For those of you who do not know, “suya” is a Nigerian beef snack that typically originated from northern Nigeria. It is basically a mixture of peppered meat and spice. You really cannot feel the vibes of this yummy snack simply from my description of it… you have to taste it to know how delicious it tastes.
Typically, this snack is sold at night so fear not if you find yourself in Nigeria and see smoke with a size-able number of chattery people, less you think it’s a fire outbreak. No it’s just a” Suya spot”.
I could go on and on about the many suya spots I’ve been to but that’s not the essence of this story. (Smiles). It’s no secret that as believers we sometimes would rather not be seen dining with or rolling in the circles of certain people for many reasons. For me it was because I didn’t want to be seen or identified with a certain category of people. For example I wouldn’t want a fellow Church brethren to see me moving about with someone who has a pack of cigarettes in one hand and a bottle of alcohol on the other. Infact, I would not want to be seen with someone who cannot be identified as a Christian.
So every time someone I didn’t consider a Christian attempted to talk to me, I found a way to avoid it even before they made an attempt to and I was going to do the same thing at a particular Suya spot sometime ago. As soon as I noticed this certain man continuously trying to speak to me, I would take a step farther away from him and remind the suya seller to hurry my order. i would have left the suya spot that night without buying some yummy favorite delicacy of mine but I did not want to sacrifice my suya on the alter of avoiding the so called young man.
To cut the long story short, the man eventually got my attention and started talking to me, I soon realized he was a sound young man who just wanted to talk. It was in the middle of our conversation I realized he was a recent convert who was still struggling with alcohol. We became friends after that encounter and I was constantly able to encourage and speak to him. I was also able to intercede for him from time to time as I was led by the Holy Spirit.
As of today, my friend no longer struggles with alcoholism and drunkenness. He is a strong believer who keeps falling in love with Christ everyday. I look back and realize how I could have missed that opportunity simply because of being stereotyped or judgmental. When Jesus entered to dine with the tax collectors in the Bible. He didn’t mind being judged or persecuted for that reason. He was not concerned about Himself, His status or what people will say, all He wanted was to save a soul and save a soul He did. (Mark 2:13-17)
I truly hope you’d learn from this story that the standard of the kind of love God expects that we show others is such that doesn’t parade itself as better than others or take pride in self but rather one that genuinely burns for the soul of others to be saved, no matter the cost.
Every soul matters to God!!!
Author Profile
- Adedolapo Evelyn Adegoroye is a 400 level student of the faculty of law, University of Lagos with quite a level of experience in the legal sphere through her internship positions. She is also the founder of the Vessels of Gold Helps Foundation, an N.G.O dedicated to children welfare and mentorship. Since its inception the foundation has worked with various orphanages and secondary schools to achieve its goal and hopes to continue doing so. She is a lover of God and people. She loves to write, cook and she’s an amazing swimmer.
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