THE FATHER’S LOVE
THE FATHER’S LOVE
(IN EVER LOVING MEMORY OF SAMUEL OLUYEMI JAIYESIMI 1926- 2008)
Exactly seventeen years ago, my father, Samuel Oluyemi Jaiyesimi, went home to be with the LORD. I have no doubt that he is in heaven, and this makes me glad.
My father was many things; a man of many parts. He was humble, he was a man of great integrity, he was a caring and loving father and husband, he was loyal, he never forgot where he came from, he was generous and accommodating, he was extremely hard working and over and above all these, he was completely sold out to Christ.
My father, as long as I can remember bought a daily devotional from the Anglican Communion (for himself and for everyone of us) and he would use it every blessed day. My father went to morning and evening services every Sunday (so much so that he earned the nick name “The Reverend”). Even when he was out of town, he always found a church nearby to go and worship. Once when he visited me in Lome, Togo, while I was on my year abroad programme from the University of Ibadan, he made me take him to church on Sunday morning before he drove all the way back home to Lagos.
Only yesterday, a dear friend of mine reminded me of one summer holiday we all spent in London as teenagers and my sister OpeOluwa and I would write shopping lists for my dad. She reminded me of how we had written items like “ball gowns” on the list and how my dad had gladly entertained such things. (We had definitely been watching too much of Alexis Carrington and Krystle on Dynasty for sure! Lol!)
Grandpa, thank you very much for the love, the kindness, the memories. You made me and all my siblings feel so special and loved. You fondly called me “My darling daughter”. (I miss that!) And thank you very much for officially paving the way for the Father of all Glory to become our very own Father when you went home to be with the LORD seventeen years ago.
Grandpa, even though you did the very best for us and we are forever grateful, (and honestly my siblings and I and our own children too are definitely still partaking of the great things you did) be assured that ABBA is doing so much more. Hallelujah!!! ABBA, is now our Father, so we are no longer fatherless. We got a massive and magnificent upgrade.
Dear friends, we know that our earthly parents love us dearly and deeply, like we in turn love our children. But our Heavenly Father loves us a whole lot more than we would ever know. We owe Him everything. No other love can compare. Perhaps the love between parents and their children could come close but remember that even while we were sinners, Christ died for us. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8 NLT
He gave His ONLY begotten Son, for us all!
He washed all our sins away by His most precious blood!
He went to the whipping post to be scourged and by those stripes we have been healed. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 KJV
He gave us a gift of righteousness. Now we are the righteousness of God in Christ. He also gave us an abundance of grace. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” Romans 5:17 KJV
He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” 2 Peter 1:3 KJV
In my native Yoruba language, there is saying that goes: “Baba ku, Baba ku” which translates to mean that when a father dies there are fathers that remain. I make bold to say that the only Father that remains after the death of a father is the Father of the fatherless. He is the only one that can match and surpass the love of any earthly father.
TODAY, I CELEBRATE AND HONOUR MY FATHER, SAMUEL OLUYEMI JAIYESIMI AND I GIVE ALL GLORY, PRAISE AND HONOUR TO THE FATHER OF ALL GLORY.
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©