Is Mental Illness a result of bad past?
October 10th is World Mental Health Day. So this post is playing multiple roles.
When we were kids, Oyi was epileptic. Gentle and friendly boy he was. We often heard of his frequent attacks at home but I never witnessed any of it.
We eventually grew apart as families moved to different areas of the city.
After many years, now as a teenager, I ran into Oyi. Hey bro, how far na? How your brother? He asked, mentioning my brother’s name. And I responded, “my brother is fine. Good to see you.”
After the pleasantries, I looked back at Oyi. Something was amiss. Oyi was very unkept and his eyes were not stable. I felt bad but couldn’t place it.
Another day I saw Oyi on the way. This time Oyi looked worse than the last time but he could still recognize me. This time he was carrying a bag obviously not looking sane. I was moved to my bone marrow. Oyi asked After my elder brother by name and I responded in the affirmative.
Then again I saw Oyi, this time Oyi could not recognize me, neither was he present in mind.
Oyi was obviously mentally ill. He had started picking stuff in the streets. Oyi is now “mad”.
God why? Why do things like this happen in this world? I asked myself. Sometimes when I think of things like this, I just wish Jesus was still here in person. Or maybe Apostle Peter, Paul or any of those greate Apostles of Jesus Christ.
Most times I wish I could go around healing people of their sicknesses. Sometimes I see people who are mentally ill and I start to cry. What if it starts to rain heavily? Where will he sleep?
I was driving down the street one day, I saw a lady selling rice to a “mad” woman. I stopped and asked how much and the lady told me. Paid and drove off. I wished I could just heal her.
Why has the world changed so much? How come we no longer have people who can heal the sick seamlessly?
And again, I noticed people hardly feel pity for “mad” people in Nigeria.
In Africa, we are usually quick to conclude that people with mental issues have wicked past. We like to believe that it is karma that happened to them. But I knew Oyi as a child. Oyi was a good boy.
I do not know where Oyi is now. If he is alive or well. But I know that there are many Oyis around the world. Destiny is paused or truncated.
Let us stop the discrimination.
I have come to realize that the surest way to fulfill destiny in today’s world is to have a personal conversational relationship with Jesus.
Destinies are being truncated daily by the power of darkness. Today you say hello to a friend and tomorrow the person is no more. Living without Christ is like walking in the dark. You can be hit by any spiritual missile.
I have noticed from experience that God sees our future and likes to let us know per time, what steps to take in order to maneuver. Life’s journey is more like physical journey. You do not know what is in front except there is a satellite watching and giving you signal. That is what God does for us.
There are prayers you need to pray today, to secure your tomorrow. Medicine is good but it is too limited for us to put our hope in.
Give your life to God while you can still take sane decisions. Tomorrow is not promised and you do not have to be a bad person for you to fall out of sanity.
Note: The man in picture is not Oyi.
Shalom