“I will sleep in my car please.” Kehinde whispered into Sade’s ear and her parents decided to give them space.
“Why? Brother Kehinde, we have a spare room where you can sleep comfortably” she said pleadingly.
“Sister Sade, I’m sorry I didn’t plan to sleep over. I only agreed to sleep over because you insisted I do. Don’t worry, I will be fine in the car, I’ve slept in the car several times…” He was trying to make her agree with him but she cut him short.
“My parents won’t be happy to see you sleep inside the car when we have a vacant room.” She said with displeasure in her eyes.
“See, they won’t know I slept in the car if you unless you decides to inform them.” He said and continued immediately with another topic in order to divert her attention.
“I really wanted to discuss something serious with you but it didn’t work out as planned because the meeting you had with mummy took the whole time. All the same, I was very happy to see you experience God afresh in that indoor meeting with her.
So, will it be possible for us to talk outside here this night?” He asked smiling in a way that reminded Sade of the way their friendship used to be, how he smiled when cracking jokes and just as expected, she forgot the previous matter.
“Alright then, come inside and eat before the discussion.” She said and started walking into the house hoping that he would follow her behind.
“Uhm.. Wait a minutes” he said thoughtfully, then smiled in a funny way before saying what he wanted to say.
” Why don’t we eat together outside here, I like the fresh air here.” He said trying to hide his lack of interest in eating the food.
He already knew that she would get angry if he refuses to eat the food, and his plans will be ruined.
“Okay o, I will bring the food out here for you but I won’t eat with you. You will eat alone.” She said in finality and walked out fast before he could protest.
“Rara o.” He shouted in low tone and relaxed his back on the wooden chair he was sitting on. Soon, she came out from the kitchen with a plate of jollof rice which the church mummy packaged for them.
“This rice smell nice.” He said looking at her.
“I know you may not like to eat the amala and ewedu soup my mother prepared, so I decided to fetch Temi’s birthday rice which mummy packaged for us for you..” She explained.
“Hope you didn’t tell your mother that I don’t like her food, because I didn’t say so o..” He said and collected the spoon, then frowned in a funny way.
“Where is your own spoon?” He asked and she started laughing.
“Brother Kehinde,don’t feel like eating anything tonight. I feel this inner panting and hunger for God, I don’t know how to go about it yet but I feel this yearning in my heart for more of God.” She explained with all seriousness in her eyes.
“That’s part of what I wanted to discuss with you Sade. Though, you haven’t discussed your encounter with God in mummy’s room with me, but I strongly believe that God is giving you another chance to make a difference.” He said and dropped the spoon in his hand, then continued.
“You see,your backsliding took place gradually and almost became worst when you finally forsook the spiritual exercises you used to do before; things such as personal fasting and prayers, your quiet time, fellowshipping with brethren and even singing. Sade, you stopped doing all these things when you conceived Toyin because you felt there’s no point doing them anymore.
You felt, that after all God’s mad at you and won’t hear you anymore, but that’s not true.” He said with frankness, adjusted himself on the seat then continued.
“Look, the yearning you are feeling inside is God calling you to come up higher from where you are right now. He wants you to return back to those personal spiritual exercises you used to do before. He wants to see you spend more time with Him in prayers, study of His word and worship. Sade, you are empty, he wants to fill you afresh and the only place he can fill you is when you draw closer to Him in these areas I have mentioned. I don’t know what the sermons in your church here looks like, but you also needs to be hearing quality,soul lifting messages.
The Bible says, ‘Faith comes by hearing the word of God’. I can as well send some video and audio messages into your phone to listen to…” Kehinde kept on and on, switching from preaching to advising and Sade responded with open heart so much that they didn’t know when it was midnight.
“You can start by deciding to go on a fast tomorrow, even if it’s 6a.m-12pm. You may encounter difficulties owing to the fact that it’s been a long time you fasted,but just keep trying. I will also join you, then by 12pm ,I will call you so we can pray together and then you can eat. Is that okay by you?” He asked searching her eyes and she nodded positively with excitement in her eyes.
“Also, we can do online bible study together on WhatsApp, and then pray over the phone.” He said suggestively and she squeezed her face in confusion.
“Which one is online bible study again?” She asked, smiling halfway.
“This is how we would do it. We would choose a passage in the Bible and study it, then when we come online, you will share your own revelation and I will share mine then take up an action plan from the study..” Kehinde explained and she found it interesting as she nodded her head with interest
“I like that brother Kehinde, that way I will be able to also learn how to sit down and study to get revelation from the scriptures again. Hmmm.. Thank you so much my friend” she said excitedly.
“One more thing, Sade what’s your plan concerning your songs album and Masters?” He asked looking intently into her eyes and watched as she lowered her head in defeat.
“Brother Kehinde, I don’t know. I just want to rise up from my fall first, though I still have this fear that people will criticise me if I go into singing a…” She was lamenting and he shushed her.
“Leave people out of this Sade, when you rise and and begin to perform excellently, people will forget your past and would even make you their role model.” He said and she looked up at him in a striking manner.
” yes!” He said when he saw the surprise in her eyes, then continued.
“Sade, the world is waiting for your rising. Don’t let the past keep your back on the ground…” He wanted to speak further but she cut in.
” Brother Kehinde, it’s not easy here in the village. No studio, no.. Nothing.” She complained.
“Okay! Do you want to come back to the city now?” He queried and watched her as she struggled with whatever she wanted to say.
“I.. I want to but it’s not possible right now. I’ve exhausted all my savings and i don’t want to inconvenience mummy with my burdens and that of Toyin..” She explained painfully and looked away from her.
“How much are we talking about here. I mean how much do you need to get your own apartment and everything you and Toyin would need in the house?” He asked casually.
“Ah! Brother Kehinde, don’t worry o. You have already done more than enough for me and Toyin and I don’t want to bother you more…” She said in dismissal and he started laughing.
“Sister Sade, I didn’t say I would give you the money o. I just wanted to know how much you need so we can start praying and trusting God for it. Or don’t you Believe that God can provide it?” He asked cunningly and she dismissed her thoughts and nodded her head agreeably.
“Take your time and estimate the amount you need and when you want to leave this village,then let me know tomorrow so that we can start praying about it.” He said and yawned as he glanced through his wristwatch.
“Jesu! It’s already 2am Sade, let me release you.” He said and she opened her mouth on hearing the time.
“Brother Kehinde, do you know what? The word of God is sweet, see how we became oblivious of the time and became lost discussing spiritual matters..” She said excitedly and he nodded his head thoughtfully.
“Sade, you are going to lead us to worship God,then pray briefly before going to bed.” He said and her heart skipped.
“I can’t lead in prayers yet brother Kehinde, I’m still…” She wanted to give excuses.
“No excuses please, just start with worship songs first.” He said and maintained a straight face, so she started searching her head and mind for songs and finally came up with a song. She continued the song with a shaky voice for about ten minutes and it was quite obvious that she had no confidence in herself, so Kehinde decided to switch into tongues in order to intercede for her.
She went off key as she picked up another song and struggled over it for few minutes then decided to join Kehinde to pray. He increased the intensity of his tongues so his voice was heard all over the compound.
Sade’s mother woke up and peeped through the window to see who it was that was praying in her house at that ungodly time of the night. She saw Kehinde and Sade praying, then rubbed her eyes and went outside to ease herself. When she was done, she decided to sit down on the mud pavement closed to the entrance door to pray along with them.
The prayer continued as Kehinde prayed louder in tongues, trying to stir up Sade’s spirit then thankfully, like a bolt of tornado she picked up and started blasting in tongues,
“Gbigidm!” Kehinde heard something fell to the ground and opened his eyes which had been tightly shut. He found Sade on the ground,clung to the wooden kitchen seat praying in tongues violently. He remembered the words of his pastor those days, when he was still very young in faith.
“Brothers, do not pray with a sister alone in a secluded place, and even if you are praying in an open place alone, summarise the prayers if she falls under the anointing. You may not be able to handle what follows alone..” The Pastor usually warn them during their Young Men’s Time Out meetings.
He suddenly began to reduce the velocity of his voice in order to summarise the prayers, though he felt the presence of God strongly in the atmosphere. Just when he was making up his mind to end the prayers, Sade’s mother walked up from the pavement where she was sitting and began to do the work of an usher as she tried to hold Sade from injuring herself.
He decided to end the prayers with a worship song in appreciation to God.
After about forty minutes of trying to hold her at a place, Sade’s mother got tired of holding her as she struggled and continued in tongues rolling on the sandy soil. Kehinde observed the frustration of the woman and walked up to them, placed his hand on Sade’s forehead and said with a loud voice;
“PEACE!” He shouted, and she became calm but continued speaking in tongues slowly and crying at the same time. The night started brightening up gradually into day and on checking his time, it had clocked 5:15. He requested for water to wash his face and when ask Sade’s mother permission to leave, Sade stood up and ran into Kehinde’s arms crying.
” I had an angelic visitation.. ” she cried, holding him in a tight embrace and her mother stood aside watching them Kehinde also held her…
Brother Kehinde, please make the hug brief. Mama Sade is watching
Continued reading here
