THE EVENING CRY

THE EVENING CRY!
(I wish I could be young again)

Flipping through my pictures, old memories came alive in my mind and I could vividly have handy those adventurous experiences that almost ruined my youthful age. Very few were beautiful and most of the others were full of regret. The pain of my teenage folly had a firm grip on my heart; I had played all my cards and have none left as I write. I could only wish for a rewind of the hand of the clock, so I could make better judgments and take more intrinsic decisions.

Before I press further, my name is Teju Oluwatosin from the western part of Nigeria. I grew up in a Christian home with my father as a priest of the Baptist Church in Akure. I joined the religious rituals of my family, attended church and grew up to become an active member of the youth department of the church but it was mere tradition without an experience of salvation (even though my parents thought I was). Usual with many young people in my shoes, I played some “hide and seek” games with girls in my church, had sex occasionally and enjoined the view of pornography anytime I had the opportunity to do so.

Gaining admission into the tertiary institution became an access to a world of lustful freedom for me as I totally every sense of morality left in me. When brethren from the fellowship came to preach the gospel to me, I would shock them with the number of Bible quotations I had in my head and end up by telling them, “YOU SEE, I HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN FROM BIRTH”; but I knew sincerely, I was living in deceit. When they paid persistent visits in a bid to drag me to fellowship, I drove them away.
Because I was a handsome young man, who had excellent oratory power, I could sweep a lady off her feet with my sugar-coated tongue in 10 minutes, hence I changed girls frequently like I would do to an handkerchief. At some point in my third year, I had 10 girl friends at once who were all pleased to be called the girl friend of one of the popular guys on campus. Shortly after my first semester exams in 3rd year, I became a sex addict and went into taking alcohol. I couldn’t sleep until I had sex or drank alcohol at least once in two days, yet it didn’t seem to me like I was treading the wide path of death. Many of my girl friends gladly had abortions for me and we all enjoyed the game.

Funny enough, as it were I was still coming tops in my class, that I even won two oil company scholarships to my name. This made my parents so proud of me but I knew all was not so well with me. So full of pride, I refused coming out to surrender to Jesus whenever I attended church at home after school, since I was the church boy they all knew. Somehow, I perceived the Lord wanted to use me for his purpose but I wouldn’t give in. I got married later in my thirties (not to any of my girl friends as you would imagine), yet I was not free from this firm grip of sin. I continued in my dirty games (unknown to my wife) and deflowered many teen girls, lured them to committing countless abortions (sponsoring them of course). My wife was a devout Christian (don’t ask me how), so having discovered my dirty lifestyle years into our marriage, never ceased to pray fervently for my genuine salvation and deliverance.

I finally had an encounter with the Lord one cold dark night in my room and I could clearly hear the Lord pleading, “Teju, for how long? Why will you die in sin, why do you choose to end like this?” I was broken and in tears I surrendered to Jesus. As I write this beloved, my hand is heavy, my eyes full of tears and with a very sharp pain in my heart. I got a new life flowing through me howbeit, my joy didn’t seem complete. I am already 50 years of age, and sitting down at my reading table, I wrote in block letters, “I WISH I COULD BE YOUNG AGAIN”.
Beloved, don’t wait till you have gray hairs before you come out of that secret sin and emptiness of life to live for Jesus. Of course, God just spared my life because many of my old friends did not live as long as I am now, they died in riotous living without encountering Jesus. I wish I could young again, so I can have a clean record, win souls for God and impact many lives rather than destroy lives through my life. Alas! That is not possible except if you will take up the challenge today to make the right decision.

Life is all about choices and decisions; you can make the right decision to follow Jesus now! I have been living on retroviral drugs since I was 35 because I got infected with HIV during one of my escapades. Unfortunately, my faithful wife died last year from the same disease which I made her bear. “Oh, how I loved her like my own soul”.

I wish my evening tears can make a change in your life as you read it today. Life without Jesus is without meaning. I may not reach out many more lives on foot anymore because of my health condition, but I pray my writing does. Share this with a friend, it could share a soul. It is not too late to make the right decision.

I love you from my heart.
Teju

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Elijah Chukwudi I.
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