Written by Ifeanyichukwu Ifeze Ezeyanata Obi -- A Tribute to Edet George Offong Jesus said to His disciples,” you now therefore have sorrow, and I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and your joy, no one will take from you”. He said, “go now, have sorrow” Human beings do not belong to one another. We are God’s children, and we belong to God. It is by share grace that we are together for a time, for a while. We receive God’s gift of another person in our lives with thanksgiving. But we must realize that the person is a gift. We can’t hang on or refuse to let go of one of God’s children when God calls. Edet George was a gift, one of God’s Generals, and for a time God gave Edet to the world of missionaries For those missionaries, Edet defined what it meant to pursue God’s purpose, and because of Edet George, the world understood more fully the greatness of the love of God. But now, Edet George is dead and the world won’t see him again. God took him back, and that’s painful. There is no way under heaven to minimize the pain. Jesus said, “go now therefore, and have sorrow”. We are not sorrowing because God is unjust. We are sorrowing because Edet George is gone. And that’s right. That’s just right. Jesus said, “go and have sorrow”. A part of us is dead, the part that we call our father, our brother or our pastor, or our friend. The part of us that we called Edet George is gone. And we know the pain and the emptiness, and the bitterness, and the guilt, and the heartbreak, all too well. We will never be the same, and that’s right too, because we can’t be the same, ever again. I am here to say goodbye to one of God’s Generals. Jesus said, “you now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” He said, “when you pray, say Father”. God loves Edet George, and Edet George belongs to God. He always has. For a time, God gave him to the world and now He’s called him, and now we know the emptiness. That’s the way it is with human beings. I am here today, reluctantly to offer Edet George back to God, and in so doing I am offering myself. I am here boldly to dare to say, “Our Father” and to pray “Thy will be done”. I am here to trust God, and to love God, and to realize how much God loves me. And today, I must let go of his hand, but in so doing, I give his hand over to that of his Heavenly Father. I cannot hang on. I must let go. But God has a hold of his hand, and God will never let go. Amen! Ifeanyichukwu Ifeze Ezeyanata Obi