THE LUCKY ONE: Understanding the Fate of the Fated
In Helon Habila's "Oil on Water", the protagonist has an elder sister who always calls him the "lucky one". This description goes by the fact that out of her father's children, it's only him who has the journey different. He's the second born and not the first but he's the only one who has it different.
If you ever read the novel, you'll see that though he also passes through some hard times, yet it never kill him but rather launches him into his deep waters as a seasoned Journalist - a man of destiny. He even escapes death on a number of times. This solidifies his sister's claim of calling him, "the lucky one". Don't call any man 'lucky' who has no event to prove him so.
Again, in Alex Agyei Agyri's Unexpected Joy at Dawn, the idea of being the lucky one as it contrasts against being the scape goat is revealed in Joe and Tally O. Joe and Tally O are two mineral stealers though with others who engage in the illegal business of gold mining in a region of Gold Coast (now Ghana). Having a feel of their experience would make you see clearly the idea of being lucky and unlucky. One is always the scape goat and the other, the spared. However, in all your encounters, may you have the outcome of the spared.
"Tally O is seated in a small but thick forest waiting for the arrival of his colleagues in their illegal mining business. Soon, he begins to entertain fears about the possibility of his colleagues having fallen into the hands of the law. Shortly, six men, all members of the Daga group, arrive to meet Tally O. They all shake hands with him, and one of the men go inside the hut to check whether some of the gems they kept there are still intact. After discovering that all is well, they become more relaxed and change into work clothes. All of them, now including Joe, walk to the Nubo mines. They walk to a mountain, climb past it and swim across the river next to the mountain. When they get to the mine field, each chooses different areas suspected to be rich in minerals.
Tally O moves to the direction of some abandoned and carefully sealed holes he has always suspected to be rich in diamonds. Joe stops at a crossroads, bids goodbye to a colleague and then turns to take the path to his right. He moves down to a stream where he is able to pick many gem stones and feels good about his picks.
Tally O crawls into one of the holes after gathering away the dead wood and leaves that have collected at its mouth. Inside, he is able to get many sparkling stones.
Suddenly, the peace of the forest is disturbed and animals are fleeing. Before he realizes what is happening, a gunshot slashes through his left shoulder and he falls on the floor of the hole, as he bleeds profusely.
Not too far away, Joe struggles with his heavy sack. Soon, he hears a sharp sound. Initially, he thinks the sound comes from the fleeing animals but when a gunshot hits the dead wood very close to him, he wakes up to the reality of the danger around him.
Soon, Joe manages to discover three huge trees they call the three sisters and takes cover in their roots. With his heavy sack, he is completely surrounded by the roots and darkness. By now, he has realized that they are being hunted by armed guards.
Joe is seized by fear, knowing that they lack arms to confront their hunters. He recalls how he had been against the idea of coming into the mines now, and how he had been swayed by the majority opinion. He also recalls two past encounters with the mine guards during which his men had killed two mine guards on the first occasion, and another on the second occasion. Tally O had been involved in the killing on the second occasion. Joe struggles on as he manoeuvres his way through the forest, driven by the will to survive.
The other members of the team are still in the dense forest, struggling to get Tally O out of the hole. After a brief argument about what to do, as they find it difficult pulling him out, one of them picks up an axe, swings it upwards and lands it on Tally O's head. His head is split and the rest promptly pile pieces of wood and leaves on the mouth of the hole to cover the dead man.
Thereafter, they split up and run towards the marshes. Besides Tally O, they all make it to the hut where they wait to be sure that the guards have gone".
This is where the narrative ends but did you see clearly for yourself the idea of being, "lucky" and "unlucky". Joe is a target of death as Tally O is. A shot got Tally O down but for whatever reason it may be, Joe is spared of likewise shot that could have taken him down. The idea or truth of being the lucky or fortunate one isn't a cook up but a reality that we see in our day to day world. We've heard of survivors of fatal accidents which includes flight crashes before. If death claims the life of one and leaves the other behind (despite the attempt of death to claim all), one may need to reason as to why one is spared and the other sacrificed at such nearness. Reading entirely the novel, I found out the author still have parts for Joe to play. Due to this, Joe is spared to see better days. He turns away from his criminal act and even get married. While Tally O faces poetic justice, Joe seems to carry the label of the lucky one and conveys the idea that life always make choice of men and how they're treated differently. The hard truth which off course carries weighty significance. One time, Jesus seeks to align some people to proper thinking and choice making. So, He brings home His message by taking them on a trip of an unfortunate event that they're all aware of.
Luke 13:1-5, KJV
"1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish".
This narrative of Jesus tells me something. That there'll always be "the lucky" and "the unlucky". Even amidst the unqualified, a choice and separation is always being made. Some will be fortunate and some unfortunate. These two forces rule in human affairs but you can always have your tent pitched on the other side - the good.
You see, "the lucky one" is how it is called in the secular. That idea means "fortunate". It's a kind one undeniably. If I would say it, I'll say, "the destined" or "the fated". We're fortunate. We're not meant for slaughter. We can always in any circumstance hope for an expected end. We can trust that whenever we are on our way down, there would be a sort of intervention that would ensure, "on their hands they bear us up lest we dash our foot on a stone." Be assured, as the lucky one, the fated one and the destined one, intervention will always be organized for you. Yes, even at the eleventh hour. Before you fall and hit, there'll be interception and a bearing back or restoration to position.
There are marks of being the "lucky, fortunate, chosen, fated, destined one". Let us consider Joseph and what makes him the lucky, fortunate, destined and chosen one - one we can smell that something will happen for in the future. First, he's one we can resolve of that with the salvation God has granted him in life, it's because God still has need of him. Whenever God has need of something, He spares it for Himself by a divine claim. Mark that, "for Himself". God does sparing for Himself - so that His will and purpose would be furthered. That's where our salvation is hidden. That's a sure mark of destiny. You can always wait on it because it is faithful. The colt that no man has ever sat on should have been used. At least, it should have entered the heart of one man to playfully sit on it but this colt has the witness that "no one has ever sat on it" when that's the exact purpose for its creation and existence. Why would this colt therefore remain till mature stature without being intruded into for use (even once) by anyone? It's because the Lord has need of it. For this reason, all other operating laws must be suspended and the "need of the Lord" honoured. Do you know why I know I can't die until I discharge all? I've been found for HIS will. He has need of me. I'm discharging it and so He's faithful to watch over me. Let me ask, "where are you a part of His will if you're born again?" Your calling and the purpose you serve in the Kingdom is also a reason for your preservation and sparing. That colt is spared and reserved because by ordainment (having looked into the future of Jesus' assignment), it'll one day bear the Messiah and serve a purpose in the overall will of God.
Zechariah 9:9, KJV "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass".
Now, listen to me. If a colt could be preserved until maturity and eventually until it discharges just one assignment as written in the prophetic scriptures ahead, would it be out of place not to claim that a fellow whose assignment won't be one trip be preserved and spared? So, in God's overall will, He made a choice and places a call on that colt and because that colt has a call on its head, it has to be spared for the fulfilment of its calling, assignment and life. Other colts would bear burdens and travel people but this colt remains tied (but being fed) just for a purpose that shall be. The owner never thinks it wise once to kill it because it's of no use to him though consuming resources. How come this colt - an animal for that matter have such great salvation? Didn't Jesus Himself say we worth more than animals - many sparrows? (Matt.10:31). Then, if you have a purpose to serve, will God not likewise jealous for you? He will! That colt enjoys that and that's because it is fated, called, predestined to fulfill a purpose. So, the Lord is obligated to using His own divine power and resources to ensure it's never intruded into until the call on it is answered. This is one of the privilges ever enjoyed by Jesus in the Bible. How many people use a brand new car or marry a virgin even nowadays? Here's Jesus driving one however. May I also warn you that you should never compare yourself with those who have a call on themselves yet are living contrarily to it (even if they themselves don't yet know it). While they may enjoy preservation till they're harvested, you may not. Looking at Paul, he has always carried the call but he sure lives contrarily to it. As a matter of fact, Ananias accuses him to God when he says, "I have heard a lot about this man, how he lays bear the church in Jerusalem and how he has letters from the High Priest to arrest all those that be of the Way" (Acts 9:13-14). What did Jesus say to him? "He is my chosen instrument to bear the gospel to the Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel. I'll show him how much he must suffer for My sake" (Acts 9:15-16). From this, we even learnt before hand that Saul will have a ministry to the Gentiles and even mighty men on the surface of the earth and that He'll suffer a lot for the gospel sake. When did the Lord know, plan or institute this? Obviously all these were settled from the foundations of the earth. God told Jeremiah, "before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jer.1:5). It doesn't matter when discovery is made. What matters is that Jeremiah has always carried the calling like Paul also. From there, we know any man's calling always predates his or her birth. There are those who carry the call but are living in defiance to that call. They'll find pardon but many others doing the same thing that they're doing may not enjoy such latitude of grace or mercy. So, be weary of comparing yourself with another. A can get killed, B can find forgiveness to the wonder of all.
Assignment will preserve you and keep you alive. If you follow my narration in that second novel, you'll see that Agyri (the author) intentionally keeps Joe alive though he also faces death's attempt like Tally O. The bullet could have hit him. Rather, it hit a wood beside him and then he eventually escapes to a new life. Why the author spares one character and kills the other is because he has chosen who to spare and who to sacrifice. The one who gets spared however is because he still has things to do in the line of events. That's why Joe must still be given life to live, events to pass through etc. Why you're still living is because there's still events for you to live out. That colt has not fulfilled the very purpose for which it was born and so can't die. If that colt should get stolen, those who do will be in trouble of divine action. For the sake of that colt, do you know many attempts of men and intruders God had foiled? Let's even say that colt has borne burdens for years but that it is also slated to carry Jesus into Jerusalem in triumphant entry (which it has not fulfilled) will still have been the reason for its preservation. I have reasons, multitude of reasons to believe you can't go except you're done. If you're in assignment and alignment, these two will preserve you. Life is lived then. Dislocation is what always brings death. That colt never seeks to run away. It obeys and stays until it's turn to discharge and live the life upon it comes. I say, "you're the destined one". You can have it different. When others are being intruded into, because of the higher need crying over you, you'll be sanctified and set apart. Affirm it here:
Mark 11:2-3, KJV
"2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.
3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither".
You see, if you bear the label of "I have need of him" on you, you'll always be spared. Escape in tight corners will always be yours. In short, you'll have it different. "Who" has need of you is what matters. As long as it is God with that demand on you, be rest assured you're claimed for Him. "I have need of him", will enforces and see to it that you stay here and live on. There are those who have been slated by God to be partplayers of a script in His will. It means God has need of them. They themselves may not know why the Lord has put, "I have need of you" on their heads like we do put bounty on the head of a criminal. However, if that ever be true that the Lord has need of them (seeing God is not a man that He should lie), you can be rest assured that you will survive and live on even if you were part of the five in the recent Ocean Gate Vessel sent to explore and sight see the iconic Titanic but without sight of return. Those the Lord has need of always stay here. Yes, they always stay on this side of the world - the earth. They're the ones that don't wear off or get eroded when the battle ends and men of war are numbered. They're always found to be still standing. Their fate is life and to live. I'm saying it, "they always stay here".
Let me see you raise your hand up if you're one of such that a bounty of "I have need of him" is on. While you'll enjoy that God in that dimesion, yet you must know He'll also put a special yoke on you. That's the sacrifice people run away from. They don't want to be yoked neither tied down. They want to be free rangers, living like others and expecting a special life, use and obligation from God. That colt didn't live that way. You see also, what some of you don't realize is that, "I have need of him" isn't a plea. It's an outright, forthworth decisive command with a claim and instruction to always keep you, free and release you to He who holds claim of "I need him" over you. And in our case, who lays claim to needing us is the Lord? If it is God, show me what or who will defy this His claim? May you hear this voice. I'm perceiving greatly that somebody is currently on the sick bed. We can even call it "death bed" because that's what I heard and see about the ongoing situation of the fellow. Death is hovering round the fellow. However, the Lord is saying I should tell you - the reader of this or to whom it may concern that the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth has NEED OF YOU/HIM or HER. What the Lord has need of, He holds until the day is dawn. It is always, " "who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?" (Lamentations 3:37, KJV).
You may wonder at why a verse like "touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm" is in the Bible (I Chro.16:22, Psalm 105:15). Mark some two words: "mine anointed" and "my prophet". Whose are they? Who are they working for? As long as they remain in truth God's anointed and prophets - God's co-workers or labourers, they're not touchable. If they break the hedge themselves, Satan can quickly crawl in however and deal a great blow on them but if they'll ever remain and stay under the shelter of "God's anointed" and "God's prophet", they're in a tabernacle that resists the intrusion of all evils. That's because God will always claim them for Himself. They are God's anointed/prophets. They're not man's. He therefore marks His own! He marks those who wage His war and He's committed to sparing them. That's the understanding Abigail related with towards David when Nabal had refused and resisted him. Abigail said, "you fight the Lord's battle yet one man seeks your life to kill... (I Sam.25:28-29). Conclusively, Abigail infers that no evil,not even one can come to David because the Lord who he's committed to fighting His battles or let's say doing His works will be protection to him too. Abigail speaks of Saul here as the one who's in pursuit of David's life. In all, you can testify that God protects and spares David. He sees the end of all, becomes king and sees better days.
May you have a bounty on your head, a price, a call, a mandate that's constantly crying, "the Lord has need of him." Do you know who you'll become at this instant? You'll become like Cain that no man (even when and if he's worthy of death) can't kill (Gen.4:15). You'll just seem to enjoy escapes, deliverances and salvation. Where the best of men perish and discontinue, you will get home, see the fog clear and live your days. It'll get to head that people would ask you, "why do you always have it different?" Why is it that what befalls others for evil always spares you when it picks on you? Why is it that you escaped this and escaped that and now you've continued to live? Why? Why? You yourself may not be able to explain but let me quickly tell you one overall WHY. It is because Jehovah, God of all the earth has need of you and He who He has need of is who He always spares and preserves. He puts that mark for sure on them so that they might not be troubled even when troubled.
I knew John the Baptist could die after identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God. The sole purpose for which He came doing water baptism was to identify who the Lamb of God is. He got this evidence by the token given him - of a dove resting on Jesus.
John 1:31-34, KJV
"31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God".
He did that and he died after that. God lives up to His Word but if you'll see good days, don't ever truce. After John's assignment, he got into offence with someone - turns out to be Jesus and this opened the door for the spirit of Jezebel in Herodias to get him. He broke the shield around himself and a prophet becomes a piece of bread. He made himself vulnerable though God is still committed to him and he could have died fulfilling his days. But we do know that once any man finishes his course, he may decides to go home or stay also. He has that choice. That's why Paul says, "I'm torn between going and staying but I'll stay for your benefit" (Phil.1:21-26). Indeed, he stayed and defended Christ's cause for awhile from then. You have a choice to still stay here or go especially once you've lived out your course. At that time, as it occurs to me, you have a kind of discharge that makes you the sole or let me say primary signatory to your life. If you want, take or spare it. So, aged Christians and any who has finished the discharge of his course like David, Jesus, Paul or John the Baptist should take cognizance not to release themselves if their purpose or assignment is not calling or necessitating their death. For instance, Jesus' very purpose (to save people from their sins) means He must die. His own death is purpose fulfilled in itself. If God didn't call you a martyr for instance, persecution can't kill you. You can face the worst but that won't be what will take you out. That's why you must never let the call or the fate of another person become attractive to you. The reason is because you don't know the cup of suffering or sacrifice attached to it. Jesus' call as the Lamb of God has a cup of suffering by its side. Paul has his too and so any with a call.
Today, I look to heaven and see a trumpet blasting and throwing down handkerchiefs and mantles amidst the saying, "I have need of him. I have need of her". Wear this uniform. Agree to being the called, the chosen, the fated, the destined and stay here until...
Olusola ADEJUMO,
M'Wings.
Morning Wings Ministry Nigeria.
+234 81 3704 6812
morningwingministry@gmail.com
WORKS CITED
1. Alex Agyei Agyri's Unexpected Joy at Dawn (A Novel).
2. Exam Focus (Literature in English): 2021-2025 by J.O.J. Nwachukwu-Agbada et al (A Textbook).
3. Helon Habila's Oil on Water (A Novel).
@ M'Wings.
