Finding Trust

Nobody expected him to have a stroke
It was the last thing on everybody's mind
He was young and very healthy
He was in his early 40s
He was a very dedicated husband
He was every woman's dream
The stroke was a game-changer
It changed him 
It changed their marriage
It changed everything 
He traveled to the UK while they
were still dating
He was determined to live abroad
He was one of those bitten by the 
bug of the greener pasture
She didn't care where they lived
She just wanted to be with him
They met in the most bizarre place
The hospital
He was sick and came to get some 
treatment
She was one of the nurses on duty
She was supposed to prepare his
file before the doctor attends to him
She checked his blood pressure
His weight
His height
Asked him some random questions
Checked his pulse
Checked his temperature
At a point, he looked at her
That look 
Yes that look that two intimate couples
give each other
She was never self-conscious when doing
her job
She didn't know what happened
That look pierced through the veneer of
her professionalism
She felt her nipple hardening 
Her heart started beating faster
She quickly released his hands
He saw the reaction
He smiled wryly like a criminal 
He had done something to her
He knew it and so did she
But it was not something she 
could report
It was something she should
blush about and get back to work
He didn't say a word
He saw the doctor
He was to get an injection
She declined giving it to him
She just couldn't trust herself at that
moment 
He left the hospital with his drugs
Later in the evening, when her shift
was over
She changed and headed for her house
He was there, right by the entrance
of the hospital 
Her heart started racing even before
he said a word
They had a crazy physical reaction to
each other
Someone like her should stay far away
from someone like him
She was quite aware of what was going on
It was all chemical reaction
There was nothing logical or reasonable
about it
It is nothing new
But as soon as he opened his mouth
All she felt like doing was kissing
him and cuddling him
She didn't hear what he said
He opened his car door and she
jumped into the car like a giddy 
teenager
He tried to "Toast" her as guys do
She didn't hear his words
She wanted to sleep with him
She needed to sleep with him
He didn't take her home
Apparently, he had asked if he could
buy her dinner and she had nodded
She couldn't remember the words
being said
He asked her what she wanted
She needed fresh air
She jumped out of the car 
She needed to breathe
He watched her weirdly
He didn't know what was going on
inside of her
He provoked emotions she didn't
know she had
Just by sitting next to her
The wise thing was for her to run
But she wouldn't dare leave the 
thrill
The thrill was worth pursuing
She was all of 27 years old and 
they would most likely break up after
a week or two
It would surely end badly
She knew that!
She just needed to follow the thrill
to a logical end
She needed to explore her own emotions
put a handle on them wherever she
could or learn them while she could
She bought some dinner
He paid
He drove her home
She asked him if he would like to
come in
He said Yes
He followed her into her flat
She told him to relax
She switched on the television
He sat down watching the tv
She went straight to the bathroom
She took a long shower
When she was done, she peeped
at him through the curtains
to the sitting room and said 
"Do you want to come in"
He smiled and followed her to
the room
That was the craziest thing she
ever did
Sleep with a total stranger!
Everything zoomed upward from there
He insisted he loved her and 
wanted to marry her
She dragged her feet
She knew how they started 
She told him not to talk marriage
She was willing to keep sleeping
with him until he got tired and
decided he had had enough
He didn't listen
He insisted he will marry her
They had been together for nine
months when he got the admission
He traveled to the UK
She assumed the raging sea affair
was over
She was somehow relieved and glad
She wanted to marry someone who
will keep her eyes and brain working
With him, she couldn't think clearly
They had sex everywhere, like idiots
She couldn't control her wild impulses
around him
And he enjoyed the thrill too
Even though she was the wild one
He went along with all her suggestions
He saw her as fun and different
True to his words, he kept in touch
One year and nine months later
He had graduated and secured a job
He was a very talented software engineer
He was given waivers and exemptions
He married her and processed her
papers
She traveled to the UK with him
They had the life he dreamt about
Living abroad and earning big
The only problem was his perception of her
He assumed she was too wild to leave
to her own devices
He thought the same way she slept with
him on the first day they met
and subsequently slept with him in
public restrooms, on the field at night
and all that
She would do the same with the next
available guy
He didn't say so
But she knew that was the problem
She had to fight him before he allowed
her register to further her studies in
nursing
He would time her whenever she went out
call her every five minutes
Tell her to give the phone to the person
she went to meet to confirm her whereabouts
He was cranky and jealous
He insisted he had a right to be
But she had never cheated on him
She never gave him a reason to be
Whatever wild streak she exhibited was
only with him
So why the policing?
Why the insecurity?
She got pregnant
It didn't get better
He had settled into the pattern
Suspicious of everything 
Controlling and possessive
He insisted she wouldn't work
He was earning more than enough
to keep the family comfortable
And then he had the stroke
He was forty-three
They had been married for thirteen 
years 
They spent a lot of money on his 
recovery
It was slow but steady
Their income took a nosedive
She needed to work
She applied and was immediately
offered a good position in a hospital
She was very qualified
She also had experience
Her income came in very handy
Three months after the stroke
He started walking again with the
aid of crutches
Then the madness began
He insisted she must resign
He insisted she was using the job
as an excuse to sleep with someone
else
He couldn't think straight
How would they feed if she didn't work
How would their children feed
She tried pointing out the obvious
to him
He kept saying he would get a certain
amount of money as benefits
But he needed to process the money
and he had not
What would they survive on in the 
meantime?
He started flying into fits of rage
threatening her and the children
She took it at first
Trying to placate and persuade him
But at a point, it got too much
He pushed hard and she pushed back
Then he called the police
He said she was abusing him
The police came and arrested her
An investigation was carried out
She was allowed to return home with
a strong warning
When she got home, she realized she
had no option
She had to leave him
She couldn't cope with his madness
It was unreasonable for her not to
work
They have children and dependents
in Nigeria
They also have unfinished projects
His disability allowance wouldn't 
cover everything
He also wouldn't work the way
he did before the stroke
She loved him but he had changed
into someone else
She could barely recognize the
monster he had become 
She got a lawyer
When he was served the document
He panicked 
He didn't think she could ever
want to be free of him
He called his younger brother in Nigeria
and told him everything
His younger brother called the
Brother in Jeans and T-shirt
He told him everything he knew
The brother in Jeans and T-shirt
told his younger brother to connect
them
Two days later, he called
Battered, broken, weeping and 
considering suicide
His said his wife had enjoyed the 
good days with him but wanted 
out when the "bad" time came!
They talked
The call went on for almost four hours
He saw the fundamental issue
He had no anchor, no solid base
Human beings will always be human
beings
God will always be God
He refused to embrace the grace of God
through Jesus Christ
He navigated the waters of life by his wit
He had no strength in the day of adversity
The brother in Jeans and T-shirt
led him to Christ and got him filled with
the Holy Spirit
He wept and prayed on and on
The Holy Spirit healed him of his
emotional stronghold
Bitterness, anger, and feeling of
despair all lifted
He sent the Brother in Jeans and 
T-shirt his wife's number
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt
called her
They talked
She really didn't want a divorce
But his behavior had become 
erratic and violent
She needed to protect herself and
her children
He told her that her husband had
changed
He told her about Jesus
He asked her if she would like to 
experience the transforming power 
of God
She said yes!
He led her to Christ and got her filled
with the Holy Spirit
She had been experiencing some 
heaviness and hurt of her own
The Holy Spirit healed her completely

PS: This event happened in London, UK
It's been three years since they met Christ
They are still together
She worked as a nurse and he did
consultation work with many firms
His insecurity was totally eradicated
The stroke left him with a slight
limp on his left leg
But he walked and functioned perfectly
apart from that

The Holy Spirit is a specialist at building
broken lives, marriages, and destinies
You must trust him to do this by submitting
your life and wits to him
As long as self is still in the game
You will limit the Holy One of Israel!
I am praying for homes and marriages
on the verge of a tearing down this
Christmas season, Peace be upon you!
Be built up by the power of the Holy
Spirit in Jesus name! Amen!