Why is this Sunday service taking so long
oh Lord?
My tummy was rumbling so loudly that I
had to sneak a peep at Bro. Paul sitting
close to me to ensure that he wasn’t
listening to the rhythmical sounds from
my inside!
I woke up this morning just like other days
when I felt the sticky thing in-between my
legs.
Oh not again Lord!
I knew from that moment that I was going
to have to battle with dysmenorrhea
menstrual pain for the rest of the day and
I really hated the thought.
I racked my wardrobe for drugs and gosh!
My fervin was exhausted. I angrily threw
the empty sachet away and had a warm
bath, getting set for the Sunday service.
I had just concluded a three-day fast and I
was looking rather lean- but it was worth
it. It bordered on issues concerning my life
and I had to take it seriously.
I didn’t know how to hear God!
Well, most times after praying fervently, I
would just tell God to talk to someone or
reveal something to someone else if he
didn’t want to talk to me personally and
that was what he had always done.
Probably I was just too filthy!
I had told him that in the service of today,
if he wanted to talk to me, he should do so
through all the ministrations in the
church- the choir ministration, the drama
ministration, the message itself and all.
I was however shocked when the title of
the song the choir sang was ‘Holiness unto
the Lord’!
I knew about holiness so well and that was
not my prayer point at all. I am on the
way to perfection and I am carefully
watching my steps lest I stray.
I didn’t want this choir ministration. So as
they ministered, it was just as if they were
pumping LaCasera drink into my body
system that made the body fluid escaping
my body to gush out as if being pursued
vehemently.
‘Let us jam our hands as our dear father
in the Lord, Pastor Idile takes up the mic’
He announced in his usually affecting
tone. He was the reason for my prayer-
Tony!
I sighed deeply.
‘God, are you just going to talk to me? Are
you going to speak to me through this man
of God? I really need your touch oh Lord’
I uttered silently as my faith got revived
again.
‘Touch me one more time oh Lord, yes
dear Lord, touch me one more time oh
Lord, I need the touch of the Father, I
need the touch of the Lord, touch me one
more time oh Lord!’ the pastor sang in his
baritone voice and the awesomeness of the
whole thing pushed me down to my knees.
I just mentioned His touch right now and
the pastor is singing about His touch too.
‘The service is definitely for me’ I said so
loudly that I noticed Bro. Paul looking
towards me but I wasn’t moved. Who says
this God isn’t real and I would love to tell
him to experiment.
He is good abeg!
The message snowballed and I listened
with rapt attention, slapping my laps
together so the pain in my tummy would
‘gerrarahere’.
The topic was ‘Confused?’ -So apt, touching
and just like that.
Oh yes I was confused. Madly confused!
I said yes to Jean’s proposal last month
and the relationship had started to bloom
greatly until this Tony came around that
same week. He was a serving corps
member and he was deployed to my area,
so he worshipped with us at the central
church.
Since I set my eyes on him, my mind had
been in a real state of chaos. I was just so
confused that I decide to step away from
the choir group where he was very
vibrant so I could get things straight.
I was going to the church that very day
and as I always did, I was dressed
gorgeously for the service in my opened
toes high-heeled shoes. As I locked my car,
I started walking as if being pursued.
Just then, Sis. Jane called my name and as
I tried to turn back in order to answer her
call, I never knew a canal was before me.
My shoe nose-dived into the canal but just
like the slow motion in any Korean movie,
a strong hand-held me and pulled me up
with a force.
“Sorry ma” he said and I looked into his
small, milky face. I blinked severally,
trying to get my voice.
Who is this boy?
He bowed slightly before me and off he
went- but my eyes went with him!
I slapped my head to order that very day
to no avail especially when my research
told me he was just an ordinary corps
member.
‘He is just a small boy’ I thought to myself
but the turmoil in my heart continued.
Whenever I went to the church, I would
take a spot in the choir room where I
would have the opportunity to get a good
look at him without being noticed by
anybody.
Whatever he did appealed to me. There
was a day that I saw him blowing his
nose. The way he held the tissue paper was
skilled! Funny me!
Immediately I realized that I wasn’t getting
things straight again, I had to sit down,
fast and pray well so that God would speak
to me. So, he would clear my head and put
the right thing in there.
‘Most time, we think we have arrived and
that it is time to settle down because we
have the job, beautiful accommodation,
money and all but God is saying no! And
you’ve got to wait on him’ My pastor
killed it. As I jotted the point down, my
body shook violently.
Pastor was stupendously right!
>>>>>
“What else are you waiting for my
daughter? You are well employed as a
lecturer. You have a degree in Mass
Communication and two Masters Degrees
in Public Relations and Advertising
respectively. What are you waiting for?
You are our only daughter o and see how
big you are. No one would even believe
that you are not 25 yet.” My mother
complained bitterly the last time we met.
My aged mother and father had been my
specimen for a good marriage for many
years now. Though it took about four
decades after their marriage before they
had me, the barren years really
strengthened their love.
Though I am very beautiful, I have the
dominant gene of my father. I am built
like a man- with well-built muscles, a
deep, bass voice and very hairy skin. In
my secondary school days, I was called
‘Miss Gorilla’
Although I battled with inferiority
complex for a long period of time, I
overcame because of my supportive
parents, my choice of career (My radio
voice was always being begged for) and my
unit in the church (Bass part which made
the songs beautiful).
When I wasn’t talking of any boyfriend,
date or fiancé yet, it was very natural
when my mum called for a dialogue with
me.
>>>>>
Jean was a single father whose wife had
left him for over five years after he caught
her in an adultery act for more than three
times. I taught his daughter in her final
year and that was how I got to know him
well as he requested for a private lesson
for her at home, during the holiday.
Whenever I visited the beautiful house of
his, the way he ran around to prepare
food in the kitchen, set the house in order,
pet his daughter to listen whenever I
taught was overwhelming. He was just too
nice!
When he sat me down to say all he had
passed through in his marriage, pity rose
from my belly for him and I opened my
heart to him. I would buy him gifts, go on
picnic with him and Sarah, his daughter
and I would help in the kitchen- his skills
of combining different ingredients to make
something extra-ordinarily was highly
touching!
In fact, when I realized I was in love with
him, I quickly told him about Jesus and he
was truly converted as he wept for his sin.
When he proposed to me, I was shocked. I
really loved him but never had I thought
about getting married to a man in his late
forties. I told him to give me some time
and I really calculated the cost.
His daughter loved me
He didn’t divorce his wife- she left him
He is now a Christian
He is good looking, accomplished and
wonderful to be with
What else would I need in a man?
I said a big, fat yes!
It all went well with us as we had
reported at the marriage committee in the
church and our meeting had been
adjourned to next week.
All seemed clear to me until I met Tony!
“I am going to teach you a song today. I
told earlier that it’s a special service today
so we are doing everything in another
style. Who knows maybe it’s for someone
her that this service had been designed?”
the pastor said again and mouth agape, I
nodded like an agama lizard
My pastor is truly anointed!
He started singing thunderously
I will wait, wait, wait on the Lord
I will wait, wait, wait on the Lord
Learn my lessons well
In his timing he would tell me,
What to do,
Where to go
And what to say
The pastor’s voice rung in the whole
building as he sang till the whole hall felt
that move and there was the outpouring of
the spirit. I watched as people fell to the
ground, raised their hands to heaven in
total awe and surrender to God.
I was too touched to pray!
Suddenly, something struck my heart and
as I held my chest to calm the pain, a
force pushed me down to my knees;
perspiration covered me from head to toes-
I was dripping; I shook as if I had been
suffering from fever for a very long time,
the goose bumps that covered me and its
tingling effects refused to leave me as I
gnashed my teeth. No words proceeded
from my mouth.
I moaned and moaned again.
There was a stir in my spirit – for the first
time! I was praying in the spirit. Prayers
that was too superb and extra-ordinary for
my mouth to utter.
‘Many of us say that the Lord can’t speak
to us and that we can’t hear him because
we are not worthy to be spoken to by the
immortal. We prefer the pastor to hear for
us even when God is talking…He is
speaking to you…” The pastor emphasized
on and on and I suddenly realized the pain
in God’s heart when I limited His ability to
talk to me.
“The wall of partition is broken. Enter in
before him and like Jacob, wrestle with
Him in prayers. He needs who would dare
seek His face. Wait no more, seek him! He
wants to talk to you. Stop doubting His
ability. He is the Lord God of all flesh. Is
there anything too hard for Him? Is there
anything too hard for God?” the pastor
asked with a stamp of his feet on the floor.
I cried!
My mouth opened and with my mouth
filled with gratitude, I gave Him thanks
for talking through me through the pastor
Then I regrettably said I was sorry for
limiting him. For seeing Him as being
selective of whom he talked to.
“Who says there is no God?” I uttered
affirmatively as if I had a sword to behead
such individual. I stood up from my
kneeling position and joined in the
thanksgiving session that followed the
message session, wiping my sweat off my
face.
The joy in the face of every member was
unspeakable! It was glorious that my heart
kept stirring- the new spiritual experience
that I have got from God during this
service!
Blessed is the woman that married this
Pastor Idile!
Just like a video camera, my eyes travelled
through the church to look for where
Mummy Idile was seated but I couldn’t
sight her. My searching job begun in
earnest.
I saw her briefly that morning clad in a
blue suit gown and a gold hat. Where
could she be?
My eyes travelled to the gallery above me.
There she was!
There was a smile on her face but the
smile looked somehow.
Sad? Uncertain? Bitter?
I couldn’t figure what was wrong with
that smile but I knew it wasn’t a happy,
grateful smile. I looked on at her and as
she nodded severally, the light above her
shone on her and her face glistened. I saw
it clearly- tears!
Jesus!
What could be wrong with her? Was God
showing her a vision that is very
saddening? What was bothering her Oh
God?
I felt she was supposed to be the happiest
woman on earth for having such a vibrant
man as a husband especially with this
wonderful outpouring of the Spirit.
My spirit stirred again!
Was God trying to tell me something?
I placed my head on the pew in front of
me. I didn’t even realize that the service
had been brought to an end. I was
overwhelmed within me.
Something is just not right! What is it oh
Lord? Talk to me please!
I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t see
anything. It was just darkness I saw and I
heard the hooting of car horns outside.
Isn’t God going to speak?
>>>>>>It Continues<<<<<<<<