Writing On Sand

A recent event made me remember an incident that happened when I used to be a Sunday school children teacher. I was just 18 years old and I was the Head of the Children Department in my church and the only one managing the baby and older children class. After a while, an assistant came in, a Hausa mother, who would tell me ‘Toh, Mummy children (my assigned name) you dey try with these children oh”. After a while she left and another woman  came. 


Imagine seeing one tiny girl,on a Sunday morning with long flowing hair, stiletto, earrings come into church enter into a room and few minutes later seeing her running around the church in a plastic apron, hair tied back, jewelry off and wearing flip flops trying to get the whole logistics, feeding etc ready for the day. 

It kinda looked like this

 I was about to teach on one Sunday morning when I suddenly started looking for my Bible’s magnifying glass. I knew the children play with it but they usually return it when I’m about to teach. I kept asking for the glass to be returned but the children kept saying “Wee don’t know oh”. The teaching continued and suddenly I stopped and walked (whilst still speaking) straight to a boy, dug my hands into his pockets and brought out the glass. The boy was shocked and sat frozen. All this time, I didn't stop speaking and I walked back to the pulpit and continued teaching like nothing happened. 

Then I noticed pin-drop silence (which is rare in children’s church) and innocent pair of eyes staring intently at me. It occurred to me that two things had happened.

1.   They had witnessed someone-who was their Sunday school classmate- being caught and would probably be teased and victimized for a very long time.
2.  They had also  witnessed something which could make them revere me which I would never want to happen because I did not do it on my own.

I stopped speaking and told the boy to come out and told the children to point to him and then asked them “How many fingers are turned back at you?” They said,” Three” and I said, “ Let none of you accuse or victimize this boy after what happened today”. Enough said. The service continued. The boy learnt his lesson and behaved himself after that and I had less headache.

  

It’s so easy to point fingers and be quick to start throwing ‘rocks’ at people when they err and forget that it could have just been you too. Chastise, correct, even criticize (constructively) but NEVER condemn because it was extreme grace that was shared for us. 
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.(1 Corinthians 10:12) 

Remember the story of the adulterous woman in the Bible and the writing on the sand? A school of thought has it that the Jesus was writing the names of the people they too had been with.. 

That was the list ABOVE all lists

The twins

One of my ex-officio. Hehe, see brilliant boy. 

When I started teaching, I couldn't stop laughing because the children were so funny and spontaneous but with time, I learnt. I am always happy when I hear from these children, today they are all in different parts of the country and the twins (tiny babies back then. The boy was an excellent drummer before he was a year old) are in the US. It involved a whole lot of prayer and following up especially during exams. A thought came to me once that we could maybe come together in one place to sing on some big fancy stage.*Day dreaming*. Then again, it would involve stupendous mercy and grace oh. 

As the year runs out I am counting my blessings and the not blessings and I am so grateful for these ones. I am also grateful to God for my Family especially my mother and brother, my LA (Learning and applying the word) family on Twitter and Whatsapp, Precious friends so numerous to mention. I am also grateful for the birth of my pretty darling niece, Omuwa. For good food and fresh air and to you wonderful readers, if not for you I for don close shop oh. 

I pray God gives you that/those thing(s) you have been waiting on Him for, even at the eleventh hour. Remember you have an intercessor. Romans 8:26

Are you counting your blessings?

Have a blessed 2014 fam.