SHARING MYSELF FOR HUMANITY BY FASEYIKU

The first hint of light this morning did a remarkable thing for me. It first brought an appreciation of my surrounding and the grace of God upon my life. It helped turned my attention to my life; yes, my very own life. I held my life in my own hand rather literally in those few minutes and I examined it. 

The question that came to me while that examination proceeded is "How much of this life have I shared?" I believe I have shared my life, I have shared the self in me, I have given so much of the humanity in me to others, but I am not convinced I have shared enough of what I am able to share. If all that God has given to me are all I am to share with others, then I have kept too much yet to myself. While I believed I have given much, I still have not emptied enough of God's grace to others. For I still feel that within this self called me, there is too much yet unshared with others. 

Yes, I have shared love but I still feel that there is way too much of love lying in there waiting for others to savour. There are still too many destitute out there I haven't touched. There are too many needy fellows out there whose needs I have seemingly not bothered about. There are way too many homeless people out there on the street a few of whom can share my vacant rooms. I have too many books in my library that can be shared with the public; too many clothings in my wardrobe that needs giving out. I have too much time in my hand that sleep takes away. Out there in the world, many are in need of medicines, many in need of education, and many in need of a ration. 

Out there in the world, many are waiting to be encouraged. A whisper of love is all that many need to experience a change. There are many out there whose lives have been blighted by the emotional turbulence of growing up in homes and family wracked by discord, unlove and ineffectual parenting. They come across as "normal" people but behind the facade is a man or woman who lives daily in fear of the next person standing close; who cannot love and cannot appreciate the grace from others and who trudge on daily in what is best described emotional reductionism - living only with and by themselves not having a world that others can share or penetrate. Rather than encourage them and show empathy, we typify and categorize them. 

How can a man or woman who grew up not felling loved by those with whom they shared the same homestead appreciate the love of someone they met at the bus stop (of life)? Are these ones permanently sentenced to living a life of emotional loneliness? No, not if we grace their lives by teaching the joy of sharing, first by sharing our own lives with them; teaching them the joy of sacrifice, first by sacrificing for them; teach them the joy of trusting, first by trusting them and showing empathy even when they deal with us in their suspicion. 

If we reward their lack with abundance; reward their suspicion with trust; reward their discontent and disconnection with affection; reward their ineptitude with grace; and give them love for their selfishness; we will enable them to overcome the small evil voice inside them that keeps them prisoners to their fears and prisoners to their past. 

We will help them on the pathway to emotional healing, to self confidence and self worth and manifest contribution to humaneness. That, to me, represents the sharing of myself.
By

Oluseyi Steven Faseyiku