Like the roar of a lion
Exuding great power,
The song of Bissong is majestic.
It is the voice of a King
Declaring authority and great might.
The song of Bissong is the crash of thunder,
Sounding from the highest sky
To the deepest of the ocean low.
It is the flight of an eagle,
Graceful and effortless without hurry.
The song of Bissong is the move of the wind,
Tearing trees and rocks in careless abandon,
Whispering strength and truth from God's canyon:
It is the flash of lightning
Turning dark days to the brightest nights.
The song of Bissong is the song of victory
Of God's people over the enemy:
It is a song of triumph
Rejoicing God's power in action.
It is the rumble of the waves,
It's primordial nature no less diminished...
© el-iyanu 2017
Primordial: existing at or from the beginning of time..
Like the rain on dry ground,
Like gentle waves on a stream of water,
Like the greenness of forest glades,
Like the colourful flowers in a garden,
Like the voice of singing birds,
Like the movement of graceful animals,
Like the grasses of the meadow,
Like the plains of the savannah,
Like the renewal of spring,
Like the melting snow and thawing ice..
The song of Bissong is the dew,
With her the promise of a new day.
The song of Bissong is a fountain
Springing out the rock,
The song of Bissong is carried in air—
Taken from the highest mountain
Down the deepest oceans:
Like the song of Bissong is nature,
Proclaiming God's tenderness in action..
©Iyanu 2017
To you my heart belongs
The one for whom I long
Your addiction holds me strong
For you, I show up all day long
Your concern burning in my bones
Every response a shower of love
Without needing to be told
I'll do it again for you, my love
Over and again for you, my love...
© Kolawole Tokede
(and edited by my humble self 😇🤗)
Thank you for your contribution, dear brother. 🥳🥳🥳
For those who've listened to Whitney Houston's classic: The Greatest Love of All, we find lyrics that reasonates with us on the subject matter of love, self-love and personal independence. It's a delicate matter that speaks to us in a special way.
What is Love?
The Bible speaks extensively about love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, but our focus today will be placed upon verses 4-7 which spells out the characteristics of love in plain language. It says:
Love is patient
Love is kind
Love is not jealous
Love is not conceited, ( proud or arrogant)
Love is not ill-mannered
Love is not selfish
Love is not irritable
Love keeps no record of wrongs
Love is not happy with evil but happy with the truth
Love never gives up
Love is faithful
Love is hopeful
The patience of love never fails...
The One You Love
We all have those we love for various reasons, whose personality appeal to us. Friends, family, colleagues and the likes. This we know the depths of our love for. But it's a little dangerous here, because those we love with all our heart may not not love us in return. I could say the same of myself, having someone who I can say truly loves me, but not being as enamoured with the person in return, and having those I love and I'm crazy about not loving me (equally) in return.
The One Who Loves You
This is the kind of love God has for us while we were still sinners, even now. This love is sure, and something we can bank upon. It's something that drives us to the lover, especially if unconditional. It's the kind of love mothers have for their children: which the children mirror and reciprocate in return. It's the kind of love that makes us love those who love us in return.
Loving in Return
Indeed, it's best loving each other fiercely, equally, and truly in return! But in all honesty, there are levels to this matter called love. Love should give the lover freedom to live, be and express the self, else it might be seen as selfishness on the part of one. It's why the story of the prodigal son speaks to me in a special way.
The Depth of Love
The father knew the son was going wrong, but let him be to preserve the bond of their love. This love with which his father treated all those around him, even servants, was what gave this son confidence to come home, knowing his father would always have a place in his heart and treat him gently with love, even if as a servant.
The Height of Love
Finally, the height of love comes in loving those who actively hate us, envy us, back-stab us, gossip about us; loving those who annoy us, who irritate us, who provoke us, who get on our nerves, those indifferent, and even those who oppose us.
Mastering Love
A priest in my parish once gave a message that you may not like people, but you have to love them. You may even hate them, but you have to greet them. And this, in its little way mirrors the message of Christ, that we have to love our enemies, for only then can we be people of love, and masters of the same. For this is how God loves us, regardless.
God's Template
This message comes not to condemn any man, but to make us look and and see where we fail, and take hold, perhaps, of one rung at a time. How people of love behave, and how they don't, until we are indeed made perfect, looking up to the Template of the Most High Himself, even Jesus Christ.
The Love of Christ
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) And God showed his love to us, that Christ died for us even while we were sinners. Christ showed love and devotion to the Father, even to us as God's children without a word of complaint. Isn't this what love should look like? It is why in all matters, to him we look.
Love Never Gives Up (Even on Itself)
There have been days when we feel irritable, feel unkind and feel uncharitable, but the message of love is somewhere at the back of our minds, whispering that this is how love behaves and this is how it doesn't. May God help us to keep its faith till the very end. For at the end of the day, love never gives up, yes, love lives forever. Amen.
It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice.
Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison.
—Ecclesiastes 4:13-14
The story of Joseph is one that rings loudly through the ages, how he went from prison cell to prime minister; but the story of that Pharaoh is hardly said, or his wisdom as greatly lauded.
Here was a man who recognised the value of wisdom, and couldn't care less about the background of the man— the foreigner— to whom he entrusted his kingdom. But he also did something that struck me: he spelled out clearly the boundaries of Joseph's rule. He gave Joseph authority over all except him; Joseph had authority over everything, but he was still subject to the king. This is wisdom indeed.
So, this raises a peculiar question to us, how we behave when in authority. Do we only seek that our will be done or yield to one with better insight? Or do we look at the background of a man to judge his capacity? Pharaoh was a king who made his own decisions, and was wise enough (even humble enough) to recognise great insight. He didn't sit on the idea or claim the glory, but let the man who gave insight implement his vision.
Yes, Joseph was a man who feared the Lord, even in a strange land, he didn't go to Rome and behave as the Romans did. No, the standards of God remained the same for him everywhere, that's why he was able to resist the wife of his master, Potiphar, and why even in prison, his gift remained and his dream never died, even though it took many years.
In all, let us remember the story of Joseph, and also honour the wisdom of a wise king Pharaoh.
Iyanu
I wasn't born then, but it's true for me.
This much I know: my God washed my feet!
O! My God washed my feet:
I say, Christ died for me.
Thomas was doubter who saw the Lord's glory
Peter was headstrong, he found the keys to God's Kingdom
John was a gentle, beloved in God's word
Judas-betrayer, he lost sight of heaven
I wasn't born then, but it's true for me:
This much I know, God washed my feet.
What a glorious thing to ponder,
Christ as God becomes a man
Stoops so low, becomes the servant
The King of the world, becomes a servant...
But this much I know, God washed my feet!
We are made clean by his "mere words:"
Mere words but come with great power!
On his haunches he gave a lesson:
Towel around his waist, he gave instruction—
This I have done, do to others— wash their feet!
I wasn't born then, but it's true for me:
Christ died for me: my God washed my feet.
You may not understand, but you should know:
You may not believe, but you should understand:
That God washed my feet,
And Christ died for me!
Iyanu.
Dear woman with a beautiful soul
What is it that ails you so?
I've searched for you in far places
Are you passing through some difficult stages?
She said: It's a long story I hardly can tell
But the road is long, said I, please do tell
Last time I saw you, I could tell
There was something wrong, so pray tell
And she uttered to me a parable
You see, I went hunting with a friend
To better our chances, we hunted the same
Indeed, we were fair hunters of game.
But things took a turn for the worse
I thought we were friends, whatever that was
She left the hunt and turned on me
Left the hunt and turned on me
Took the gun and turned on me
Used as bait, she turned on me
I became the hunted, it dawned on me..
My heart was full, it nearly burst!
My soul was grieved, it nearly burst!
Overflowing with pain, I nearly burst!
So I stayed away from Mount Zion
Finding solace in a dark room
God sees my heart, he knows I'm mad
I'll stay away, my heart is bad.
And I stayed away for two whole weeks
Went to church for a few more tweaks
God heard my cry and made me whole
My heart was lifted, I got a touch
Don't want to be angry anymore
Don't want to be in pain anymore
My God is faithful, he heard my cry
My heard is lifted, he heard me cry!
O, that God's people were not chameleons!
O, that they were as real as on Mount Zion!
But I'll keep my counsel to myself,
For at the end of days, the Lord knows his own..
Once upon a time, there lived a leech:
He was clever but he wasn't wise,
He pulled a fast one, but he wasn't wise.
He stole from me though he had my purse,
He asked from me though he had much more
But this is the life of a leech, never enough!
It becomes a habit, lo, he adopts addiction
He thinks he's poor though he's doing fine
Always gathering, yet never getting rich
Thinks himself clever, but no, he's unwise.
For the leech is only useful for one thing:
Taking out bad blood!
I was brooding when he came my way
Stressing about what happened that day
Feeling sorry for myself that day...
But I was strengthened by that encounter
Embracing the challenge his thieving caused me
Acting the fool as I had in front of him
Without a word I left his face:
Tomorrow's greetings would be from a distance.
He was a leech that caused me pain
Or was he an angel sent from above?
I've met a few leeches in my day
And I've always come out in better shape
Wiser, stronger, everyday!
For they made me realise the things worth doing
And to embrace the day as long as I'm living..
Once upon a time, there lived a man called Eliakim (meaning God raises up). He was a faithful and loyal servant of God, and God raised him up from the dust after throwing down the proud and arrogant servant Shebna.
Eliakim ascended to the position of Grand Vizier in the land of Israel, and God gave him all authority and fastened him in place like a sure nail.
But one thing that strikes me and scares me the most about this story comes in the last three verses:
23 And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father’s house.
24 And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father’s house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons.
25 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.”
The one who God raised was undone by mundane things! There's a song by Brymo that comes to mind— Entropy:
And you were always buzzing like neon
I can remember now as the song plays
And you became everything I stayed away from
Pulled me down every time I try to take off
But no you wouldn't fly away with me
You carry too much weight for love
May God help us not to carry too much weight for love, and be undone and choked by the cares and worries of this world. Because, personally, it's something that scares me a lot. Do have a pleasant day ahead.
Hello, and welcome to Haven Incorporated. This is the very first post minted in our press, and hopefully the continuation of something great. We hope you find value in this space and find it a place to stay.
It's indeed a terrible thing to not know how great one is. Usually, we hear warnings to desist from pride and cease from arrogance, that pride goes before an unpleasant fall and humility comes before honour. But having a healthy sense of self and worth is not as emphasised. And I dare say, it's better to be proud than falsely humble!
Just tonight, I saw a man who didn't know how great he was, and it pierced my heart to see him so. Maybe he knew, but only humbled himself for the moment, but I didn't think it necessary for him to have done so. But it's terrible to not know how great you are!
It occurred to me that culture and tradition, perhaps, makes us stagnant and backwards in the face of progress. It is true that we learn great virtue and core values from our traditions, but it seems to me to have done more harm than good to our collective sense of worth. But truth and integrity is something that stands the test of time.We
In essence, it is good to be humble, but it is just as well to keep a modest opinion of self. This is the message of truth, even from God: to be humble, but keep a healthy sense of self; to not be proud, and to not be falsely humble. May God give us the grace to know how great we are! For it is a terrible thing indeed to not know how great you are!
My name is Tokede Opeyemi Iyanuoluwa— a Christian, Writer, Athlete and music lover— and I'm your resident blogger for Haven Incorporated. Welcome once again to our page, and I hope you find a place to stay.. Do have a pleasant time ahead. Thank you.
