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TITLE: AN ASTOUNDING AFRICAN
By esther robinson
03/11/09
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Get up! Get going! Never quit if there is life in you. I got energized from a certain coal complexioned man about whom I heard from my mother. When everyone’s garden in his neighborhood blossomed with peculiar pansies and royal roses this man’s garden alone brought forth varieties of cactus. Through his indomitable faith in God, he showed the world how thorns or prickles found in cactus could be turned into breath-taking beautiful boughs of orchids. His life speaks to me and I guess would also do so to you.

Eminent personalities were in my mother’s list and when the moment for bedtime stories came, she would mimic every character in her unique way chiseling the virtues found in that person in my heart. Every such soul had some good news. As a small child then, somehow this particular person got engraved in me. Later on, when I came to know more about his life, I felt as if I had seen only a tip of an iceberg.

“Oh! We are going through rough and tough times.” Many people exclaim although they would be blessed bountifully. A few people like St. Paul could make such a daring statement. “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

Rejoice and again I say rejoice. I learnt this lesson after knowing about this astounding African. An African family fled during a riot along with a three year old boy. His father met with an accident but what happened to his mother is unknown but it is evident that she was massacred while their innocent child survived bearing an uncertain future on his forehead and moved about with the tag ‘orphan’ besides being often attacked by some sickness or the other.

“Gracious me! Somehow he came across an American family whose members were good Samaritans.” I remember my mother telling this line in a husky voice. Like the fish which swallowed Jonah to rescue him, in the heart of George and Susan – the good Samaritans God had put this thought of adopting and bringing up this African child.

Every year seemed mundane with nothing to offer this young boy. Aunt Susan patiently taught him at home. Strangely, this by showed far great an interest in studies than the rest of his peer group. He strained every nerve to provide for himself as well as his studies. He maintained a lovely garden a laboratory rightly called, “God’s little workshop”. God abided in him. With every flower blossoming, perhaps he exclaimed, “Flowers the very thought of thee, forgot I there is a heart within me.” Somehow, he was attracted to the peanut plant. He knocked at the doors of many colleges but many rejected his plea for admission except one. Managing to feed himself on the leftovers he realized his goal of becoming a graduate.

Conference of the eminent scientists began. This astounding African was given a few minutes to expound upon his life-long experiments with peanuts. He displayed nearly three thousand products prepared from peanuts useful for mankind.

Arise, shine for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. That is how he must have felt when people who ostracized him in society applauded him. He was honored like Daniel in the land of Babylon.

Remember God has a purpose in your life. Although people may shun you while you are running the race but surely they will stop by to witness you receiving the medal.

Victory according to this person whom I admire is not what one receives at the end like trophies, medals and so on but in admiring the works of God every second. Victory lies not in giving up but in getting up and going ahead.

Even now, I guess you must have found out this personality. If you have read thus far, I am sure you would really be curious to know the name of this wonderful man.

Rapidly run down the paragraphs jotting down the first letter in each and you will get to know his name. If anything that is of this world were to weigh your spirits down, just remember this man and I hope the spirit that was in him would inflate your soul to reach greater heights.

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