WITH THIS RING – a novel – will be posted all through this month
By: Pastor Taiwo Iredele Odubiyi
Read and be blessed.
(Day 23)
Femi continued. “However, I’m not here to condemn you but to help you. Have you asked God for forgiveness?”
“Yes, Pastor.”
“Good. Have you also asked Him to help you?”
“Yes, Pastor.”
“Good. I’m sure He will. What’s the position of the man?”
“He wanted me to abort it but I haven’t heard from him since I told him of my decision to keep the baby.”
“I need to say that I admire your courage to keep the baby, face the consequence, and become a single parent. You know people will get to know about it and talk about you yet you decided to keep it. That’s what following God is all about: doing the right thing.”
Ibie was shaking her crossed legs as she listened.
Femi continued. “I’m sure you also know that you will be stepped down in your department and be on suspension for four months, don’t you?”
“Yes sir.” Grace said, still looking down.
Ibie shook her head sadly, and then folded her arms across her chest.
The pastor went on. “Some people would have had an abortion and continued like nothing happened. They take the law into their own hands; deal with the situation their own way by covering their tracks but as far as God is concerned, that is worse. You have chosen to own up and put your trust in God. I like that.”
Ibie heaved a sigh.
Femi continued. “In a situation like this, your family has to be involved whether the man likes it or not. You have a family. The involvement is not to ask for anything or force him to do anything. Your family needs to know the father of your baby and ask a few questions. Do you understand?”
Grace nodded. “Yes sir.”
He looked at Ibie, “Fix a time for the meeting and let her know so she can inform him.”
“Okay Pastor.” Ibie said.
Still looking at Ibie, he added, “You can have someone from both your family and her father’s family. I’d like to meet him too if it’s possible.”
“Okay sir.” Ibie said.
He looked back at Grace. “Your mother is upset but that’s only to be expected. She is the head of the Singles’ Fellowship. Have you told her how sorry you are?”
Grace looked up and answered, “Yes.” Then she looked at her mother and said, “Mummy I’m sorry.”
Ibie didn’t talk as she sat back, still shaking her stretched out feet.
He spoke again. “In spite of this, God is still on the throne and because He’s on the throne, it is well. We can still pray and we’ll pray now, commit this situation into God’s hands and trust Him to work things out.”
He prayed. Afterward, he told Grace, “Okay, er … I’ll just talk with your mother briefly.”
“Okay sir. Thank you, sir.” She said and got up.
When the door of her bedroom closed, Ibie spoke, “Pastor, where did I miss it? Please tell me, I don’t know.”
“This is not your fault, Pastor Ibie. Don’t blame or condemn yourself.”
“But my daughter’s pregnant and the man does not want it, two mistakes! I feel responsible!”
“I know but you’re not responsible for it.” He said and took a deep breath. He added, “We will have to trust God for help.”
Just then, his phone began to ring. Looking at it, he told Ibie, “It’s my dad. Excuse me please.”
“Okay sir.”
He picked it, listened to what his father had to say and told him that he would call him back.
He put the handset down beside him and told Ibie, “And so, Pastor Ibie, we have to support her. It’s bad but it has happened. We must not allow her to drown in sorrow or be alone. If we don’t talk to her or she feels she can’t come to you, she will go to other people, and she might be misled. In a situation like this, it can be difficult to show love but we have to.”
Ibie took a deep, calming breath before she nodded. She knew all these things, of course.
He went on. “Take note that I’m using ‘we’. That is because I’m here for both of you. Have you talked to her?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“You have to. Don’t leave her alone. Ask her questions and listen to her. She’s still your daughter. Weeping and anger do not change the situation in any way. Let her know you are there for her. What some parents would want to do is shout at her and let her know she did not follow the teachings she was given and the way she was raised. They would abandon her or ask her to go and live with the man who impregnated her but doing this would only cause more troubles for her.”
“I know but … Pastor, I’d thought of her wedding day several times. Both of us had discussed a number of times and she said she would like to get married next year at the age of twenty five. I was already looking forward to that, praying about it and praying for her. And now this!”
“I know the feeling.” He said sympathetically.
“The last I knew, she was a virgin. Everything was going on well. I regularly told her how to avoid falling into the error of premarital sex and ungodly relationships, using myself as an example and she assured me there was no problem. I didn’t see this coming at all!”
Femi nodded. “She made a wrong decision.”
“What do I do now? What’s the way forward?”
“Before I tell you what to do, let me tell you what you should not do. One, don’t send her away from the house like some people would do.”
She began to shake her head. “No.”
“I know you won’t do that. Two, don’t continue to tell her how much she has disappointed you and God. She knows that already and she’s feeling very bad about it. She’s already feeling ashamed. I could see it written all over her.”
Ibie nodded.
“What we all need to do is love, support and pray for her. Doing these doesn’t mean that we agree or approve of what she has done but it simply shows that we are offering her forgiveness and love like we should as Christians. We are helping her and at the same time, we are being like our heavenly Father.”
“I understand.”
“And so, you’ll need to ask which hospital or doctor she has in mind to use, what she’s eating or not eating. And when the guy comes, let no one shout or blame him. We don’t want anything that will be counter-productive. It takes two to tango anyway.”
She nodded. “Okay Pastor.”
“Everything will be fine, Pastor Ibie.” He assured her.
She nodded as her lips turned upward into a sad smile. “I believe so. Thank you very much, Pastor. Would you like something to drink? I have juice, soft drinks.”
“Juice would be great. Thanks.”
Ibie got up and went into the kitchen. She came out almost immediately with a tray that contained a glass cup, a cup filled with ice cubes, and a bottle of juice. Setting the tray down on a small table before Femi, she dropped a few ice cubes in the glass cup and poured it full.
“Thank you.” He told her.
He felt like confessing his feelings for her but knew this was not a good time for that.
“This is a nice place.” He said instead.
As soon as Femi left, Ibie went to Grace’s room, knocked the door briefly and entered without waiting for an answer. Their doors were never locked unless unfamiliar visitors were around.
Grace was lying on her back in bed. She opened her eyes and saw her mother. She closed them back and pressed her lips firmly together.
Ibie came to sit beside her on the bed, and took Grace’s left hand in both of hers. Ibie’s eyes became misty and she didn’t talk for some seconds as she fought for control.
Tears began to run down the corners of Grace’s eyes.
With a shaking voice, Ibie began, “Grace, I have to admit that your pregnancy came as a rude shock to me. It was the last thing I expected but … I forgive you. You’re my daughter and I will always love you no matter what.”
Tears escaped down her face. She used the back of her hand to wipe her face and continued. “I want you to know that I will be there for you and support you every step of the way. We will make it, God will see us through.”
Fresh tears pricked Grace’s eyes.
“How do you feel emotionally?”
“I’m a little afraid.” Grace said and burst into tears, covering her face with her hands.
Shifting to sit by the head of the bed, she pulled Grace’s head close and put a hand gently on her shoulder. She wiped off her own tears and nodded. “I know the feeling. I wasn’t a Christian when I got pregnant with you, and I was very afraid. I had panic attacks … but look at me today. God helped me. He will help you. You don’t have to worry.” She assured her.
She sniffled a couple of times, took a deep breath and then began to sing as she used her right hand to smoothen Grace’s hair back.
(To be continued.)
You will learn about the mercy of God and that there is hope for you, in this novel.
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