It was the last day of the Annual West Africa Marriage
Seminar which usually features an interview of couples married for over 50
years.
Mensah and Ibironke have been married for 95years.
Coincidentally, the interview was held on the same day of their anniversary –
April 5th, 2015. The interviewer asked Mensah to share how he was able to hold
on for so long. With a warm smile, he asked Ibironke to speak first.
Ibironke obliged with glitter in her eyes “after all these
years he doesn’t surprise me. He puts me first in everything. I will share a
few with you”. The crowd went dead silent with earnest anticipation to hear as
she spoke softly.
“Mensah is very intelligent. He has won
multiple Professor of the Year Awards across the globe yet he teaches
the children on Sundays making everything plain as day to them. How he does it,
I still can’t explain. I just believe he adds a bit of charm (chuckles). Secondly,
he has this daring faith that often produces results. We know the electricity
situation in Nigeria is yet to enjoy stability lately, yet; for every time we
needed power desperately and he prays in the name of Jesus, power is usually
restored within 5 minutes. I tell you the truth and lie not. Finally, Mensah
has warned me severally in time past not to leave the kitchen napkin on the
cooker. I felt it was the most accessible place for me when cooking. One
evening, there was a fire outbreak which got me trapped in the kitchen. He ran
into the fire to rescue me. Suffering some severe burns whose scars still remain
today to tell the tale. His love is simply beyond contest”.
The crowd was in awe and started clapping and cheering
loudly. Mensah beckoned gently for the place to be quiet. Pausing for a minute
while he gazed into Ibironke’s eyes, he said; “those acts doesn’t necessarily
translate to my loving you. If they were, I would have been bankrupt. Like most
husbands, I was hurt times when you insisted on having your way despite several
warnings. I asked God to help me daily and to teach me how to love like He
would. He showed me how he never gave up on me. How He served His disciples.
How He kept no record of wrong by those who crucified Him. How He chose to ride
on the colt of an ass, not exerting His authority on the people He created.
That He has never for once repay evil with good but keeps praying for me every
time I hurt Him”.
Mensah said on a concluding note “whenever I realize how
much debt I owe God by dying on the cross for me, I knew nothing whatsoever you
did could ever outweigh my transgression against Him. If He forgave me for all my sins and
loved me when it made absolutely no sense with no guaranty that I will choose
to love Him back - I discovered loving you extravagantly (not dependent on
feelings) became easier”.
Beloved until our love makes no sense, we may not be able to
achieve a fulfilled life of love as the length of any relationship is nothing compared to
fulfilment. The secret can be summarized thus –
…we have three things
to do to lead us towards that consummation: Trust steadily in God, Hope
unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is Love. 1
Corinthians 13:13
