The Proposal

One of my teachers had insisted
for many years that "black" people
as defined by the "pink" people
are not black as much as the
"pink" people are not white. 
But stereotypes remain as they have 
always been! 
The same applies to a saved person.
You can assume you are a sinner all
you want but if you have given your
life to Jesus, you have become the
righteousness of God in Christ Jesus
You are no longer bound to sin and 
death but, well, you may choose not
to walk in this reality and suffer
from guilt and condemnation

 
So, I met this lady today,
a beauty in a yellow body
hug and pair of jeans.
She is a born-again Christian.
She is single. She had a guy
she was dating some years ago,
they wanted to get married but
the guy got a scholarship to study
in the UK and they broke up
because she didn't see any sense
in a long-distance relationship.
 
After four years, this guy had
completed his Masters and started his 
Ph.D. He decided to come to Nigeria.
He called her out of the blues
and informed her he was coming home.
She was torn. She thought "How do I
take this information now? Do I ignore
him or act as a friend?"
 
She was single, hoping for a good 
relationship, and had prayed earnestly 
about her marital destiny. 
She didn't want to ignore him. 
It would take a lot of willpower and
she didn't have much of that.
 
She had loved him with the whole
of her being and there had been
no other person in her life that
could hold a candle to him.
He was her first love, her
joy, the only one she dared
to dream of a future with.
She had hoped that they would
get married and they were working
on it before the dreaded letter arrived 
informing him of the opportunity to 
study abroad for free. 
She knew it was a glorious opportunity 
but she also understood the power of 
the environment.
 
He was going to meet another lady
in the UK and dump her.
She was so sure of that.
She didn't want to be the
lady waiting for Godot. They had
a candid discussion and she told him
it was either he takes the opportunity
or marries her. He told her
he had to take the opportunity.
 
She didn't begrudge him for it.
She understood and moved on.
If she had met another guy she
would have moved on but many
days of fasting and crying had
produced only the message "Hold on,
I am at work" from the Holy Spirit.
 
She calmed herself down and waited
until he called and told her he
was coming to Nigeria. If she had 
something better to do, she would
say no but she didn't.
She was working as a marketer
for a cosmetic company. The job
is fine but it is not fulfilling.
 
His call felt like a call
from destiny itself, it made her giddy
and excited in a strange way.
He was her ex-lover. A man
she believed she ought to have
built a future with. For many days,
She had gone to the Holy Spirit
in tears wailing that she believed
she ought to have taken the deal
he offered before saying no.
He had offered her marriage after
his masters. She felt it was a
consolation prize that he would renege 
on as soon as he met another woman.
 
Humans are a unique specie and
she was sure he would surely move
on as soon as he saw
a set of panties willing to
support him abroad. They both came
from a very poor background and
she would do the same if
she was in his shoes.
Hope would be like a delusion
for her. That was why she
walked away. He gave her the
time his plane would arrive in Nigeria.
 
She braced herself and cleared her calendar. 
She was going to be
a friend. She called the brother
in Jeans and  T-shirt. 
"What should I do?" she asked. 
He said, "Brace yourself, this miracle 
will hit you like thunder".
She felt the reply was a little cryptic.
 
When she woke up in the morning,
a thought drifted to her mind.
"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people"
It was also cryptic but the
voice was so loud and somehow
it took the edge off her feelings.
She took it as a green light
and dressed up for the meeting.
When she got to the airport
she met his old friend, Alfred.
She had not seen him in
four years. Alfred disappeared as soon
as she broke up with him.
She didn't even give him a
second thought. He saw her and
came to embrace her.  He said
"I told my friend you are faithful
and seeing you here proves that
in more ways than one".
 
They waited patiently for the flight
to land. They talked and caught up.
Alfred had become a senior manager
in a pharmaceutical company. 
He had become quite successful in four years
and he remained very humble.
She was impressed.
 
They chatted for a few minutes
until the flight landed, after which,
they waited for like an hour
until he cleared immigration.
He looked just as he had
always looked. No beard, no long hair,
no tattoos, just him. She watched
him keenly as he pushed his
pieces of baggage towards them.
 
He saw her and his face lit up.
He opened his arms and she
ran into them. She still didn't want
to give him the wrong impression
but it felt so great to see
him again. He hugged her so tight,
it felt as if he wanted to
pin her to his body. She had
missed him but it was his
action that brought tears to her eyes
She had been apprehensive. 
She didn't know how he would receive her.
Their last meeting before he left
wasn't entirely pleasant. 
She had ranted and raved, cussed, and 
cursed him for dumping her for his ambition.
She wasn't so sure he would have 
forgotten that bitter moment. 
His reaction however showed neither 
restraint nor grudge. 
It was all love.
 
After an eternity of holding her,
he dropped her and without any delay 
kissed her right on the lips
Wow!
 
She was still reeling from the hug
and didn't know how her lips
and body were so quick to respond.
His action made her feel so important.
After the kiss, his friend
approached them and they all hugged. 
Then he looked right into her eyes and 
said "I have dreamt of this moment for
many years, I missed you so
much but while I wish you
would move on and be happy,
I also hoped somehow God would preserve 
you for me because I
have never stopped loving you.
My friend kept an eye on you
and told me everything that I
needed to know about you in
the last four years. I told him
to come here today with a gift
for us and I hope you wouldn't
mind that I want to do this here."
 
She couldn't understand what he was 
saying until his friend handed him
a small box. He opened it and
produced a ring, an engagement ring!
It was just too much, way too much.
 
She started screaming and running 
around like a child. It was the
last thing on her mind, the
last thing she expected
She woke up that morning expecting
to see him, welcome him and
return to her job. She had
even rehearsed how she would tell
him a bold NO if he asked
her for anything outside of the
friendzone. He remained on his knees
until she got a hold of herself.
 
She walked up to him, took
the ring, wore it, said "Yes,
I will marry you" and kissed him shamelessly. 
They were a sight to behold at the airport 
but neither of them cared.
He said "My joy, I have made
all the arrangements, we can be married 
within the next two weeks and
a month, depending on your family
and their demands. She cried joyfully
while resting her head on his shoulders.
 
She picked up her phone and sent the brother 
in Jeans and T-shirt a message.
"Your God can and has done the impossible"

PS: I met with the couple a few hours
after he proposed and the meeting was a
glorious one
The Lord is indeed settling the solitary
in families this season
Blessed be His Holy name