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IKEJA, LAGOS, NIGERIA 1986
Sarah quickly moved aside in a quick stride but she was late. The laundry water made sure it had a clinging party with her beautiful yellow satin dress.
“How dare you?” she asked angrily and started towards the man who had done this wicked deed to her. On getting closer, he shut the door in her face.
In amazement, she knocked vehemently on the door in front of her.
“Knock, knock, knock.” No answer. “Knock, knock, knock”.
The door swung open. The man’s clearly disgruntled face stared at her.
“What?” he spat, “did I kill Jesus? I told you before and I’ll say it again, I don’t know anybody by the name of ‘Jay’. Why don’t you ask your so called Jesus, after all, they both have the same letter at the beginning of their names. They just might know each other you know!”
Sarah fumed, “what has that got to do with soiling my dress?” I only wanted to preach to you since I couldn’t trace who I came to follow up on. If you didn’t want to listen, is this the best way of expressing it? Are you out of your mind?’
“Are you talking to me?” the man asked.
“Who else is here?” Sarah replied.
“Ok! Just wait for me”. The man shut the door. Sarah wondered. The door opened and Sarah took off. She preferred laundry water staining her dress rather than her blood staining it as the man pointed the double barrel at her.
The man shouted after her “silly girl! Why didn’t wait for me to blow you into pieces because of Jesus. Ha ha……. He laughed at her.
When she got to a considerable distance, she stopped running. Panting, she walked slowly home. Tears welled up in Sarah’s eyes. She hated the humiliation, the abuse, the insult. She had sacrificed so much for Jesus but this persecution was hard to bear.She had never been chased by a gun all her life. As she walked, the tears ran down her cheeks.
Then she remembered what the word of God said, “yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim 3:12.. She remembered the words she had read often in Luke 6 : 27-28: Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Sarah heard the voice of God’s Spirit say to her “You have to pray for him. Pray that his soul should be saved.” Sarah did.
WUSE II, ABUJA, NIGERIA 2004
“Mam, there’s someone looking for you downstairs, he says he’s Sergeant Roberts, a retired soldier.
“I don’t know such a person. I have no time for this, you know, don’t you?” Sarah carefully arranged the books she had earlier selected back into their shelf.
“I know mam, but he also says he’s a Pastor and wants to thank you for leading him to Christ.” Sarah looked up from the shelf curiously at her maid who just shrugged and said “it’ not impossible mam, everyone knows that that’s your number one business.”
“I’ll be right down.” With her mind wandering, Sarah walked downstairs and faced the visitor. She had no idea who he was. But, he knew who she was and fell on his knees.
“Please get up, she demanded. Please!” he didn’t.
“Forgive me! I pointed a gun at you and almost killed you 18 years ago. I had no peace after that day, until I found Jesus. But that wasn’t enough; I wanted God to know how sorry I was and did everything possible to serve him, so I became a Pastor. Still, I knew I had to find you to say I’m sorry for insulting Jesus and indulge your forgiveness. I knew it would be hard to trace you, but I thank God your ministry is famous. I summoned up courage and came here today for this reason. Please forgive me.”
“I forgave you that very day and counted it worthy to be insulted for the sake of Jesus. “Come, let us have lunch together.In the past, you were my enemy but today you are my brother. All thanks to God for insults and persecution.”
They walked together into the dining, both cleaning their eyes.
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