GRANDPA’S WALL-CLOCK

We love our holidays at Akure. It was one of the high points of the year for us. The ambience of Vining College has not faded a bit. There was however a mystery about Grandpa’s wall clock that we needed to solve.

Every hour, Grandpa’s wall clock with its huge pendulum will open up and a bird will come out announcing the time. We kept looking at the wall clock and wondered where the bird comes out from. I do not have to tell you how the story ended.

Friends, there are times we destroy what we love basically because of what we want.

Adam and Eve loved the Garden of Eden definitely. They loved the fellowship with God. Well! They ended up destroying what they loved because of what they wanted.

How about Amnon and Tamar? Amnon started out loving Tamar but he ended up destroying the woman he loved because of what he wanted.

Judas (with a benefit of doubt) must have loved Jesus. He, however, wanted more money. He needed to secure his future materially. He ended up destroying what he loved because of what he wanted.

There are marriages that have been sacrificed on the altar of what the parties wanted. They wanted more money and began to lose what they love.

There are pastors who have lost their kids because of “ministry”. They love the invitations and the fulfilment that comes from having a heavy itinerary but did not just realise that his little boy had already lost touch with his fatherly roles and presence.

I stumbled on a frightening statistic that about 50 percent of Pastor’s wives are battling depression. It is a case of losing what you love because of what you want. A lot of Pastor’s wives see people look at their husbands as super-human while they see their man sit in the evening looking into space worn out and tired. They rarely even have who to confide in.

Friends, our nation needs a value re-orientation. We are losing a good name because of silver and gold. We hail anything that has the semblance of wealth without asking questions of the process.

The songs of a generation tell the spirit that prevails in that generation. Our fathers sang songs that tell values. Our songs are coloured with vices. It is a shame hearing what a generation now dances to.

We are destroying what we love because of what we want.

There are things we destroy that can be rebuilt at least while we live. But there are things we love (a glorious eternity) that can be destroyed if we do not choose to live for Christ now.

What (Who) do you love?
What do you want?
Is your want destroying what you love?