Sermon from a Lizard

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Sam Aka

…. life is a mirror of our words AND actions!

…. Life always gives you back what you give out!

In order to renovate the house, a Japanese man breaks open the wall. Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls.

When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there, because a nail from outside had been hammered into one of its feet.

He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious. When he checks the nail, it was nailed five (5) years ago, when the house was built! What happened? The lizard had survived in such a position for five (5) years!!!

In a dark wall partition for five (5) years without moving, it is impossible and mind-boggling.

Then he wondered how this lizard had survived for five (5) years without moving a single inch, since its foot was impaled!

So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, to see what it has been doing, and how it has been eating.

Later, not knowing from where it came, appears another lizard, with food in its mouth.

Ah! He was stunned and touched deeply.

For the lizard that was impaled by the nail, another lizard had been feeding it for the past five (5) years.

Imagine…It has been doing that untiringly for five (5) long years, without giving up hope on its partner.

Imagine what a small creature can do, that a creature like us, blessed with a brilliant mind cannot do. Great lesson and message from a lizard!

Please, never abandon your loved ones. Don’t turn your back on people because they are in difficulty. Don’t see yourself as more intelligent or the best. You may be a bit luckier today but life is uncertain and can change things tomorrow. A Moment of negligence might break the very heart which loved you against all odds.

Before you say something, just remember; It takes a moment to break, but an entire lifetime to make.

God created space within our fingers so that we can hold hands.

…. life is a mirror of our words AND actions!

…. Life always gives you back what you give out!

Be there for somebody today, somebody will be there for you tomorrow! Love one another! May God help us to do HIS will!! Just always remember, no one is indispensable!

Consider the story of Nikola Kalinic, the Croatian!!!…Don’t try to be a Kalinic, yes, don’t be a negative example!!!!!!

Croatia came to 2018 World Cup with only two natural strikers. Mario Mandzukic, the guy who scored the winner against England was one. The other was Nikola Kalinic.

Kalinic was on the bench for Croatia’s first game against Nigeria. With five minutes to end that game, the coach instructed him to dress up and replace another player. Kalinic angrily refused to play, in protest of being left on the bench. He saw himself as a top player, and wouldn’t come on for just five minutes. The coach turned to other player Pjaca for the substitution.

After the match, Kalinic refused to apologize, despite appeals from other coaching staff. The coach then sacked him from the team, and sent him home from Russia. Kalinic flew for holidays, and even posted pictures of himself enjoying elsewhere.

After all, he seems to imagine Croatia won’t go anywhere in the tournament without him. But without him, the team managed to win their matches and got to the finals unbeaten!  …..no one is indispensable!

Croatia achieved their greatest football achievement in history, reaching the World Cup final. The remaining 22 players are national heroes. Their names forever inscribed in the hearts of generations. Kalinic is not part of the winning team all because of minutes of anger, pride and bloated ego. He may have regretted now but it is too late.

These stories about life are quite familiar to us, but do we really learn lessons from them? As they profoundly apply to all spheres of life?

Learn to cut pride, learn to control anger and deflate ego. And ultimately, learn to say SORRY or THANK you when necessary!

Years of sweat and dedication can all be shattered by moments of anger and pride. Don’t be a Kalinic!

Okay, Consider Joseph Stalin, how did he end?

…. life is a mirror of our words AND actions!

…. Life always gives you back what you give out!

Joseph Stalin was a brutal dictator with a mind of his own. On one fateful day, Stalin came to Politburo meeting with a live chicken. Standing in front of his audience, He started to pluck the feathers of the live chicken off one by one. The chicken trembled in pain, blood tricking out of its pores. It gave out grievous cries, but Stalin being a cruel dictator continued without remorse plucking the feathers out until the chicken was completely naked. After which, he threw the chicken on the ground.

The naked chicken was staggering in pain. Stalin goes into his pocket and from his pockets, he took out some chicken food and started to throw it at the poor and hapless creature.

The poor chicken in pain started eating and Stalin started walking towards his seat. As he walked away, he kept dropping some feeds on the floor and the chicken followed him and sat feeding from his feet. Joseph Stalin then turned to members of his political party leadership.

He said, “This chicken represents the people. You must disempower them, brutalize them, beat them up, starve them and then leave them.

If you do this, go into your pocket and give them peanuts when they are in that helpless and desperate situation, they will blindly follow you for the rest of their lives, worshiping you. They will think you are a hero forever. They will forget that, you’re responsible for their sorrowful situation in the first place”

Now! Kindly Take a good look at all the people some of us are busy defending on social media (New Media), Electronic Media and Print Media; even on pulpits, private and public discussions. Take a look at those we call our heroes. They are the same people who plunged us into the situation we are in.

Did you see the numbers of people that throng to homes of political office holders during Christmas, Festivals and Sallah periods to go and collect peanuts?

Do you see the crowd that welcome our politicians during campaign and when they steal into the villages after elections? People kill those they should defend and defend those they should kill! Let our minds work! Let us borrow a helpful leaf from the Japanese!

…. life is a mirror of our words AND actions!

…. Life always gives

you back what you give out!

Japan led Belgium in the 2018 World cup football game by 2 goals up but later conceded 2 goals to give up the lead and eventually lost by 2- 3 to Belgium at the very last moment (94th minute) of the game? Yet, (and this is the most incredible thing that happened) the Japanese Fans picked up all the wastes items in the stadium areas where they sat to watch the match before leaving, while the Japanese players cleaned the dressing room, leaving the floor spotless and sparkling clean as if it was never used, regardless of their loss.

They also left a ‘THANK YOU’ note in Russian for their host? There’s surely something worthy of learning from JAPAN!

A country with a population of 127 million citizens but the 2nd most technologically powerful and the 3rd largest economy in the world. Japan has a GDP of about $4.9 trillion (which is more than the combined GDP of $2.2 trillion for all the African countries with a population of about 1.2 Billion people).

Japan have Shinto and Buddhism as their main religions and with tens of thousands of shrines and temples all over their lands, and yet they demonstrate the highest sense of discipline, responsibility and respect for fellow humans everywhere they go plus an incredible commitment to valuing human life through a sociocultural philosophy called IKIGAI which meaning translates roughly to:

‘A reason for living, encompassing joy, a sense of purpose and meaning and a feeling of well-being’.

Africans on the other hand with Christianity and Islam that frown at idol worshipping and pray frequently and for long hours, but we have the ridiculously lowest value for human life, plus we have never been able to rally and unite our people to love each other and develop economically. How would you answer this question today: which religion produces the best behaved and most caring human beings on earth?

Jesus’ answer would be “by their fruits you will recognize them”.  In the early days of Christianity, the answer would have been obvious just by looking at the Apostles and disciples of Jesus.

But today, Christianity is divided into thousands of denominations with each denomination claiming superiority over others. This is why it is very difficult for even Christian Associations to rally all Christians to a common purpose. Lord Jesus Christ himself said it:

“A house divided against itself cannot stand”.

JAPAN, a non-Christian and non-Islamic country has taught us Africans some important lessons. Japan was heavily devastated by world war II (the first 2 atomic bombs were detonated in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – it took over 30 years for any grass to grow there), but through it all, with their governments economic policy like restriction on imports to boost exports, and a nationally entrenched business philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices and personal efficiency called KAIZEN, Japan rose from the ashes to become a world giant today with the highest sense of discipline, moral behavior and love for humanity.

Please don’t show me your religion; don’t show me how many times you pray in a day to prove to me that you love God; rather, show me how you treat people, how you value and respect human life, show me what you’re doing to help fellow humans every day and I will agree you love GOD. The Christian Apostle James wrote it best:  “Faith without works is dead”.

Show me your works and I will tell you your religion. Interestingly, Christianity is NOT JUST a religion, but LIFE imbedded in relationship; It’s a way of life premised on relationship! Let’s live the life, adding value to all creature!

…. Life is a mirror of our words AND actions!

…. Life always gives you back what you give out!

Galatians 6:7,9-10 KJV

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

[9] And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

[10] As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.


A man was taking his son on a walk in a nearby forest. Suddenly the boy tripped and feeling a sharp pain, he screams “AHHHH!” Surprised, he hears a voice coming from the mountain, “AHHHH!” He was taken aback as it was his first experience of an echo. Filled with curiosity, he screams: “Who are you?”, but the only answer he received was, “Who are you?” This made him angry, so he shouted, “You are a coward!” and the voice answered “You are a coward!” He looked at his father and asked “Dad what’s going on. Whose he talking back at me?”

“Son,” the man replies, “pay attention. Say something nice to him” Then he screams, “I love you!” The voice answers, “I love you!”

Realizing his son’s confusion, the man takes over the conversation with nature and shouts. “You are wonderful!” and the voice answered, “You are wonderful!” The boy is thrilled but still can’t understand what is going on. The father explains, “Son, people call this an ECHO, but truly it is LIFE. Life always gives you back what you give out. Life is a mirror of your actions. If you want more love, give more love. If you want more kindness, give more kindness. If you want understanding and respect, give understanding and respect. If you want people to be patient with you, then be patient with them.

This rule of nature applies to every aspect of our lives. An echo is nature’s way of teaching us to do unto others what we wish them to do to us and wish for others what we wish for ourselves. Life always gives you back what you give out…

Your life is not a coincidence, but a mirror of your own

doings. Choose your ECHO! Send out blessings and receive blessings in return.

Luke 6:38 KJV

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Jide lpaye started out as an IT person but he had a problem of getting his exact shoe size, his size is 48 (Uk). He was able to turn his problems into passion by starting his own footwear company in Nigeria, “Keex” brand. This brand he started from his place in Lagos is now trending all over the world.

Uche Eze Pedro started her blog from her boring moments. Though she loved fashion, she decided to do something about It. Those boring moments and her passion gave birth to “BellaNaija” a fashion and lifestyle blog. Her blog has made her feature on Oprah Winfrey and has won awards all over the world.

Mohammed Abubakar joined the aviation industry as a cleaner 24 years ago but he had a dream of one day becoming an auto pilot. He worked his way from ground up. Through thick and thing, he rose throw the ranks. He was decorated recently as a captain for AZMAN Air.

Usman Gezawa a 200 level student of Computer Science in Faculty of CS and IT Bayero University is on wheel chair but for the past 2yrs in a row he has been the best student with 5.0.

Mrs Ibukun Awosika started her furniture making business “Quesbees” Ltd from the back of her father’s house in January 1989 with 2 carpenters, 2 sprayers and 2 upholsterers. The business has morphed into what is now known as “The Chair Place” that has a net worth of more than three billion naira ($18.6 million).

Nike Ogunlesi spent only 2 years in the university before opting out. She didn’t really know what to do with her life but she joined her mother in her tiny tailoring shop. That was were the dream of a big brand was birthed. She has gone forward to build the “Ruff ‘n’ Tumble” brand, to become one of the best manufacturers of children’s clothing in Nigeria and Africa today.

All the stories I just shared are Nigerian stories of people that turned their problems, passion, defeats and boring moments into successes.

You may be reading this from a hospital bed, wheelchair, a primary 6 education, indebtedness, broken marriage, under the bridge, prison cell, school hostel or being Uber driven. I want you to purpose in your mind to do something positive about your life.  It’s not what life gives you, it’s what you do with what life gives you that matters. You will surely succeed!

…. Life is a mirror of our words AND actions!

…. Life always gives you back what you give out!

Christiano Ronaldo and Alberto Fantrau’s story is a sure inspiration for provoking good works and great profitable relationships!

When Christiano RONALDO received one of his awards recently,

, Ronaldo dedicated it to a certain … Alberto Fantrau. Then said: “Yes I am a great footballer and all my success is thanks to my friend Alberto” People looked at each other and said, “Who is this Mr. Fantrau?”

Then Ronaldo went on: “We played together in a youth team. When Sporting of Lisbon recruiters came to observe us, they told us that the striker who scored the most goals will be recruited into the sports academy.

That day we won 3-0. I scored the first goal and then Alberto scored the 2nd with the head. And then the 3rd goal was the one that impressed everyone. Alberto started from the wing, then found himself face to face with the keeper, dribbled the goalkeeper and all he had to do was push the ball into the empty goal.

In the meantime, I was running to his side. And instead of shooting into the empty goal, Alberto decided to pass the ball to me and I scored. This is how I find myself at the Sporting Lisbon Academy. After the game I went to him, and asked him “why did you do that?” And he replied, “Because I know that you are better than me”

Curious to know more, the journalists began to investigate and were able to meet this Alberto Fantrau to ask him if the story told by Ronaldo is true, and he confirmed it, adding that his career as a footballer ended after this match as it was the only opportunity to become professional and since that time he has remained unemployed.

However, journalists, observing his luxurious house and his Mercedes parked in the garage asked Alberto,

“But, being unemployed, how could you have such a house and car and living so luxuriously? You seem rather comfortable physically” Alberto answered, “All that? …is Ronaldo!”

…. Life is a mirror of our words AND actions!

…. Life always gives you back what you give out!

In the Holy book, Galatians 6:9-10 KJV says,

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Let us ask ourselves the following question: How many of us have ever done something like Ronaldo and Alberto?  On the contrary, many of us show the opposite of this story showing selfishness and ingratitude to others.

Friends! Let’s help each other so that we are proud of the success of our brothers, sisters, friends and relatives.

And when we help a person succeed, the latter must never forget those who contributed to this success in his or her life.

And above all, we should never forget that God is watching and judging us! It may be long but take the time; relationships are everything! Without them you are totally alone! Let’s be in this earth, this life, this journey together!

■ When I’m dead…. Your tears will flow…. But I won’t know…. Cry with me now instead!

■ You will send flowers…. But I won’t see…. Send them now instead!

■ You’ll say words of praise…. But I won’t hear…. Praise me now instead!

■ You’ll forget my faults…. But I won’t know…. Forget them now, instead

■ You’ll miss me then…But I won’t feel it…Miss me now, instead

■ You’ll wish…You could have spent more time with me…. Spend it now instead!

■ You’ll wish…You could have spent all your money on me…Spend now instead!!

■ When you hear I’m gone; you’ll find your way to my house to pay condolence but we haven’t even spoken in years…. Please look for me now!!

■ Spend time with every person around you, and help them with whatever you have to make them happy! your families, friends, acquaintance, etc….

■ Make them feel Special. Because you never know when time will take them away from you forever

■ Love all and Forgive all.

■ No matter how many times the teeth bite the tongue; they still stay together in one mouth. That’s the spirit of FORGIVENESS.

■ Even though the eyes don’t see each other, they see things together, blink simultaneously and cry together. That’s “UNITY.”

■ May we practice the spirit of forgiveness and togetherness.

  1. Alone I can ‘Say’ but together we can ‘Talk’.
  2. Alone I can ‘Enjoy’ but together we can ‘Celebrate’
  3. Alone I can ‘Smile’ but together we can ‘Laugh’

That’s the BEAUTY of Human Relations. We are nothing without each other! The razor blade is sharp but can’t cut a tree; the axe is strong but can’t cut the hair. Everyone is important according to his or her unique purpose. Never look down on others!

About author

Sam Aka

Sam Aka is a prolific writer, Public Speaker and Author. A member of the American Society of Criminologists (1985 Batch) and World Association of Detectives (1986 batch). For comments (sms only): +2348033053006 or E-mail: pastorsamaka@ymail.com

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