Complex

Complex

He had to drop out of secondary school due to financial reasons

His father died when he was seven years old

His mother was saddled with four children

They had no helper from anywhere

He was the first child

Most days they barely had enough to eat

It was one of his uncles whom his mother ran to for help that suggested that he be taken out of school to earn some money in order to support the family

So how can a 13 year old earn some money?

His uncle gave his mother three kegs of palm oil with instructions on how to sell

He became the palm oil hawker

The profit from the palm oil became their source of income

Her mother returned the cost price to her uncle every other week in order to collect another keg

This was how they survived until his younger sisters also learnt to hawk

Their mother also joined them

They sold more, made more profit and even got a shop

By the time he turned 18, his mother decided he should learn tailoring

He needed to learn a craft and good tailors were in high demand

He took quickly to the craft

One day he was going to his shop

He saw a preacher, preaching at a crusade

“Jesus is this, Jesus is that!”

He couldn’t explain what happened

He felt drawn to the crowd

 The preacher asked those wanted to give their lives to Jesus to come forward

He did

He became born again that night

He continued to attend the crusade until it ended

He joined a local church as instructed by the preacher and became a fervent Christian

Before long he received the power of the Holy Ghost in full measure

Signs and wonders followed his ministrations

Many from far and near experienced the power of the Holy Spirit through him

His fame spread abroad

A lady came to him

A wealthy and well educated lady

Her mother was dying of a mysterious disease

They have tried every avenue to get help

Help wasn’t forthcoming

He was their last hope

He ministered to the woman, she was set free

The lady was very grateful

The lady came to him

“Sir, I respect the anointing of the Lord upon your life

I will like to support your ministry in any way you desire

But I will like you to pray about my marital destiny

That God will bring me my own husband!”

He prayed with her

Later that day, his senior pastor called him for a meeting

The senior pastor explained to him carefully

‘A young lady came to make enquiries about your availability for marriage, the lady was quite smitten and rightly so, are you seeing anybody at the moment?”

He was not seeing anybody

The senior pastor asked him to pray about it!

He prayed but not with sincerity…

How could he expect an educated, wealthy single lady to take any interest in him?

If he married the woman, he would have no authority whatsoever over her

She would not obey him or listen to his instructions

She would be acting like his equal or even his boss

Such a woman would never follow his lead

She would make him feel inadequate all the time

Even though he was a poor man

He wanted to marry a woman who will look up to him, not one who would be looking down on him

He told the senior pastor he was not interested

The lady came to see him afterwards

They had sort of become friends and could talk now that the issue of marriage or no marriage was out of the way

He explained to her that apart from God being silent on the matter, their class disparity would be a problem

The lady asked if he would recommend any other god fearing person

There was a brother in the prayer team

The brother was a new convert

The brother used to be a Transport union tout before he met the Lord

The church was planning to enroll the brother in the cane chair craft

The brother was in his 30s

Had never been married, but he is full of the Holy Ghost

The lady approached the senior pastor

The senior pastor swung into action

The brother was willing and ready to marry the Sister

Nobody gave them a chance

The brother ventured into fire extinguisher and safety material’s supplies

Supported by the lady and his previous connection with the bus drivers and transport union, it became an instant hit

18 months later, the brother married the lady

One year later, the brother and the lady were posted to head a branch of their church

They were an incredible team together

They have three children

And she was the most supportive wife ever!

PS: He married a fellow tailor

Someone with less education than himself

They have three children

But her lack of education and exposure reflected his current realities

He wished he had prayed more sincerely when he had the chance