*”STRUCK DOWN”*
*_EPISODE FIVE_*
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“She’s not picking my calls, and she’s not back yet. God please have mercy on me, forgive me for letting anger have the best of me over her matter.” Charity mumbled as she paced up and down the small living room, deeply worried.
In no time she heard a knock on her door. With great anticipation, she rushed towards the door to answer it, with hope it was Debby.
“Chinelo.” She called out, wearing a fake smile to hide her disappointment.
“Surprised to see me?” She asked as they hugged and went over to the living room.
“Very much surprised. This is an unexpected visit you know.”
“So I’m not welcome?”
“Lol….you’re funny. You know you’re always welcome here anytime any day.” Charity said with a smile. She asked what she’d like to have, mentioning that she had just brought down jollof rice from the fire and could serve her that if she desired, but Chinelo declined and asked for water instead.
“I remember always promising to come and check up on you for months now, but couldn’t fulfill my promise due to the nature of my job. I’m glad I have the chance to come pay you a visit now.
So tell me my dear friend, how are you? How have you been?” Chinelo said as she sipped a little water offered to her
“I’m fine o. We thank God for everything.” Charity said in smiles as Chinelo shook her head.
“Baby girl you know that’s not the kind of response I want from you. Come on open up to me; we’re not strangers or are we?
Okay let me change my question.
I remember how zealous you were in school about the things of God. Has that changed? Or if it hasn’t, are there new experiences you can share with me? Gist me, let’s start from there.” Chinelo said as she stared into space for a while.
Charity had known Chinelo for a very long time now, since they got admission into the university. They were roommates for a long period of time and lived peacefully as both were Christians.
In those days, Chinelo was passionate about lost souls so she usually did go out of her way to reach out to them through the gift of writing she was graciously endowed with. She also made sure to make out time to intercede for some of her friends who then weren’t saved. She was so passionate about winning souls that she even won her roommate Charity to Christ. Yes Charity was a Christian but hadn’t really had any serious thing going in her spiritual journey, or walk with the Lord.
When she genuinely gave her life to Christ through the influence of her friend and then roommate, she began making conscious efforts towards spiritual growth and knowledge of God.
Recalling the times she came to Chinelo for advice based on spiritual things, Charity wondered in her heart if it was wise to also talk to her about Deborah.
“Hellooooo, are you here at all?” Chinelo asked, waving her hand across Charity’s face.
“Yeah yeah I’m here. I was just thinking….”
“Just thinking? For me to have called you five times before you responded means you were in deep thoughts, not just thinking.
Charity is something wrong? What’s bothering you?” Chinelo asked with concern as Charity exhaled heavily.
“There’s ……I don’t know if there’s something wrong or not, but there’s something I really want to talk to someone about.” Charity said as Chinelo reached out for her hands.
“I’m here for you dear, so talk to me. What is it?”
“There’s this girl…..I don’t know if you’d know her but her name is Deborah. She was my coursemate back then in school.” Charity said and paused as Chinelo tried to think
“Deborah, Deborah Deborah. I don’t really know you with any Deborah.”
“No we weren’t friends. We were just coursemates.”
“Okay, so what about her?”
“We’re living together now. It’s been about two years now.”
“Oh wow. How did you guys manage to meet?”
“Well, it’s a long story sha but to cut it short we met somewhere and I was happy to see her as any other person would be to see a former schoolmate of hers. She opened up to me about her predicament and told me how life has been so unfair to herself and her mom. Out of the goodness of my heart I pitied her and suggested she come live with me pending the time she gets to her feet or something.”
“Hmm…wow. I don’t know you to be the kind of person that’d allow someone into her space because you feel the person needs help.” Chinelo commented
“Exactly, and that’s the point. Probably it was God’s way of bringing us together or something, I don’t know.”
“Hmm….okay, go on.”
“I wasn’t aware of her wild lifestyle before allowing her to come live with me ….she never let me in on it. When I got to know about it, I took it upon myself to intercede for her. To me, I saw the intercession journey as an opportunity to know God more and how He works.”
“Hmmm….wow. Well that’s……it’s a good thing sha. So how has the experience been going. Has interceding for her brought you closer to God and made you know more about Him?” Chinelo said as Charity sighed and shook her head.
“On the contrary, it has made me to be more angry at God and lose faith in Him.” Charity said sadly as Chinelo gave her a surprised look.
“I don’t understand what you mean.” Chinelo said and waited patiently for her to explain further.
“Babe it’s been months I’ve been taking time to pray for the salvation of this soul, yet no changes whatsoever. It’s like she just keeps getting worse everyday that I can no longer tolerate her guts around me. I don’t know, it’s so annoying. I thought doing something like attempting to win a soul for God was supposed to bring you on a closer walk with God, but this one is just filling my heart with doubt and fatigue honestly.” Charity whined as Chinelo listened quietly. All you could just hear was “hmmm” to indicate she was listening.
“Hmmm……wow, interesting.” Chinelo said, still in thoughts.
“Babe I need help, this thing’s driving me crazy. I don’t understand. Is there a way it’s done? Am I doing it the wrong way?”
“Well, I have series of questions to ask you pertaining to this but let me just start with this one: since you’ve been praying for Debby, have you recieved any peculiar instruction concerning her?” Chinelo asked as Charity thought for a while.
“I see you don’t understand the question. Okay, let me put it this way: has there ever been a time the Holy Spirit directed you on the particular prayers to pray over her, or you’re just doing the intercession alone without His help?”
“Hmmm…..I’ve not really recieved any divine instruction since I began interceding for her.”
“Now I think that’s where the root of the problem lies.” Chinelo said and readjusted herself to explain further.
“You know when God send you on an errand, He doesn’t just leave you to your instincts; He guides you every step of the way on what to do, through His Spirit.” She said
“Hmm…okay but in this case now, na me send myself errand o, because I don’t remember God sending anyone to me in the dream and ask me to intercede for her.” Charity said with a giggle. Chinelo smiled in response.
“I understand what you mean. But for you to be do bothered about her and desperately wish to see any trace of change in he means it’s beyond you….the Holy Spirit in you is involved. He’s the one inspiring you to still pray even when till now you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Hmmm…..”
“Yes, but the problem is you’re not involving Him…or rather, He wants to be actively involved, but you’ve refused to acknowledge He’s the one to help you win this soul.”
“Hmmm….. Perhaps that’s why I lost her: I was working on her soul for God without walking with Him to listen to His instructions and let Him guide me every step of the way.” Charity said sadly.
“Who said you’ve lost her? Lol….you’re so funny.” Chinelo said with a giggle.
“You’re laughing because you don’t understand what I’m saying. She packed out of here few days and it’s all my fault. I was so angry and frustrated that I let it out on her. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she left and I have no idea where she could be.” Charity said and exhaled heavily.
“Hmm…..but don’t you think her leaving is God’s way of setting you right back on track?” Chinelo asked thoughtfully as Charity thought for a while to understand well.
“I don’t grab, what do you mean?”
“When you’re obsessed about something or are consistently doing something the wrong way, God removes that something to get back your attention.”
“Hmmm….”
“For example, He knows you’re trying to save this soul for His glory but since you’re doing it the wrong way by not fully involving Him, He decided to separate you two, and probably made me visit you at this time so we could talk about it.
In my spiritual journey and walk with God, one thing I’ve learnt time and again is this: God loves and deeply appreciates what you do for Him, but He wouldn’t want to lose you in the process.
He loves that you want to know what it means to intercede for a soul and eventually win the soul to Christ, but since He has seen you’re already losing faith and getting frustrated, He has decided to separate the two of you so you could have your senses back….
God loves you too much to lose you dear.”
“Hmmm….wow.” Were the only words that escaped Charity’s lips.
“Okay, enough preaching already. Let me be on my way now, it’s getting dark outside.”
“A more reason you should sleepover.” Charity said, pleading with her eyes.
“Haa nooo, sleepover used to be planned o.”
“Well, call this one an impromptu.” She said with a wink.
“I have a lot of things to do back home abeg.”
“You know all those things are just flimsy excuses. You stay with your sister, so she can take care of the house while you’re away.” Charity said as Chinelo exhaled and thought for a while.
“Haba please now, you don’t need to give it much thought. Just say yes……just one night o, just one.” Charity said as she held her hands pleadingly.
“Well, I think I can stay. Just tonight o, don’t try talking me into spending another with you.”
“I promise I won’t…..” Charity said with a big smile on her face as she leaned in and gave her a hug to show appreciation.
“Tonight’s gonna be amazing”
πππππ
Fred was deep into thoughts that he didn’t notice Deborah pass by him twice.
“Babe is something wrong this night? You look worried.” Debby said to him but he was too absent-minded to hear her.
“Babe!” Debby called for the umpteenth time and shook him. It was when her hand touched him that he became conscious of his environment.
“Babe what is it? I’ve been calling you for God knows how long now.” Debby said, a little pissed off.
“I’m sorry dear, I was thinking about something.”
“What exactly?”
“A better future for us.” Fred said with an insincere smile which Debby overlooked and smiled in return.
“I brought you food… your favorite.” She said as his eyes shifted from her to the food before him.
“I appreciate your efforts in making this for me babe, but honestly I’m not hungry.” Fred said calmly as Debby’s countenance fell.
“But you complained of hunger not too long ago, how come you’re no longer hungry?”
“It’s not that I’m not hungry, it’s like I’m more hungry to be with you than I am for this food before me.” He said lovingly as Debby smiled widely.
“Let’s go to the room then. I’ll clear the table first.” She said happily and packed the food.
Fred smiled in response.
As soon as she left, his phone beeped with a message.
“Don’t forget our discussion this evening. Remember our agreement: I want her by this time next week. Your money wouldn’t fail to come in as promised.” It read.
“I hope I’m making the right choice.” He thought to himself.
*_To be Continued…_*
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