IN THIS ONE, CURIOUSITY SAVED THE CAT

Much like a scientist, I once had a deep interest in  practical experiments. In my case, my test subjects were never other humans (or animals) but my very dear self. It is I, so to speak, you'd find sprawled on the dissecting table, at the mercy of my own poking and scrutiny. Curiosity was essentially my middle name, and I did seek experience with the singular purpose of taking the ride for myself -  experimenting on everything that tickled my fancy. 

So in light of this, I'd like to beg the reader's indulgence in regarding me, even if for just this moment, as an authority on the subject of “Trying It Out For Yourself”.

You know, firsthand knowledge is always the best, far much better than any other means of getting to know about a thing. For instance, I wouldn't have fully grasped the high-marijuana­- induced-feeling expressed by the nameless protagonist in the book, The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born, if I hadn't tried it out for myself. Though his arguments were quite convincing about the benefits of smoking weed, I still had to get high to know exactly what he meant…as intimately as possible. 

In like manner, I have tested and explored the flagrant life of a Casanova. With exuberance and with much, much alacrity I have dated many different girls, particularly based on their geographical representation - all in the name of sampling. And the reason was simply that I wanted to know: like, how does the Tiv girl differ from the Calabar, the Hausa from the Yoruba? Bad, bad I know, but wait... I didn't stop there, for  against my better judgment, I have even tried out what it would feel like to be a drunkard within a testing period of six months. Even the thrill of gambling didn't fall below my radar; for all the betting joints knew me very well. And at the end of all my shenanigans, I genuinely could say that “I had been there and done it all”.

However, in spite of my debauched tendencies, the goodness in me also cried out for some adventure. I wanted to take the trip to know God for myself. And although my interest was inspired by the words of the preacher, I wasn't - as usual - contented in just being told how it's like. Instead, I wanted to prove with my own eyes and mind all that the pastors claimed in their Sunday sermons. Was it truly possible for me to live a life of liberty – a life free from the corruption of this world? Could I really possess powers qualified as incomparable? And most tantalizing of all, is there a chance under heaven I'd actually get to know a spirit God on a personal level? Such were the questions that rambled in my head. But they all remained bull (of course, without the “shit”) as long as it all ended with what the pastors said.

So, armed with my curiosity, I delved into a realm quite different from any that I had ever seen. Without being told I knew where to look first for answers – the Bible. Beside the fact the ministers all preached from the Holy Book, it was the perfect place to start. For without the Scriptures there was no direction; it was, as I saw it, the Christian's manual. So I studied and researched, and became a truth hunter.

At first I didn't get the gist. The written word didn't make much sense to my logical mind. In fact, after reading through the Four Gospels, the book of Acts and Romans, I thought all Christians were mad. But eventually, I got a hang of it bit by bit, but not after I had settled with God and accepted His view on things.  I realized I needed to believe in God to be in friendship with Him, and to understand and truly see all that I was missing. And believe me, I was all along missing out on something BIG.

How can I say it? It is like a life unlike what's human, and if I say supernatural, I might come across as sounding exaggerated, but that's exactly what it is. A life that can be nothing more than divinity experienced on earth. Within the pages of the Scripture I found treasures of a reality quite hard to accept, except by faith.

Imagine, having access to the very life of God. Yes, walking on impossible situations as Jesus did walking on water. Or having to say to whatever mountain of obstacle be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea and have it come to pass, and all you needed was faith. Can you beat that? With just faith in the Almighty, you could enter a world in which anything is possible. 

So it happened, by the application of my faith on the Word, I began what I'd like to call The Experience. I was on a different kind of high, a greater one than all the ones I have ever tested. As I dug deeper, I discovered more and more. It was as if every day the journey had just started. There was no end in sight to all I could know and live in faith. I'd finally met with an existence that exceeded my insatiable curiosity. And more than being saved from a weaker life, I was introduced to a life of wonders, with limitless possibilities.

 Thus, in the words of the adventurer, I must say with relish, “The voyage has just begun, and there's yet more to see, beyond the very vast and broad horizon.”



*Photo from Google Image