À bientôt! To Rest In Peace notre amour Christian Atsu; Lessons For Us All
Have you ever woken up in the day thinking that death is no respecter of persons and that it can knock at your door at any time?
Life is good and seeing the new dawn day brings much hope and aspiration about an imaginary future that needs to be accomplished at all times. Family needs, personal needs, and wants including fighting for the well-being of others do not permit one to stay idle without hustling throughout the day.
Sometimes, the search for comfort in this world of ours demands innocent souls to travel from their native lands to foreign soils where greener pastures are easily accessible.
The heart-melting death of Ghana’s beloved football stars like Junior Agogo, Christian Gyan, and Ibrahim Dossey and the recent passing away of Ghana’s winger Christian Atsu are a few tragic memories we could fall on to conclude that indeed no one knows what each day holds therefore as the Psalms of David says in Chapter 90 verse 12, we must allow ourselves for the Lord to teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
I know we don’t like to think about death, but life is short. One day our lives here on this earth will end. And the meaning of Psalm 90:12 is a challenge to not just number our days but use them purposefully for others to be able to tell a very good story about us when we are no more living.
The tributes pouring from different sources for winger Christian Atsu has one major theme running throughout with the deceased being described as someone who touched the heart of many souls.
Christian Atsu was trapped in the Turkey–Syria earthquake which occurred on Monday, February 6, 2023, with over 41,000 people losing their lives.
After several searches with the aim of rescuing the player alive, his lifeless body was retrieved from the rubble. The mortal remains of Christian Atsu were transported to Ghana, his home country for other activities to be undertaken before his final burial rites.
Lessons From Christian Atsu’s Death
- Life is uncertain therefore as humans, we must always plan and live each day as if there is no tomorrow ahead of us.
- Tributes from people in Ghana and other countries on Christian Atsu’s philanthropic nature is a good example everyone must emulate. You don’t need to have it all before sharing or thinking about the welfare of others. Like Christian Atsu who put smiles on the faces of the vulnerable in prison, schools, and other organizations, the next generation must also take up such benevolent activities to bring hope to others.
- Accepting small offers as a stepping stone can lead one to greatness. Christian Atsu joined Feyenoord Football Academy at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region knowing that he would gain some experience to journey on in his football career. From a humble beginning to being an international footballer with the Hatayspor club.
- Christian Atsu was the epitome of humility. Those who really know Christian Atsu and have come in contact with him will tell you that the gentleman was very humble and accepted all kinds of people. At the prison, for instance, he hugs and plays with the inmates and always tries to leave them with a motivational message that revives their souls.
- Christian Atsu a foreign-based player visits homes regularly to check on external family members and friends in Ghana for stronger bonds. Footballers or other people fortunate to travel to other countries must always find time to return home to meet their families. At the end of it all, the final mortal remains always return to the extended family.
So What Next For Our Ghana’s Winger Legend, Christian Atsu?
From the many hearts Christian Atsu touched, his kind gestures alone could have given him a second chance but whom are we to judge? Judgment belongs to God who Christian Atsu solely depended on. We agree with Anne Bronte and with a heavy heart in one accord we say “Farewell Christian Atsu, Till We Meet Agan”.
“Farewell to thee! but not farewell
To all my fondest thoughts of thee:
Within my heart they still shall dwell;
And they shall cheer and comfort me”.
“O, beautiful, and full of grace!
If thou hadst never met mine eye,
I had not dreamed of a living face
Could fancied charms so far outvie”.
“If I may ne’er behold again
That form and face are so dear to me,
Nor hear thy voice, still, would I fain
Preserve, for aye, their memory”.
“That voice, the magic of whose tone
Can wake an echo in my breast,
Creating feelings that, alone,
Can make my tranced spirit blest”.
‘That laughing eye, whose sunny beam
My memory would not cherish less; —
And oh, that smile! whose joyous gleam
Nor mortal language can express.”
“Adieu, but let me cherish, still,
The hope with which I cannot part.
Contempt may wound, and coldness chill,
But still, it lingers in my heart”.
“And who can tell but Heaven, at last,
May answer all my thousand prayers,
And bid the future pay the past
With joy for anguish, smiles for tears?”