The Cloud of Light

The church elders called the
first meeting in April 2015
The wedding was supposed
to have held two Saturdays
before that day
The bride is a daughter of
a respected pastor of the
mission
The groom is also a son of
a respected pastor in the
mission
The two families had met 
and the introduction was
done as expected
The two families picked the
date for the wedding
Everything was set
The Mummy G.O of the mission
sent her representatives
Even sent her financial support
The Daddy G.O of the mission
also sent an envelope containing
fat cheques to both patents 
as support
The engagement date was picked
Everybody got busy
Suddenly the Parent of the groom
developed cold feet
They said their son was too young
to get married
They said their son didnt
have a good job
They said their son was not
yet matured
EVerybody wondered what
happened
Why were they acting out?
Their son was thirty-two years old
Their son was a chartered
accountant 
Their son was of sound health
and mind
Their son was the one who
approached the lady an asked
for her hand in marriage
What was the devil up to?
On the day of the engagement
The groom showed up alone
No member of his family
Not even his younger sister
The bride's parents became
weary
How could they proceed?
It would seem like they
were marrying the young
man without parental consent!
They had to cancel the whole
affair!
The young man was devastated
He refused to return home
He stayed put in the guest room
of the bride's parent's house
The bride's parents didn't
know what to do
Should they drive him out?
Should they leave him there?
He was resolved to marry their
daughter
But things had gone south somewhere!
After a week, the bride's father
approached the General Overseer
He narrated their ordeal
The general overseer called
the elders
The elders summoned both 
families to the church for
a meeting
The meeting was scheduled
to hold by 10 am
Both families arrived on time
The elders wanted to know
what the groom's parents
were objecting to
The groom's parents said the bride's 
parent had used diabolic
means to hoodwink their son
There was a vital information
that everybody kept from them
including their son
Another pastor from the
mission called them to tell
them the information
They were very disappointed
What was the information?
The groom's father said "We
were reliably informed the bride
has Sickle cell disease!
Everybody kept quiet!
It was true
But it was not a secret
Nobody hides such!
Everybody assumed they knew
It was a known fact that
out of all the children the
bride's father had
The bride had sickle cell issues
They didn't know they were
supposed to announce it
to all and sundry when it was
time for her to get married!
The elders called the groom
Were you aware of the health
status of So and so?
The groom said yes!
"What was the name of the 
disease the bride has?"
The elders asked the groom
The groom said "Sickle cell"
"And you are willing to marry
her regardless of her status?"
The elders asked
"Yes I am" replied the groom
Did you discuss this issue
with your parents before the
introduction?
Asked the elders
"No, but I knew about it long
before the introduction!
She had dealt with it for 34 years
I have courted her for two years
I love her and I can cope
When my parents came to me two 
days before the engagement and
said they will not support it!
I felt it is their choice but I am
old enough to make my own choices!
I love her and I want to marry
her"
His parents were there
The Bride's parents were there
The elders were there
His parents spoke
They said they want no part of
the marriage
The young man cried
The bride cried
The parent of the bride cried
The elders have known both
families for many years
They had no right to impose
on one or the other
They admonished both families
to pray and seek spiritual
guidance
Whatever the Holy Spirit says
neither party should hesitate
to do it!
The meeting was adjourned
A report was written and
sent to the General Overseer!
It was a tough case!
When they got home
The bride locked herself up
in a room
She called the brother in Jeans
and T-shirt
They had been friends since their
undergraduate days
He had also prayed for her several times
She just wanted to tell him the 
outcome of the meeting!
He had promised to pray along!
She couldn't help but rant
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt
just spoke in tongues in whispers
at the other end of the line while
she ranted and raved and cried
in frustration
The sickle cell nonsense had
marked her since she was 
born
She couldn't do what others
did
Her life was always hanging by
the thread
There was no year she was not
admitted at least once
So many prospective husbands
faded as soon as she told them
she had the sickle cell disease
She was always with sweaters
and thermals 
She loved the Lord
She became a born again 
Christian as a teenager
She had kept herself holy
She was gainfully employed
She should ordinarily be
married since she was 
twenty-five
Even the most spiritual pastors
close to their family who ought
to marry her waxed cold
Nobody wanted her
She was a liability!
She cried all night
She has a right to live too
A right to live a happy life
A right to do what other
normal human beings do
Would there be a point to
a life lived like hers?
Unwanted, unloved and
borne like a burden by all!
She had prayed and fasted
The General overseer had laid
hands-on her several times
She had made vows and sowed
seeds
She had done everything she
could and all she was doing was
standing to see what the Lord
will do with her life
Then the Lord brought her a 
man
A man who loved her despite
her obvious cross
And life took him from her!
She didn't blame his parents
She would probably do the
same
She just wanted it all to end!
She cried and cried
Her mother hovered around
her door
Her mother didn't want
her to hurt herself
She could hear her feet
pattering in the passage
Deliberately telling her
not to do anything foolish!
After some hours of talking
She told the Brother in Jeans
and T-shirt she had calmed down
and wanted to sleep
They said their goodbyes
She cut the call
She started drifting off to
sleep
She got to that point where
she was not too deep in
sleep to lose consciousness
and she was not too awake
to keep her consciousness
That zone between here and 
there
She heard her name!
She tried to open her eyes
But her eyes had been sealed 
shut
Yet she could see a light
by her door
She paid attention to the light
It began to brighten on and on
Soon it covered her room and 
enveloped her in bed like a cloud!
She began to scream!
Her whole body was on fire!
She screamed and scream!
It was as if she was on fire
all night
After some time the light
began to dim and the light
went away!
When she woke up the next
morning she was in the hospital
Apparently she was screaming 
from her sleep and running
temperature
Her parents were forced to rush 
her to the hospital
By the time they got to the hospital 
she had lost consciousness
The doctor had drawn some 
blood to run some tests
They were waiting for the 
result before treating her
In the meantime they had
placed her on a saline drip!
She was still tingling all
over
She suddenly became 
conscious of her body
She couldn't feel the usual 
dull-ache in her joints
She remembered the experience
she had
She wanted to talk but 
her courage failed her
She had tried the faith 
'thing before
It always failed woefully!
But something was different
this time
The doctor eventually surfaced
He got to her bed and examined
her without a word
He checked her eyes and all
Eventually, he told her parents
he didn't know what happened
or how to explain it
But somehow, her blood had 
lost all the sickle properties
and became normal!
She had been cured somehow!
Wow!
The moment she heard it
she jumped out of bed
She had to test it out
She plucked out the drip
line from her hand!
She jumped, ran, rolled
on the floor and stretched!
She was fine!
She was discharged that
same day
The following day, her father
went to the Elders and told
them God has spoken
He presented the result of
the hospital test
The elders called another 
meeting
Both families arrived on time
The meeting lasted for less
than ten minutes
She shared her testimony
She presented the doctor's
report
The doctor and two nurses
were on hand to verify it
She told the groom's parents
she was willing to follow them
to any hospital to do another
test!
The groom's parents were 
convinced
The elders encouraged both
families to bury the hatchet!
The wedding held a month
later
Ps: The family is still very
much in Nigeria
They live in Kaduna
The Husband is a Pastor
The Wife has a sickle cell
foundation
They have three children
I have gone beyond trying
to convince people miracles
are real
I am a miracle and walk
in miracles
The supernatural is my
habitation
Is there a disease you 
have that seemed to have
taken over your reality
I decree the cloud of glory
to come to you and overshadow
you today!
I decree healing and miracles
to happen all over your body 
now!
Be healed in the name of Jesus
Amen!