Tuesday, 19th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Arts  

Kikelomo Kuponiyi in Unfolding Grace

By Tobi Awodipe
29 July 2020   |   3:03 am
From the moment Bayo Elvis-John heard the words, “give it to me” in a revelation, something about his life changed. And everything about him pointed to Surrender.

Unfolding Grace

From the moment Bayo Elvis-John heard the words, “give it to me” in a revelation, something about his life changed. And everything about him pointed to Surrender.

The book, Unfolding Grace, is a Christian literature that talks about the need to surrender ones life to God. It reaveals the roadblocks in the faith and many other things that may not be too glaring.

With a simple plot and lucid narrative, the book interrogates the life of Bayo.

The young man is in a relationship with Temisola when he hears the call to serve the Lord.

The call is subtle but filled with fire. He abandons everything to answer this call because he has to leave everything to serve God. Temisola balks at this new development and protests with all her strength despite being a believer herself. It is too sudden. It is too early in their relationship to be that far apart. It is too early in their walk with God.

But Bayo’s mind is already made. He gives it up everything: his old nature, his lucrative job, his loved ones, and in fact, his relationship and he intends to follow God till his last breath.

At first, it looks, as if he has been possessed by a pentecostal demon. His change is too soon to be authentic, but then God works in mysterious ways. In fact, it becomes a little strange when human forces constantly try to prevent him from doing his Father’s will.

Are they not aware that God qualifies the unqualified? What qualifies you for God’s work is neither brainnor brawn but favour and grace. This is the subject matter of the book.

So, why are some people perpetually frustrating his efforts to go out there and do God’s will?

Then you realise as you continue reading that these things happen so that God’s name will be glorified.

There are so many lessons to pick from Unfolding Grace. Love is one of them. You cannot love another without loving God first. Bayo loves God wholeheartedly. He loves his family despite their many differences. He loves Temisola without a shadow of a doubt, but when it is time to let go, he does.

That is when sacrifice comes into play. Remember Abraham and Isaac? Remember God and His only begotten son, Jesus? Love births many things and one of them is sacrifice. Bayo sacrifices some things to gain everything.

Looking more closely, it is clear that at the root of surrender is love and sacrifice. You obviously can’t surrender to someone you don’t love or revere.

A first read of Kuponiyi’s book reveals the number of efforts put into passing her message of grace across without being overbearing. She puts everything into perspective — the quoted Bible passages, the dialogue, the description, and most importantly, the message, it is definitely a gripping page-turner with soul-lifting language that is easy to understand.

In this article

0 Comments