EBIERE 12

 

“Hello, beautiful sister, welcome to church. This must be your first time, I have never seen your face before.” A pretty young lady said to me, all in one breath with a very large and infectious smile on her face.

“Hi, I replied smiling back “I attended your Christmas service, but this is my first Sunday service.” “Oh! Interesting”. Idehen was such a vibrant young woman and she seemed so full of life that I couldn’t help but envy her. That was how a friendship that was to alter the course of my life began.

Idehen, a young lady of 25 had just completed her Masters degree in Japan. She moved back to Nigeria a month before we met. She came to see me the following week and mehn! She was so easy to talk to. I shared all my ‘dark secrets’ with her without fear. 

Before she left, she gave me a book titled “The Prodigal Father” authored by a certain Rev. Craig Omorotionmwan. I was confused, I had heard of the prodigal son, but never of the prodigal father but Idehen promised that it would bless me.

When Nonye came back home, she was surprised to see me reading a ‘religious’ book. She laughed and said that I had caught the ‘religious fever’, whatever that means.

As I read the book Idehen gave me, I kept saying to myself, “God, let what this man is writing be true.” I mean! How can God be this good? Does it mean all I’ve been told are lies?

I was on the last page with tears in my eyes when I began to mutter inaudible words to myself. Jesus! I was doing what all those crazy Christians do, praying in tongues they called it. Me, Ebiere! Pray in tongues? I could not believe it, still, I could not stop myself. I kept on that way for about an hour and when I finally stopped, it felt like a huge burden had been lifted off my chest. I felt lighter.

Maybe this thing really works. Maybe Rev. Craig was right in his book that God is willing to accept me. I decided to attend church regularly. It won’t be bad to hear more of this interesting, liberating news.

I said a short prayer under my breath for God to help me and accept me and for the first time since papa died, I felt peace.