I went over for a wedding over the weekend and met a friend I knew way back from our days in OAU, Ife. Though the time was short, I nevertheless had a very powerful interactive moment. I left the wedding refreshed.

Truly, it’s been long I had such a communication that touched me deeply. I have a passion for helping people navigate the critical bends of their lives especially by sitting down to talk it through. Most people who knew me in Great Ife, where I had my tertiary education knew I was always happy to share quality time with people; listening, sharing and helping them through critical moments… spending 9 hours talking with some is incredible, especially for a “quiet’ person like me, but I did-once. But I always felt it was in those kinds of little chats and interactions that decisions are reinforced in people and not in massive programmes and meetings.

There was this story of a Lion and it’s cub that moved into another forest and were planning to take over. After moving stealthily around the forest, the Lion sat down to rest with its young cub.

“Dad, how we will take over the forest, since we’ve already discovered five strong bears living here?” the young cub asked.

“Not to worry, there is one method my father taught me, and it has always worked”.

True to the daddy lion’s words, they succeeded in using the same method to kill every one of the five bears living in the forest.

“You used the same method, to defeat every one of them, how were you so sure it was going to work?”. The young cub asked again.

That was what I asked my dad and he told me the simple truth; the bears never commune with one another.

So has been the case with us. You wonder how funny it is for the devil to plague three different people in the same house, church or workplace with the same challenges and he succeeds to tear them apart. You do not need to wonder why- we do not fellowship. We may chat, gist, talk about weak issues with passion, but we leave the major issues that need tending in our lives, because we think we can battle them on our own. Maybe we can, but then many would have been lost.

I remember the cliché words of the lord of the rings;

All will be sacrificed… All will be lost… Unless all unite against evil.

Fate has chosen him. A fellowship will protect him. Evil will hunt them.

Truly most of us have this deep inward feeling we are called to play a key role in the game of life. We struggle and battle challenges, face odds, silently pained, secret challenges without understanding that on the strength of others, we arrive faster. Life is a puzzle where others might be holding the keys to our question mark. Destiny may have chosen Frodo, but then he needed a fellowship to protect him; we all need a fellowship of our own.

This is not a group fellowship, it is not about a church that think all is well you because you fulfil your religious obligations.

In an age that emphasises individual achievement and personal opinions and boundaries, we are in desperate need of true friendships; a fellowship of the heart, a fellowship of strength. Take those ships deeper, your relation-ship, your friend-ships, your marriage; relating with your son or daughter. Take them deeper than the superficial nothingness that makes it seem like things are going well, on the surface. Ladies, Mums and Dads are usually guilty of these; they talk about everything safe things that affect them personally. Guys can spend hours arguing over their teams, but not offer their experiences which may shorten the travails of their arguing companion.

Of course you do not need everyone. There are too many bad people. If you do not choose your friends, you will lose, but find him/her or even them, they are gifts from god in your life. People who you can be a force multiplier in your life. People who will help you arrive at the end faster and easier than you would have done struggling. I’ve had my moments and friends were there for me. Before the day of adversity comes; You need a fellowship of your own.

”We and the world, my children, will always be at war.

Retreat is impossible

Arm yourselves” – Leif Enger