For the umpteenth time I picked up my phone to write about the Heavenly Call of my sister Victoria Osedinyesie Balogun and I found myself struggling with how to start and what to write. It was as if I was an illiterate. My mind went blank as I tried to find the exact angle to start from. My hands became shaky and feeble whereas, I was not a patient suffering from Perkinson disease known to have such symptoms. This was partly the type of blow I received when death came to whisk my Sister Victory unto glory. She was my elder brother’s wife but her noble character made us all to refer to her simply as Sister Victory.
Going down memory lane, I used to know her as a slim, quiet and easy-going sister while I was a primary school student at Ilorin. My juvenile status did not allow me to know easily that she was betrothed to my elder brother, Augustine Balogun. She alongside other brethren too numerous to mention their names belonged to an age where the gospel of Christ made them to be on fire for the kingdom. My greatest joy remains that Sister Victory carried on with that fire of the 80’s till she was called home on the 25th of December, 2023 to be with the Lord.
When she finally went down the aisle with my elder brother, I thought she was only going to be a wife and nothing more. I never knew how wrong I was until she took her position as one of those that took their times and turns to shapen my life. God is well aware how she played her roles perfectly well in panel beating my life, a task she was still carrying out before God said it was time.
In August this year 2023, she and her husband visited us in Lokoja and spent the night in our humble home. Their visit was to know how far we were progressing in our God given marriage. They took their time to pray for us into the night after we shared the word of God. My wife and I received a fresh insight about marriage after their visit. Sad enough, we never knew that was the last time she will be spending quality time with our family.
Ranking Sister Victory as one the greatest but spiritual gladiators like Uriah the Hittite of old who did their homework quietly for the kingdom of God will not be out of place. Just like her husband who is known to be frank, blunt and straightforward, Sister Victory possessed same but she was able to blend these qualities with much patience, calmness and genuine love. This helped her greatly to work perfectly on a person like me and many others who availed themselves to be helped.
I proudly tell people whenever I have the opportunity that my brother’s wife is one of the best souls I have come across in life. In correcting and admonishing me, she never for once shouted at me but she was able to prevail over me with her calm words and fervent prayers. What she stands for and her genuine love for humanity made me to fall in love with people of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area. I have indeed lost a soul that will be hard for me to replace.
Sister Victory as a daughter of Zion was a lover of songs and that got her to the position of the Diocesan Choir Mistress of the Anglican Communion, Okene Diocese. She was a devout follower of Panam Percy Paul, Don Moen, Terry Clark, Ron Kenoly and the likes. Her love for gospel songs and the activities of God’s kingdom here on earth made her to compose many songs in English, Yoruba and Ebira languages. Though an Anglican, she and her husband are known to be the type of a Christian that embraced the body of Christ as one.
One other aspect I cherish Sister Victory for was how she will rally other sisters in the body of Christ to cook for events like weddings, burials and naming ceremonies. This they do for free and as their contribution for the event taking place. God has so dealt with some of them that any foodstuff kept in their care for any event is well secured and simply used for the purpose it is meant for.
I was not in any way disturbed when I heard that Sister Victory was sick. To me, I had thought it was the normal typhoid, malaria or the need for the body to rest after much stress. I never knew this ailment was going to ferry you into eternity with God. My family and others joined in prayers unto God on your behalf to see that you were back on your feet but God said it was time. In the comforting and soothing words of your husband, “We had our plans but God has the master plans.” I totally agreed with the fact that God’s will prevailed over you in this matter. We all had our hands on deck to see that you were revived but God already wanted you to join the fellowship of the Saints in heaven.
Dear God, I need to tell You even as I stand in awe before Your throne that I am in pains over the exit of Sister Victory. You know how we all desire that she stay here with us. She is a company we cherish and You know that. She has worked fervently for You and this is not hidden to You and the host of heaven. You allowed her to leave behind her mother, mother-in-law, big brothers, sisters, husband, children and people like us who loved her to a fault. She had dreams and visions yet to be completed and You also know about them. As the immortal God that You are, I beg of you not to see my mortal man rhetorical questions I have asked as one that is targeted at undermining Your decision. This should be one of the reasons why my brother Abel Adoiza Adive tagged the death of Sister Victory as, “One of the greatest shocks of all times.” You are the all knowing God and I bow before You and this decision.
Job 13:15 told says, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: but I will maintain my own ways before Him.” Baba God, You have indeed slayed us in this matter still, we remain under Your divine authority and decision. The only option available unto us is to continue following You all the days of our lives for You are God and our God You shall remain even unto the end.
On a special note, I will love to appreciate all the brethren within and outside Nigeria who showed their support in every possible way. Your labour love will not for any reason be taken for granted by us. We love you all because you first loved us. We celebrate you for joining us in this great battle that we all fought and won based on the stance God decided to take in the case our beloved sister. May none of you know a better yesterday. May you all be rewarded with an apartment in heaven. Amen!
Sister Victory, I started calling you “Mine” the pet name you and your husband are fond of using. You were truly ours and words won’t be enough to describe the exact person that you were. Thanks for taking the decision to marry us. Thanks for seeing us as your siblings and not as in-laws. Thanks for making available your resources to better our lives. Thanks for loving the farm work that was a hobby for your husband. Thanks for the good and bad times that we all weathered together. Thanks for making us see Jesus as Lord and Saviour of our lives. Thanks for giving us Salome, Samuel and Mercy. Thanks for knowing how useful it is to belong to the body of Christ. Thanks for not troubling our brother, your husband. I will advise lexicographers to pick you as a case study whenever they want to add more flesh to word contentment. You were never after the mundane things of this world. Thanks for your frugality. Thanks for managing your home as the Proverbs 31 type of woman. Above all, thanks for making heaven at last. Yes! That smile on your face when your breathed your last and down to the mortuary says it all.
Your burial will no doubt be a contrast to the poem written by Thomas Hardy titled, “The Choir Master Burial.” Your own type of CHOIR MISTRESS BURIAL is one that we are well aware that angels came to pick you to heaven. We celebrate you more in the words of Elder Femi Adebayo that, “You died on a day (Christmas) that the world was remembering the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” We know men and women will celebrate you on the days set aside for your burial. And even though your soul has gone to be with the Lord, the occupants of heaven will surely peep to see how we are bidding you a final good bye. The Choir Master character in Thomas Hardy’s poem was not able to achieve this but yours is a different story all to the glory of God.
Sister Victory, as hard as it is for me I bow to the decision of God Almighty to say a final good bye to you in tears. I promise you to live right before God so as to have you in warm embrace on that glorious morning where we will meet to part no more. I love you, my wife Abigail does as well as Joachim and Keziah.
Rest on in the bosom of the Lord God Almighty.