Reproof

Reproof

Nobody in the church knew what to do with them

They were both ushers

They were both single

They were both of marriageable age

The brother was hustling in computer village

The sister was a teacher

They were both gentle and easy going

But whenever they were in church together, sparks would fly

It was as if they both had an innate dislike of each other

The head usher had spoken with them

"Take it easy, why were you always at each other’s throats"

The pastor had called them to order several times

The assistant pastor suggested that they post them to different departments, perhaps if the proximity was removed there would be sanity

Neither of them agreed

They promised the feud was over

She said he was always acting as if he was her boss on the job

He said she was too sensitive and flared up over every inconsequential issue

They buried the hatchet

Peace reigned!

Weeks later, they worked together at a midweek service

During the service they were all nice and civil

Service over, people went home

They went into the ushering room to count the offering

Suddenly they started again

The lady’s voice drowning all else

His voice was also catching up at the speed of light

The head usher rushed in

What was it this time?

The brother stormed out

Walked straight to pastor’s office

The lady was already telling the chief usher what transpired

He needed to tell his side of the story to someone

The brother in Jeans and T-shirt had been in traffic and got to church just as service was closing

He sat alone in one corner of the church fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit

The brother approached the young man in Jeans and T-Shirt

“Brother so and so, can you believe the level of disrespect of that lady?

I went to the ushering office to supervise the offering count, since it is our rule that cash must be counted in the presence of one or more witnesses and she made a mistake in the counting. All I did was try to correct her and she flared up! Was it a crime to correct her?”

Young man in Jeans and T-Shirt wanted to calm him down and admonish him to be patient and more considerate especially with regards to his relationship with the lady, but when he opened his mouh, this came out… “But you were sleeping with her”

Young man in Jeans and T-Shirt didn’t plan to say it. The words practically jumped out of his mouth before he could bite them back

Something absolutely unexpected happened!

The brother fell on his knees and started weeping, “It is true sir, and we have been at it for over a year. When we come to church we behave like strangers and sometimes I think we genuinely dislike each other but once we leave church and see each other away from church, we cannot help it!

It started one night after vigil, since our houses were like five minutes’ walk apart, I usually walk her and some other church members home early in the morning before going home.

On that particular day, we walked home together.

I usually follow her only up to her gate and then proceed to my house but on that fateful day about a year ago, when we got to her gate, she couldn’t find her keys.

It was like 5am in the morning and we didn’t have a torchlight

I couldn’t leave her alone on the street and I invited her over to my flat till daybreak when her gate would have been opened by her sleeping neighbours

She followed me home

I made some tea, we were having small talk when I made the move

I dropped my tea cup, walked over to her and took her teacup away from her hand

She looked up and I could see that my instinct was right

We wanted each other

So we took each other apart and enjoyed every bit of it

But everything changed from that moment

We were having sex but there were no words

She was single and though she was eagerly sleeping with me, she couldn’t broach the subject of marriage or relationship

Her attitude stank.

It was as if she was determined to sleep with me and put me in my place at the same time

Like she hated what we were doing, she hated herself for doing it with me but because she couldn’t and didn’t want to stop it, she now transfer the guilt and the frustrations to me whenever we are in church

No matter what I say and how I say it, she would flare up

Even when I kept mute and said nothing, she would flare up

And yet later in the evening or at night, I will see her at my door or I would find myself in her bed

We are both in our mid thirties

Life has not been fair

I think we were both just consoling each other

The chief usher emerged from the Ushering room, followed by the lady

The chief usher saw the brother in his mid-thirties kneeling before a much younger man in Jeans and T-shirt

"What is happening here?" The chief usher asked and approached them

Suddenly the chief usher fell backwards under the power of the Holy Spirit

The lady saw what happened and fell on her knees

Lady: Holy Spirit, I am sorry (she began to weep)

They were there for a while

The young man in Jeans and T-Shirt went to sit down and continued his fellowship with the Holy Spirit

When they were done, they felt the release of the Holy Spirit

The young man in Jeans and T-Shirt prayed with them and they left 

They never slept with each other again

When the chief usher came to, he didn’t understand what had happened

The young man in Jeans and T-Shirt never told him

If the Holy Spirit wanted him to know, he wouldn’t have slain him for that long

One year later, the sister got married to a member of the state house of Assembly in her state and relocated with her husband

The brother got married six months later and relocated to the north with his wife

Both marriages are blessed with children

The brother and the lady are still fervent Christians

The brother called the young man in Jeans and T-Shirt and asked him why he didn’t report them to the pastor and recommend them for discipline as it was the norm in the church.

The young man in Jeans and T-shirt replied him that the fact that the words jumped out of his mouth didn’t mean he was the one who said it. “If the Holy Spirit didn’t instruct me to do something, I don’t do it!

If the Holy Spirit felt that approach was what would help you, he would use it but he used the most effective means to set you free from bondage and set you on course for your destinies”

PS: This event happened in 2009

The letter kills but the spirit gives life