​Have you ever been in a situation where you are watching a Nollywood movie and it seems the producer collected the script of your life to act on? I felt that way this morning.

Exactly, a week today, I experienced the most harrowing moment of my life, one that has left an indelible print of trauma in my heart. It is one of those moments in one’s life sojourn that are better forgotten. Unlike the usual experiences that are either centred on regrets or shame, mine came with near death! My mum and I were abducted by gun-men.
Sad experience, Beautiful story. Beautiful because God walked with us every single step of the way.

Today I am alive, unhurt, hale and hearty but same cannot be said of thousands whose lives have been cut short by these men of evil. While many may attribute my survival to divine intervention, I will forever live with the memories that came with that moment.

Now, this year is drawing to a close –incredible things this year did bring – many of them in the form of lessons God taught me in my walk with Him.
Some of them easy.

Some of them hard.

But it was walking hand in hand with Christ and listening to His precious voice as He led me like a good Shepherd, taught me as a wise Teacher, provided for all my needs as a loving Father, and never left my side as my closest friend that I will be able to greet next year as a different person.

God is good but that doesn’t mean that life will always be good. If we want to become more like Christ it means we must go through the same things He went through. That includes suffering, hardships, betrayals, and temptations. It is only by going through those things that our characters are transformed, our faith is strengthened, and we become a true reflection of Christ to the world. Instead of complaining about my hardships I should merely look at them as great opportunities to grow in Christ.

We all have a story. We all faced tragedies. We all have things from the past we’d rather forget. But often times it is those hardships that God wants to use for His kingdom. It is those things that we want to hide that He wants to recover, redeem, and use to encourage others who are walking through the same struggle in life. He wants us to turn our pain into someone else’s hope by being bold enough to share our story, our battles, and our hurt no matter how hard it may be. And in doing so we will draw not only ourselves but also others even closer to Him.

I would also like to add that the prevailing economic hardship is no valid excuse for anyone to engage in criminality of this kind. And things have become so bad that no one is spared; nothing is sacrosanct to a generation of rebellious youths who would do anything for money. What this tells us is that we just have to address the economic alienation of our youths, wily nilly, if we hope to enjoy peace in the country.

Watch out for my next book THE KIDNAP, coming out next year to mark the anniversary of another chance to enjoy life to the fullest. I am going to make the devil cry…