Joseph Iregbu

Purpose Guy

The Day I Almost Got Killed

The harmattan morning was biting cold. It was barely sunrise. I was travelling to pay final respect to my father, who’d been buried a month before I showed up. The bus was packed with passengers. We were an hour into our journey when chaos broke lose. Screams of “Jesus! Blood of Jesus!!” reverberated through the bus. We had been ambushed by armed robbers on the highway.

Reflection

The car or two in front of us had been hit and robbed. I sat at the back, one of last persons to escape through the back door. Everything happened so quickly I couldn’t think of my next move. I simply stood by the bus.

Young and foolish, right?

He pointed his gun at me

Then came the defining moment; a moment that has stayed with me for the past two decades:

The gunmen drove past the bus, with one pointing his gun right at a 13-year old lad. 
 

I saw his face. We made eye contact for a split second as they drove away hastily. It was the longest ‘split second’ of my life.

For a 13-year old who’d come to mourn his father, this encounter wasn’t on my agenda. Anything could have happened. Looking back, it was frightening. I remember narrating the experience to my mourning mother didn’t go down well by any means.

But it went on to become a life changing moment for me. 

“Life is a vapour” is not a cliché

When people say life is a vapour, I can relate. It’s not a cliché. Why the gunman didn’t shoot, I don’t know. But in hindsight, I’ve realised God was at work in that very moment to spare my life.

Recently I wrote about the sudden death of a young Christian Soldier who made significant impact on his generation. He was gifted with a voice; a voice with which he drew others to worship God. 

What are you gifted with? What are you doing with your gift(s)? How are you making your life count while you have it?

Life is a vapour, and that’s not a cliché!

Resolve to make your life count

Resolve to live well, to live whole, to live strong. Resolve to be completely sold out to God’s purpose for your life. Resolve to make your life count. Don’t waste your life.

Make the most of every opportunity you have today to inspire others (along with yourself)  to live for God’s glory. That’s truly what counts, ultimately.

As I reflect on the day I almost got killed on this Resurrection season, I’m grateful for life and reminded of the One who went all the way for me; He lived, suffered and gave His life away to give me a platform to honour God with mine. 

Question: What are you grateful for this Easter season?

P.S. Photo Credit — Mary Amerman / Flickr

About Joseph Iregbu

From a homeless, near-school-dropout to living a story worth telling. Purpose is my passion. What's your story?

11 Replies

  1. Thanks so much for sharing. Life really is short. We aren’t promised our next breathe but as long as we do have breathe in our lungs God has a reason we are here. We must run to be about our Father’s business. We can’t delay. Time is short.

  2. Souverain James Trevitche

    God has a Plan for each one of us and each one of us is in God’s Plan.
    Sometimes, stupid things happen to us in order to give us a living testimony.

  3. Grace Odon

    Am grateful because if Him I have a second chance to right my wrongs. When justice said death Mercy said life. Thank you Jesus for the blood.

    1. Awesome testimony! Great to see you here.

  4. Melanie Fischer

    Wow! What a timely post!
    “resolve to be completely sold out to God’s purpose for you life” Amen

    Thank you

    1. Hi Melanie , thanks you very much for reading and sharing. Hope you enjoy Easter Sunday today!

      1. Melanie Fischer

        Thank you Joseph, you have a blessed Easter Sunday as well!

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