Spring to Newness of Life
We tend to appreciate more what we long for but don’t have.
We appreciate more what we have lost or almost lost, when it is restored back to us.
We appreciate light when it is restored after a period of darkness. Our hearts are elated when we go through a dark tunnel and come out into light
We appreciate life when we come face to face with the stack reality of its brevity
We appreciate the warmth of the spring after the harsh cold winter.
When we peel off the layers of woolen clothing and step out into the radiant beams of sunshine warming our faces, the gentle breeze caressing our exposed skin and the extra light of longer days, we appreciate the arrival of a new season and its promise of a new beginning—new possibilities.
Spring is certainly on us. The seeds buried in the darkness under the soil are springing forth into light. Luscious green leaves are beginning to cover the once grey and twiggy trees.
I love April for these reasons and many more. It is also an unmissable reminder that one quarter of the year has flown past.
During an ice-breaker session in a conference, I was asked which is my favorite month of the year and why?
“April and October.” My answer was spontaneous.
Why?
I got married to the most admirable and caring heaven-sent gift of a man on April 23rd, 1992.
Someone gave me one of the most precious gifts I have ever received in my life in April 2013, which gave me the opportunity of a second chance in life.
It was in April, 2013 that I went to the darkest and scariest place of my life. I went into the deep pit but God delivered my soul from the place of death and brought me back to the place of light and life.
April will remain a constant reminder of the two who died for me; my Lord and Saviour who gave His life for me on the cross, and my unknown benefactor who gave me the precious gift of lungs, which God is using to keep alive—living full and vibrant life.
To whom much is given, much is required. I have been given much. So the month of April is also a reminder of my commitment to give back. It is a solemn celebration of life.
In April 2015, over fifty friends join my family and I for the first edition of the Feet of Grace Foundation Charity Walk tagged; Hit The Street For Their Feet. We walked 5 kilometers (I did 3km) to raise 15,000.00 Swiss Francs. The donations rolled in over several months afterwards from different corners of the world. Because of your generous donations, three amputees walked again in 2015.
Chidiebere named his prosthetic limb; Favoured Leg. He has a big dream. He wants to be a doctor when he grows up. He promised that he will study hard and go to the university. He lives in a squalor slum in Enugu, Nigeria, and he knows that his dream will need God’s intervention.
Olivet got her prosthetic leg. She used it for a few months before she succumbed to further complications of Diabetes in November 2015. I am grateful to God for the quality we were able to add to her life howbeit for a short time. We learnt some useful lessons in the process.
Vivian got a replacement for her worn-out prosthetic limb which she had used for seven years and repaired several times. It was a joy to see her and her husband last month while I was in Lagos. They literally swept me off my feet. With much exuberance, she joined me as we encouraged the amputees waiting in hope for the opportunity to walk again.
Together, we did much more. With the proceeds from the Christmas Charity Bazaar held last December, we got Anna, a wheelchair-bound widow, a new wheelchair and set her up with a small scale business selling popcorn. Joy Rufus is waiting for the dark skin cover for her new arm and we have also supported her to upgrade her business, selling provisions in her neighborhood shop in Lagos.
We are making a difference. We are making dreams come true for amputees. We are adding quality to their lives. And we are set to do it again.
Join us on Saturday, April 30th, 2016 for the second edition of the Feet of Grace Charity Walk; Hit The Street For Their Feet 2016 in Geneva. See flyer for more details. Friends of Feet of Grace will join us for the Charity Walk in Redhill, UK; California and Pennsylvania, USA; and Zurich, Switzerland.
If you cannot be with us, you can support me to walk the 5km or sponsor a part of the walk. Please contact me for more details about how you can support or sponsor this Charity Walk. Donations can be made via bank transfer. Bank details provided below.
Together, we can make the dreams of six amputees come true in 2016.
The Feet of Grace Foundation Charity Walk in honour of the memory of my Unknown Benefactor and those who give so that others may live (organ donors).
Feet of Grace Foundation United Bank of Africa, Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria Account numbers: 1019430471 (Naira) 3002100149 (USD) Sort Code: 033190424. Swift Code: UNAFNGLA.
