© Ayo Omolayo
The door bell rang. I quickly stood up to answer the door. Susan stood up to also get the door.
I quickly outran her and opened the door.
“Susan, small small ooo!”
“Why?”
“Handle yourself with care. You’re still recovering.”
“I am healed! Have you forgotten about the class Ella held for us?”
“I remember, but that you are healed doesn’t mean you should throw yourself down from the top of the temple, like Satan tempted Jesus. Handle yourself with care. I don’t have strength to rush anyone to the hospital.”
“Hospital is not my portion in Jesus name!”
Those were the words on my lips when I opened the door and found Romeo and an elderly man staring at me.
“Surprise!” Fejiro said as she jumped on me from behind the door.
I was happy to see them all.
“Who brought you to my house?”
Instead of giving me an answer, he pointed at Fejiro.
“I guess that answers your question, right?”
I chuckled.
“Please come in! I’m so happy to see you, I’ve really missed you guys!”
They entered the sitting room and sat down.
“Good afternoon sir!” Susan greeted the elderly man.
“How are you my daughter?”
“I’m fine sir!” She replied.
“Hi everyone!” She said waving at Romeo and Fejiro.
“Hello!” The replied waving at her.
“Juliet you didn’t tell me you were on suspension. I was looking for you everywhere in school. Not until tye Principal announced it today in school.”
I only gave a weak smile.
“Two weeks suspension! What was your offence? Was it because of what happened the other day?” Fejiro asked.
“It is well my sister. I and Mummy have finally settled our differences. Infact, right now, we are best of friends. The school really stands up for respecting the elderly. They cannot condone students disrespecting their elders,” I said grinning.
“That’s one thing I love about Broadway academy,” said the elderly man.
We all turned to look at him.
“Oh! That reminds me! Juliet, meet my dad! Mr Marcus Thompson. He has been asking to see you ever since the day I told him you prayed for him. So I had to ask Fejiro to take us to your house when we came to school several times and couldn’t find you.”
“Wow! I’m honoured sir!” I said and bowed slightly.
“It’s a rear privilege getting to see the great man who birthed this handsome boy!” I said.
Come and see the way Romeo and his father started smiling.
Even Susan who was sitting beside me was smiling sheepishly.
“My son is very handsome!” The man replied with a broad smile.
“Daddy! That’s enough! Don’t go there!” Romeo said.
It looked as if father and son had a previous discussion about me. If not he won’t be saying don’t go there. Haaa! What were these people discussing about me?
“I only said so because it’s true oh!” I said in my defense.
“No don’t worry! To every Juliet, Romeo is always handsome,” he said grinning.
There was an outburst of laughter. Everyone was laughing except Romeo and I.
“I hate false accusations ooo!” I said sulkily.
“I’m sorry about that. I just wanted to make a little joke,” Mr Thompson apologized.
“By accusing me of having a crush on Romeo?”
“No oooo! Did anyone said that?” He asked.
“Not at all!” Susan who was sitting beside me on the sofa whispered into my ears.
I gave her a mild slap on her back and she giggled scornfully.
“It’s your mind that is judging you ooo! Why are you thinking in that direction?” Fejiro asked.
“Please, let’s put the matter behind us and focus on what is on ground. I came here to thank this up coming lady Apostle.”
“Glory to God!” Susan said clapping.
I pushed her out of the sofa and she landed on the floor.
“Ha! Woman of God! What did I do na?” She asked, giving me a mocking smile.
“I never knew you are this troublesome!”
“Na you teach me oo! I’m only a fast learner!” She replied grinning.
“Getting to meet young people in fire for God is not a coincidence. I love encouraging them so much. I was once on fire for God when I was 15 years old. So I know what it means to be young and on fire for God. It’s a great privilege to meet people like you and I really want to encourage you to keep it up.
I was so happy when Robert or should I say, your Romeo!”
“No sir! It’s Robert Thompson! Please!” I interrupted.
“I prefer Romeo! It matches the name Juliet!” He replied.
“Oh! Why is everyone looking for my trouble today?” I asked.
They all burst into laughter.
“So back to what I was saying. I was so happy when Robert said you left him to Christ. It gave me unspeakable joy. I am so happy you have allowed God to use you at such a tender age. I decided to see you and encourage you. Not everyone can be as lucky as you are to get to know God at this young age.
Please, hold Jesus very well! Don’t allow anything to distract you!”
I felt happy hearing all this from an elderly man, but something he said caught my attention. He said he was once in fire for Jesus when he was 15. Does that mean he’s no longer on fire or what? This got me thinking. I just didn’t know how to present the question. But I was willing to give it a try.
“Sir! Romeo and I, sorry! Robert and I were discussing on the phone the other day and I was telling him to greet mummy for me. He ended up telling me that there is no mummy. He said you and mummy are divorced.
I’m sorry to ask, it’s none of my business. But I’m just curious! What happened between the two of you?”
“That’s the reason why I said I was once on fire. I was gifted spiritually and could do so much signs and wonders. I saw visions so often and it made people to always consult me.
I became popular and was an object of attention. I was surrounded by alot of people who made me feel high and mighty. Pride set in. I started seeing myself as someone very important. I started looking down on other people.
One thing lead to another, I got careless with my relationship with a lady. I never knew she was sent to drain what I was carrying. The moment sin took place everything about the anointing on my head became history.
I could not see visions anymore. No signs and wonders anymore. Everything special about me ended with just that act of sin. But the worst part was that, I wasn’t able to recover.
I sank deeper and deeper into immorality as that lady was not the only lady I had escapade with. I had so many escapades till the point where I stopped going to church completely.
My life turned upside down completely. And soon, all the game and everything left. My wife was just one out of the many girls I had defiled myself with. She was tye only one willing to marry me among them all.
So when my family started bugging me on bring a wife for us. I quickly proposed to her and she accepted. It was after the marriage that I knew she was nothing compared to what I needed in a woman.
I don’t want to go into the details of the story, but the summary of it all is, I want as living in depression.
They used to say a wrong marriage is hell on earth. Juliet, that thing is true ooo! I was so depressed that my blood pressure rose up. It almost killed me. Doctors were asking me what was I thinking about?
My blood pressure was so high that it added to my blood pressure. I mean the rise of my blood pressure made my blood pressure to rise more and more. It was then I told myself that I cannot fir before my time. I had to do the needful.
It wasn’t easy for me, but the bible says if the husband and wife cannot stay together anymore, let them go their separate ways but remain unmarried. I decided to do that to save my head.
A wrong marriage is a grave. No peace of mind. No joy! You only smile in the public for people to see. When you get home, you’re depressed. I started loving my job more than returning home to be with my family. I began to prefer staying at the place of work to my house.
Proverbs 21:9 says, it is better to live on the roof of your house than to live with a wife who always argues.
And in verse 19 of the same chapter, it says,it is better to live alone in a desert than to live with a wife who quarrels and complains.
That woman gave me hell. I had no peace of mind. That was how we went out separate ways. I rededicated my life to God and started rebuilding my relationship with him.
But I never knew my son was still lost in secret sin. Thank God he used you to bring him into the body of Christ. I am so happy for that.
So I want to use this opportunity to encourage you. I’m not here to scare you. I’m here to tell you that you can make it. You see your prayer life?”
“Yes sir!” I replied.
“Don’t play with your prayer life at all! Don’t get tired of praying at all! It’s your spiritual power bank. Without your prayer life, you’re nothing but meat for the devil to chew. I got careless, I was no longer praying as usual.
When sin started taking root in my heart, I was no longer studying the bible to examine myself. I became inconsistent with my spiritual life. Yet the visions and signs and wonders were still there. So I allowed it to fool me that I was so busy working for God.
I didn’t know I was only walking into the devil’s bait. He allowed my spiritual exploits to blindfold me. I was getting weaker and weaker spiritually, but I was still active in the work of God.
The fire on my altar was going down yet I still running ministry. Untill it went down completely. That was my mistake. So I don’t want you to make the same mistake. Don’t abandon tye secret place and exchange it for the public place.
If David had not learned how to dodge javelin in the secret place, Saul would have speared him to death on the public place.
So take your quiet time with all seriousness. Don’t allow the flesh to weaken you and discourage you. Discipline yourself to always appear before God.
What I’m teaching you right now, I learned by experience. And I paid dearly for it. They used to say experience is the best teacher. Please I beg to disagree. There are somethings that you would not wish for even your worst enemy to experience. Experience is not the best teacher oooo. Please the Holy Ghost is the best teacher. If he says pray so that you won’t fall into temptation, you better hear word oooo!”
There are some experience that would take you days, even years to recover from. Before you come back to that spiritual height you fell from, you have already given birth to 3 children. Responsibility has been doubled. You will start struggling to build your spiritual life and raise godly children at the same time.
Na serious work ooo! Please don’t allow anything discourage you. Keep on the good fight and win the battle. I’ll be praying for you!”
“Wow! Susan and I said in unison.
To be continued…….
Don’t play with your prayer life at all! Don’t get tired of praying at all! It’s your spiritual power bank. Without your prayer life, you’re nothing but meat for the devil to chew. I got careless, I was no longer praying as usual.
When sin started taking root in my heart, I was no longer studying the bible to examine myself. I became inconsistent with my spiritual life. Yet the visions and signs and wonders were still there. So I allowed it to fool me that I was so busy working for God.
I didn’t know I was only walking into the devil’s bait. He allowed my spiritual exploits to blindfold me. I was getting weaker and weaker spiritually, but I was still active in the work of God.
The fire on my altar was going down yet I still running ministry. Untill it went down completely. That was my mistake. So I don’t want you to make the same mistake. Don’t abandon the secret place and exchange it for the public place.
I don’t know why I’m repeating it, but this message is for someone.
An active public christian, with an inactive secret place?
Cry to God to take you back to where you started from.
