I had barely stepped out of church that fateful June 23th Sunday when I received the sudden news of your passing away. I was so shocked I couldn't stand on my feet or hold back my tears. I had questions running through my mind' How? why? what? I was in total unbelief that my beloved big sister was no more. I prayed, hard believing that somehow all this was some big mistake and even if it was true, God in his infinite power was going to wake my sister up. Maaba, as I fondly called her was more than a cousin to me. She was like the sister, I never had. Growing up together in Millers House, Maaba and I shared a lot of things in common. Not only were we both the only daughters of our parents, we had similar physical attributes. We were more voluptuous than the other cousins and had big back sides. We were close in the sense that we both understood how each other felt and hence made sure to lend a shoulder to cry on when it was needed. After Maame Aba moved to Canada during her senior secondary school days, she never forgot about me. She would call me whenever she could over the years and I should say, she was the one who convinced me to join Hi5 and then facebook because she wanted us to keep in touch.
After my parents and I moved to the states, Maaba and I grew closer and closer. We were making plans to see each other for years and spend some quality sister time together. However, that was never meant to be. Whenever, I failed to call her for longer periods of time, she would facebook me "commanding me " to call my big sister. When she surrendered to Jesus and really committed her life to Christ, our relationship went to a different level. We became prayer partners, joint heirs with Christ and trusted confidants. We made it a point to stand in the gap and intercede for our family. Things were not always smooth, whenever she was down, sad or wanted to make an important decision, she would call me and tell me about it asking me my opinions and together we would pray about it seeking the Lord for guidance. Although I was younger than her, she never made me feel like it. I loved it the most when on my birthday, she would give me the big sister speech always sending me lots of kisses and hugs. Little did I know I would be spending my next birthday in her absence at her memorial service. I was most excited for Araba when we prayed together about her relationship and she told me about the young man she had met and dearly loved. My joy knew no bounds and we were making all the plans for her memorable day. Little did I know that death would lay his hands on her before she could walk down the aisle.
Araba loved the Lord with all her heart, and cared about her friends and family. To her family was everything and she would often be worried about how to keep the family together. Her smile, down to earth demeanor and bubbly face made her a pleasant person to be with. She would always say that she wished" people will stop hating and start loving and allow the magic of LOVE be our best friend instead of HATE. Loving meant so much to her as she feIt if you loved unconditionally others would do the same thing. Love was what keept her going and going no matter what she encountered she still loved the more. She was very kind and always went above and beyond to help her friends and family. I would often encourage her to keep holding on no matter how things were and I know without a shadow of doubt that she fought until the very end. I am consoled with Revelation 14:13 because I know Araba is resting in the arms of God looking down on us and telling us to "calm down because God is with us" I want to take this opportunity to let everyone know that indeed no one is promised tomorrow because tomorrow may never be yours. If you do not have a relationship with God, I would want to take this opportunity to ask you to surrender your life to the God making Jesus your lord and master savior. Araba left us not so we may question God, but that through her life and death we may learn to make hasten in fulfilling our purpose in this life. Maaba may have led a short life, but I believe that if God allowed this to be, then he sure has a purpose. We loved her and continue to love her but God loved her best and needed to bring her back home to heaven where there is neither sickness nor sadness, a place of eternal bliss in the presence of God. I may not have all the answers but I am assured by 1Corinthians 15 :16-20
16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. 18 It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. 19 If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.20 But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised.
Fare thee well my dearest, till we meet again!