He woke up with a headache.
His head was pounding like a pestle was being used to hit it.
He checked his watch: 8am!
Ah! He'd slept for just about 2 hours.
He looked around: where am I? The room looked very unfamiliar.
He stretched out on the bed. His hand hit a head...
He froze: who is in bed with me?
He pulled the duvet: he saw braided hair.
Who is this, he wondered.
He tried gathering his thoughts.
He remembered he was in Port Harcourt for a conference.
He flew in from Abuja earlier yesterday.
He remembered he went clubbing last night...
He got drunk & returned to his hotel room.
He had no idea who this lady in bed with him was, but he was sure he came back with her from the club.
He was still very groggy, he tried going back to sleep.
The lady turned & smiled at him: "Hey, Boo."
He stared at her...
What am I doing with this girl, he thought.
She's not even half as pretty as my wife!
His mind went back to the family he left behind in Abuja.
Suddenly, he felt very bad.
He had been married for almost 10 years, but he was faithful to his wife just for the first 2...
He always looked forward to these out of station conferences where he could do whatever he liked without any fear of getting caught or seen.
He never kept a permanent side chick: any available one is fine.
In that moment, he heard the music coming from the hotel banquet hall...
He listened.
It seemed a church meets in the hall!
The praise & worship session just started.
His mind went back to his teenage days when he used to be zealous for God.
That was 25 years ago.
He had drifted far off from God & he knew it.
He could remember the songs being sung...
Suddenly, his heart was cut. He felt very remorseful.
He woke up the lady.
"Please, you have to leave NOW!"
She was surprised.
But one look into his eyes told her not to bother trying to make him change his mind.
She got out of bed & dressed up.
He gave her some money.
She left.
He went to take a shower.
He decided he'll go to the church downstairs.
He hadn't been to a church service in over 5 years!
But today, he felt a strong desire to go.
As he showered, his heart went to his wife.
How much he had hurt that woman, he thought.
I don't deserve her...
He finished his shower, dressed up & prayed: "God, I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me! I want to change my ways, please help me! I am going to church right now, please touch me in any way you can, set my heart aflame for you again!"
He started crying profusely...
After a while, he composed himself, got up & walked out.
He followed the sound from the church.
He got to the hall.
It was closed.
2 men stood in front of the door.
"Good morning, gentlemen!" he greeted them.
"May I go in?"
He reached to open the door.
"No sir! You can't!"
He was confused. "is this not a church?"
"It is, but you can't go in, sir. You're late! Once pastor goes up to start preaching, nobody is allowed to go in or out. It disturbs the flow of the Spirit. Next time come early!" one of them said.
He couldn't believe what he just heard!
I can go into the church because I'm LATE????
Seriously?
He was late because he was crying out his heart to God in his hotel room!
He wants to change the trajectory of his life!
He wants to go in there & rededicate his life to Jesus!
What nonsense church law is this?
Nobody can go in or out when the pastor starts preaching!
What if I were inside & I want to ease myself? I can't even go to the toilet?
He looked at the 2 men at the door in anger.
"You guys are mad. You, your pastor, your entire church- you're all mad!"
He turned & walked off.
He got back to his hotel room, seething in anger.
To think he was remorseful & wanted to change his life!
He sat on the bed.
He noticed the lady who left earlier had scribbled her name & number on a piece of paper on the side drawer.
He picked his phone & called her:
"Babe can we continue from where we stopped?"
She replied, "I'll be with you in 30 minutes!"
This happened to a friend.
I invite him to church often.
He always declined.
Last month, he told me of this experience.
Today, he's so pissed off with church & he's back to his old ways.
I don't know which Church that was, but I think we should be careful about these church rules we churn out.
I honestly don't understand how people coming into church late "hinders the flow of the Spirit."
People have different reasons for coming late- rain, car issues...
Or like my friend, crying & confessing their sins to God in their closet.
He came to my office this morning.
And as he left I thought, there goes another one the Church has damaged with unnecessary rules!
May God give us wisdom & understanding.
And TACT!
Amen.
Shalom...
😖
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Some years ago, a friend called me from Lagos.
"Harry, I'll be coming to Abuja for a project I will be supervising (he's a Building Engineer). I'll be around for about 6 months. Can I stay with you, please?"
I was living alone in a 3 bedroom flat, it wasn't a problem for me...
So I agreed.
He came over a few days later & I gave him a room to stay.
He'd leave the house early in the morning to the site & return around 8pm.
After a month, he told me his wife would want to come over for a weekend.
Is it ok?
No problem, Bro: she's welcome to visit you...
She flew over on a Friday to return to Lagos Monday morning.
I had never met her before, so the husband introduced us when she landed.
She took over the kitchen & made us dinner that Friday evening.
She dished my meal in a plate & dished hers & her husband's together.
This reminds me of a situation some years ago.
After Service, some folks wanted to see the Pastor for counselling.
He then asked a few of them to see me so the load on him would reduce.
So, I became an "Emergency Counsellor" that Sunday morning.
When he was done, I told him: "your problem is not a big deal, Sir. I'll give you a simple solution..."
He sat up, eager to hear the solution.
I told him, "Go read the Book of Galatians & let's talk on Wednesday!"
He was MIFFED!
"The WHOLE Book?"
"Yes, Sir (the Book of Galatians is just 6 Chapters)."
"Ha! Can't you just PRAY for me?"
"No, Sir. It's not a PRAYER problem: it's a KNOWLEDGE problem..."
He got up & walked away to join the queue of those to see the Pastor.
And one Saturday morning, he tells you, "Babe, I want to go watch Arsenal play Chelsea by 4pm in my friend's house".
What will you do?
She replied, "I will be VERY ANGRY with him!"
I asked why.
Why should ANGER be an option?
He just voiced a desire: why should that bring ANGER?
She said, "I wouldn't want him to go: I'll want him to stay home and we enjoy each others company!"
Fine.
So, rather than get ANGRY, why don't you voice your own desire too?
Why not say, "Babe, please don't go: stay home with me!"
"Imagine all Nigerians relocate to the US & all Americans relocate to Nigeria... What do you think will happen in 10 years?"
Rev'd Sam Adeyemi @sam_adeyemi asked this rhetorical question in Church, @DaystarNG over 20 years ago.
There were several responses to the question...
And all agree on ONE thing:
In 10 years, Nigeria would have become a much better place where things work, America would have become a worse place where things don't work anymore.
Rev'd Sam then said: "that tells you that THE MAN MAKES THE PLACE, THE PLACE DOESN'T MAKE THE MAN!"
He went on to explain:
Your EXTERNAL atmosphere will ALWAYS be at the level of your INTERNAL atmosphere.
You will ALWAYS raise or reduce your EXTERNAL atmosphere to the level of your INTERNAL atmosphere.
To BETTER or DESTROY your environment depends on your INTERNAL ATMOSPHERE!
Social Media is a funny place.
It exposes the GULLIBILITY of the average Nigerian.
Anyone could invent a story, post it on Social Media & people would simply BELIEVE it!
No EVIDENCE.
No PROOF.
NO DATA!
Just mere WORDS.
And people (who you'd deem INTELLIGENT) would BELIEVE...
I remember when I was in the University, a classmate had a knack for telling us stories about happenings in the AFRC (Armed Forces Ruling Council, for the younger generation) Meetings.
He'd tell us, "As Babangida enter the Meeting, Abacha ask am, "Where you go yesterday?"...
Aikhomu con vex, ask Abacha why he no greet am fes? "Babangida no be your mate ooo! Na your Oga, you suppose respect am!"
Na dat day Abacha decide say he go do coup, comot Babangida!"
When he told us these tales, we'd bombard him with QUESTIONS!
"How you KNOW? You dey there?!"