Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha
In my lifetime as a Minister of the gospel of Christ, a Counselor,
an Intercessor, a child, a wife, a parent, a trainer/speaker, researcher,
writer, editor and what ever else I have done and am still doing, I dare say
that I have come across many people, black, white and coloreds, globally and
nationally. I have also seen many faces, beautiful faces, sad faces, angry
faces, hungry faces, worried faces, fearful and anxious faces. Yet none has
left such an impression on me as the very hungry faces that are hungry, not for
food, material things or wealth, not even knowledge but for love.
They are hungry for someone to love them, own them, appreciate
them, celebrate them and protect them in a world they are struggling to
understand. What pain fills their hearts and reflects in their sad faces, their
rebellion and aggression coupled with the inferiority complex that lack of love
fosters on people!
Apart from weeping in my heart and praying for such people when I
see them, I also long to share a smile, beautiful words of love and
encouragement God regularly plants in my heart for such people. Sometimes they
respond but at other times, the very deeply hungry who wonder if they could
ever find love on this side of the universe just ignore such advances. Too bad!
My tears go deeper into intercession for them so that someday they will know
and understand the love that is greater than all loves and that can completely
fill the aching void in their hearts.
God indeed is love and that is what my name, Ogheneuyoyou means.
Are you then surprised that I celebrate this name above my other names such as
Mercy and Christiana? My heart lights up each time a friend or acquaintance
calls me Uyoyou, the short form of the name which is exactly love. The Oghene
part is God. Why, you may ask? Two
reasons. The first is that I am reminded that I am owned and loved by the
Creator and Owner of the Universe who is love personified and in His infinite
mercy gave my parents the wisdom to give me such a beautiful name, God is love.
Secondly, I also realize that I carry a great responsibility of loving every
other human being as commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ before He left the
earth.
Love is beautiful and should be cherished by all who know and
understand love. However, the beauty of love is only released when love is
shared, not in transient eros but in agape, the love that transcends human
understanding.
From Launch Out into the Deep
by Uyoyou C. Charles-Iyoha
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