PASTOR W F KUMUYI said
"My father, my biological/natural father was a strong man and I grew up under him obviously. The kind of heart he had - he feared nothing and as I grew up with him, I also had the same mind. I went my own way, I did my own thing. Apart from my father, my community people, that is the way they are. They had inner strength - not spiritual, they were not born again - and whatever they said they will not do, they will not do it.
"As I was growing up, I had my own way of living, and went to school. That was what they thought, but I was just enjoying myself, climbing trees and plucking fruits. After that, I will go home to eat because I know my father would have gone to work.
"I would go to school but I would not enter into the class and when the pupils were going home, I would go out with them and also go back home.
"But this particular day, my father was at home. I didn't show that I was surprised. He asked if school was over and I told him that they said we should come and collect harvest money. He said how much, I said two and half shillings. He took the money, he didn't give me, and said, "let's go".
"So, we got to school and my father went to the headmaster, Mr Doherty's office. He told him what I told him and the headmaster said, "we have problem with your son, he never stays in school".
"So, my father said, "Mr Doherty, do me a favour, gather all the school together", and he did. My father said a hefty boy should mount me on his back and he himself gave me 6 terrible, painful strokes of the cane. But I didn't show it because of the kind of heart I had.
"The following day, my father said, "go to school, and don't be the way you were". I said I was no longer going to school, that I was okay the way I was. Remember, he was strong, and I was strong.
"He asked what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to be a farmer. I knew his thoughts because he had told me that the education and certificate he didn't have I would have. I wanted his dream - I didn't know it was my own dream actually - to collapse.
"So, he forgot himself and gave me a cutlass to go and work on his farm. I went and cut up all cocoyam and yam in the farm. That was the kind of stony heart I had.
"The term came to an end and it was the beginning of another term, January 1952. My father called me and said, "my son, please". My father never said please to anyone in the family or community being one with a strong heart.
"I saw my father almost crying knowing his vision would collapse if I didn't go back to school. He said I should tell him what I wanted, and he would give me, but I must go back to school. When I saw he changed, I also changed. And I said, "don't mind, I will go back to school."
"So I went back to school and finished primary, secondary, and university, and became a Lecturer because I changed my mind.
"You know, in life, we have that stony heart and the nature that says what I said I will not do, I will not do, where I said I will not go, I will not go. What if I didn't change my mind, what if I saw my father crying and apologizing and I didn't budge?
"A time comes in life when you need to change, when you know that having the adamant and stony will make you think you are punishing others when you are actually punishing yourself. You want to ruin your life and future. Let the Lord take away the stony heart and give you an heart of flesh and a new ministry and power will be given unto you in Jesus name!"
"My father, my biological/natural father was a strong man and I grew up under him obviously. The kind of heart he had - he feared nothing and as I grew up with him, I also had the same mind. I went my own way, I did my own thing. Apart from my father, my community people, that is the way they are. They had inner strength - not spiritual, they were not born again - and whatever they said they will not do, they will not do it.
"As I was growing up, I had my own way of living, and went to school. That was what they thought, but I was just enjoying myself, climbing trees and plucking fruits. After that, I will go home to eat because I know my father would have gone to work.
"I would go to school but I would not enter into the class and when the pupils were going home, I would go out with them and also go back home.
"But this particular day, my father was at home. I didn't show that I was surprised. He asked if school was over and I told him that they said we should come and collect harvest money. He said how much, I said two and half shillings. He took the money, he didn't give me, and said, "let's go".
"So, we got to school and my father went to the headmaster, Mr Doherty's office. He told him what I told him and the headmaster said, "we have problem with your son, he never stays in school".
"So, my father said, "Mr Doherty, do me a favour, gather all the school together", and he did. My father said a hefty boy should mount me on his back and he himself gave me 6 terrible, painful strokes of the cane. But I didn't show it because of the kind of heart I had.
"The following day, my father said, "go to school, and don't be the way you were". I said I was no longer going to school, that I was okay the way I was. Remember, he was strong, and I was strong.
"He asked what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to be a farmer. I knew his thoughts because he had told me that the education and certificate he didn't have I would have. I wanted his dream - I didn't know it was my own dream actually - to collapse.
"So, he forgot himself and gave me a cutlass to go and work on his farm. I went and cut up all cocoyam and yam in the farm. That was the kind of stony heart I had.
"The term came to an end and it was the beginning of another term, January 1952. My father called me and said, "my son, please". My father never said please to anyone in the family or community being one with a strong heart.
"I saw my father almost crying knowing his vision would collapse if I didn't go back to school. He said I should tell him what I wanted, and he would give me, but I must go back to school. When I saw he changed, I also changed. And I said, "don't mind, I will go back to school."
"So I went back to school and finished primary, secondary, and university, and became a Lecturer because I changed my mind.
"You know, in life, we have that stony heart and the nature that says what I said I will not do, I will not do, where I said I will not go, I will not go. What if I didn't change my mind, what if I saw my father crying and apologizing and I didn't budge?
"A time comes in life when you need to change, when you know that having the adamant and stony will make you think you are punishing others when you are actually punishing yourself. You want to ruin your life and future. Let the Lord take away the stony heart and give you an heart of flesh and a new ministry and power will be given unto you in Jesus name!"