together. Another thing he said regarding taking off the piercings was that “sometimes you have some friends you need to get rid of, some friends that are not just good for you” and then I remembered as a youngster how my parents were always particular about those I kept as friends. This of course helped me up to the point where I am today wherein I can proudly say, I choose my friends, people who are consistent with my values and beliefs. It takes guts to say NO to being friends with someone especially when you ‘go way back’ but it is better to stay off what can destroy you as its YOUR LIFE not theirs! 

The next thing he said is very important for every artiste out there. He said he got to a point where he discovered he didn’t need to look mad or wild to impact with his music. ‘Come for my shows, watch my performance and judge if anything has changed’ he said. A lot of us think embellishments are requirements for success in our artistry and this is a wrong notion. Terry G is a man who seems to have gained a maturity that eludes many artistes today. Let your music speak for you. Stop trying to create a person you are not all in a bid to impress and gain ephemeral influence. Let your music do the talking. 

If you are indeed convinced of your content, then why the fear? 

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I Slept With a Harlot!

I dropped her off with my car and raced back home to prepare for church (to think that I even had the guts to want to go to church after a night of fornicating!). 

The night before was an eventful one as I had a company function to attend at one of the popular hotels in Abuja. At about 9pm when the function ended, I was driving out of the hotel when I saw this beautiful lady standing as if waiting for her driver, or a cab. I slowed down and hunked, 'where are you headed I asked' and she said 'it depends'. Hearing that, for the wrongest and weirdest reasons, maybe just to see what came out of it, I decided to play along and into my car she hopped. 

Skip to the following morning, with all the guilt flowing in me, I summoned courage to dress for church. I drove at 50km/h wondering what it was I was going to do in church, lift up hands that had done ungodly things the night before or? In all of this, one thing was sure, I was going to my father's house or should I be headed for a beer palour instead? That wouldn't possibly help! All I needed right now was a fix, not a quick fix like clubbing, drugs, sex or alcohol rather, I needed a REAL fix. 

Seated right at the back where I was cos I came in late (which was good as I couldn't stand seating in front), there was this mixed smell of the lady from the night before and the cologne which I wore. Despite my 1 hour in the bath tub that morning and the N1,200 soap I use to bath, the smell of filth, that vile smell, the smell of an harlot lay underneath! I immediately raced to my car (as someone with an asthma attack would reach for his inhaler) and picked the body spray I permanently kept in the car and 'bathed' myself with it. Respite came my way for a few minutes as the smell seemed to disappear under the now over-bearing body spray alas, it was only for a moment! 

Then it struck me, no matter how I tried to cover my sinfulness with anything from denial to church work and even more sinfulness, the stench, filth and consequence of sin would always seep from beneath. Sin sticks its logo, emblem or insignia on you and just as the famous song writer wrote '...what can wash away my sin? NOTHING but the blood of Jesus!'. In Isaiah, God said, '...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool'. Just then on my knees, with tears rolling down my eyes, in the midst of my feeling of guilt, rejection and dejection, I felt an outpouring of his love which enveloped my heart. From the coldness and heaviness of heart which I felt, I felt this uplifting warmth which wrapped round my heart. 

I may have slept with an harlot, I might even be the child of an harlot, I may be a 'runs-girl' or even, a yahoo boy! I might even be the type that visits elegushi beach on those saturday nights that my wife isn't around or I may be the girl with a target to meet that yields to customers t to meet that target. I may be worse than all of these yet, IN THE ARMS OF HIS LOVE I FIND REST! 

Selah. 

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