things that can’t make me forget my wife

• Pastor ITUAH IGHODALO Talks About IBIDUN

Pastor Ituah Ighodalo is one of the most respected pastors in Nigeria and beyond. He is Senior Pastor of Trinity House Church in Lagos and he is renowned for his highly motivational and soul inspiring preaching which no doubt endeared him in the hearts of Christians and lovers of the word of God. 2 weeks ago, we saw Pastor Ituah combining well with another great man of God and reputable televangelist, Pastor Paul Adefarasin to officiate the wake keep ceremony of late Mrs. Augusta Olujoke Davies who was the wife of a national icon, late Chief H.O. Davies of the blessed memory.

Pastor Ituah while giving his sermon admonished the gathering which consisted of the crème de la crème of the society on the need to always keep the memory of their departed intact. He explained that people are always ready to hold a flamboyant burial ceremony for the departed but after the burial ceremony, they feel reluctant to visit their grave not to talk of tidying up the surroundings of the grave.

He expressed his dismay describing what is usually the case whenever he visited a cemetery for burial services, seeing the grave side of many prominent people looking unkempt.

Meanwhile he charged the people to always keep the fragrance of the beloved one who has transited to glory intact. He quickly sighted his own case as a reference point. There he described the shocking things he still does for his late beloved wife Ibidunni Ighodalo even in death to ensure that he keeps her memory intact. Below are excerpts from the man of God’s practical experience on keeping the fragrance of the dead.

“People forget so easily. A big banker died in Lagos. Funeral, phenomenal.

Everybody weeping, all over the place. A year after he had gone, even in his bank, they didn’t remember him. It was at 6 o’clock and somebody sent out an email. Have you remembered this is the first-year memory of so-and-so?

“Dear children, you need to keep the memory of your late mother intact. Some people came to my house a few days ago and said, ah, Ituah, everywhere in your house is your wife’s picture. I said, my wife lives, she hasn’t died. I have to keep her memory intact.

“I remember when I was going to celebrate my 60th birthday and I wasn’t going to celebrate. I was in a different mood but people kept on disturbing me. So I said, I’ll run away to London. Well, I hide, I don’t feel like doing anything. I haven’t celebrated my birthday since I was 21. So, I was thinking of running away to London. I could hear my wife’s voice saying ‘are you going to leave me here?’ Will you go to London and leave me here? She said that birthday, we’re going to celebrate it together.

“So I told my wife, I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to go to her grave site and have my birthday service there because we have to keep the memory alive. They never go. They’re always with us. And their fragrance will never fade. The fragrance of my wife will never fade. I keep her memory intact. So, keep yourselves united. United we stand, and divided you fall. There’s nothing that should separate you from your family. I encourage you, the children of Mrs. Augusta Davies and Chief H.O. Davies keep yourselves united.

“Give your lives to Jesus and truly serve God. And make sure that you make it to heaven. Be friends with one another. Keep your children intact. Keep them together. So that together, we can face the exteriors and make your mother and your father very proud. God bless you all.