Page 31 - Program ver1_Neat

28.05.1938 11.07.2022

difficult seeing you immobile, restrained, subdued and in pains like never before. I
was imbued with emotions …it all felt like a trance and I cried out to the Lord
every single day.

Shortly before your departure, the Lord ministered the phrase” Extra time” to my
heart while praying, asking me to begin to give thanks to Him for your fruitful and
successful life and brought to my memory and attention a deluge of things to be
grateful for. That then became my daily routine. The “Extra time” apparently also
created another opportunity to minister to you yet again about salvation. Though
it wasn’t fully clear to me then, it however became clearer after you departed,
that the tenor of your race here had since lapsed and the Lord actually gave an
“Extra time” period for me and the kids (and maybe some other persons) to help
prevent the further emotional difficulties that your sudden departure without the
illness could have ushered in for us. In His awesome Faithfulness, the Almighty had
created a win-win situation for you, myself and the kids.

Mama, your life was replete with organization, discipline, agape love, humility,
hospitality, generosity and sacrifice. Even in your older years when it was
apparent that your strength was waning, you never wanted to burden anyone with
feeling like they had to take care of you. Indeed, you were a truly loving and
caring mother to every single one of us right from our births and added the roles
and responsibility of father too, following Dad’s departure 23 years ago. Valiantly
navigating through several storms and trials with fortitude, you made countless
sacrifices to provide for and nurture five boys, the youngest of which today is in
the fourth floor of life.

Your bond with Yinka was uncanny and sharing the same name with you endeared
her to you from the moment you met her; You treated and showed her love like
your own child and you supported and stood like a flint with us as a family through
the whirlwind from last year.

The kids and I will miss the annual birthday cards you always went to the greatest
lengths to buy (despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise), carefully
taking your time to properly address and also pen a personal message in them, as
well as the gifts that just had to accompany it after your detailed research. They
have told me repeatedly that they still can’t imagine the house at Festac without
you…they will surely miss your exuberant love and endless gifts.

We will all miss coming to celebrate your own birthdays, the way you celebrate
each of your children and grandchildren’s wins like child birth, baby naming, exam
success, etc and also the way you bring the family and our friends together with a
feast on New year’s day.

My heart may be heavy as a result of the pains you had to go through before your
departure and in the context of a very tough emotional period but it is also filled
with joy and gratitude for a final opportunity of a last flight to a city of pure gold,
with walls built with Jasper and has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the
glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

E sun re maami..

Ope Asagba