EVERGREEN by Shola Mike Agboola
The message below was first published in December 2016. I have edited it to bear relevance to the year 2019. Please read and key into the prayer at the end.
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EVERGREEN
Like spots on the skin of a leopard, they refuse to go away. Like tribal marks on the cheeks of a Yoruba man, they refuse to be wiped off. These are the stuffs that evergreens are made of. They simply refuse to go away. The song, ‘Odun Nlo S’opin’ falls in this category. I have been hearing this evergreen song since only God knows when.
On November 1, 2016, I heard the song blaring from the speakers of a CD hawker. I watched as people flocked around him to get copies of the bestseller. I must add that most of those I saw making purchases were muslim women in hijabs. That is the stuff bestsellers are made of – they break barriers. After making a good sale, the hawker pushed his trolley down the road. I moved closer to get a snapshot.
The song, ‘Odun Nlo S’opin’, was produced by the C.A.C. Good Women Choir, Ibadan. According to the leader of the group, Mrs D.A. Fasoyin, their first album was ‘Halleluyah O Halle’ (produced in 1977). ‘Odun Nlo S’opin’ was produced in 1979. The group has since produced about 25 other albums. However, ‘Odun Nlo S’opin’ stands out. It remains an evergreen. The question is: What makes it so? That is a matter for another day.
‘Odun Nlo S’opin’ is a timeless prayer song. In English language, the song says: “As the year ends, O Lord, don’t allow what will make me to cry to befall me”. Keying into the divine anointing behind this powerful song, I decree, as the year 2019 ends, sorrow will not find a place in our lives. Every God-ordained blessing, carrying the label of 2019, will be delivered to us before the year runs out IN JESUS’ NAME.
Shalom!
