RESTORATION

Volume Three.

“Pauline said  a  ‘Yes’ to Richard, call  me ASAP>>>,” it  read. As I  sat  there on  my bed,  it  all  started to make sense to  me. Richard was the so-called friend  I  had confided in a  few  months ago about  my  feelings towards a  girl  named  Pauline  and  as you already know,  she    is the girl  that  almost ruined half  of my face  when she slapped me  with her  hand  that  felt  like it  had been  reinforced  with vibranium. “So Richard actually had a  thing  for her  the  whole while.  And he listened carefully to all  the imagery and scenery  I  had  formed in  my head  about  Pauline and  I.”   I  just  couldn’t  bring  myself  to face the fact  that  I  had  actually  been played.  I  decided to call  Bayo back  and as the phone  rang, I wondered what  exactly it  was that  he wanted to tell  me  that  couldn’t  wait  till morning.  He picked after  the sixth ring.   “Bro,” he said. “what’s up guy?” “Yeah, so it’s actually about  Pauline  and Richard.  You  read my message  right?” {I  really  wanted  to  ask  him why  he thought  I  would even  think  of calling  him at  that  time if  I  hadn’t  seen  his message.} “Yeah.”  I  said.  “I  didn’t  see  it  coming  man,” I  added.   “Well, lesson for  you.  Next  times, you’d act fast  before  the game gets spoilt.”
“Whatever.  It’s not  like  I  even wanted to date her.  Thanks anyways,  I  appreciate bro.”   “Yeah,  have  a nice  day  man.” “You too.”  I  replied as  I  ended the  call. Looking  to  my  left,  I  saw the Bible  I  dropped  on the bed  earlier.  I opened it  and started flipping  through the pages,  taking  quick  glances at  words and letters that  my  eyes  could catch.  I  read a  portion that talked about  the spirit  of understanding, another  that  talked about God’s  love towards us as His children  and  yet  another  that  talked about how Peter  preached and  won  about  three thousand  souls to Christ during his first  sermon.  I  couldn’t  understand any  of the verses  so  I closed the  Bible,  put  it  back  on my  bedside cabinet and  as usual,  I picked up  my  phone, reeled off  some tissue paper, got  some  Vaseline and headed  to  my  bathroom to  find pleasure  in  jerking  myself  off. Once  again as usual, a feeling  of guilt  wrapped itself  around  my mind  as  I  sat  on my bed after  exiting  the bathroom.  I  began to think of how one day, during  one of our  family vigils, my  dad prayed for  me specially and told  me  that  God told  him that  He wants to use me for great  and mighty  works.  I  shivered at  first, but  then  I  began to assure myself  that  none of  what  my  dad had  said could  ever  come  to pass. Back  then,  I  found  comfort  in  the fact that  I  was addicted to masturbation  and  concluded  that  if  only my dad  knew how much of his Vaseline  I  stole  every  week  from  his  room to masturbate,  or  if  he actually knew that  I  was  the reason  he kept  changing  his  Wi-Fi password,  he  most  probably  wouldn’t  have  said  I  will  do great  and mighty works for  a  God  I  never  believed to exist.  

Or  do  I?
Still  there on my  bed,  I  began to imagine  myself  as one  of  those popular  pastors.  I  imagined myself  laying  hands on people and performing  miracles like those  my dad  did in our church almost every Sunday.  I  pictured  myself  standing  to preach to  millions of people and at  the same  time  quoting  many verses of the bible.  I  chuckled  when  I came  to  realize  the fact that  the only bible verse  I  could recite offhand was John  3:16  and  that  was because  in junior  Sunday  school, we  were told  that  anyone who  couldn’t  recite  the verse  during  our oral  quiz would  be exempted from  the  sweets  that  were to be shared later  that day.  Of  course,  I  answered correctly  and  even assisted in helping  two other  people so  I  could have  both their shares of the sweets. I  thought  about  how good it  would  be for  my  name  and  pictures to be all  over  the  internet and billboards if  God could use me for  His work.  I  thought  about  breaking  free  from  the hold of  masturbation and pornography,  I  thought  about  liberation  from all  my  inner  fears; the fear  of not becoming  an  important  person  in  life,  the fear that  one day, I  would  die and probably go to hell  fire since my dad said that  was exactly what  happened  to those that  didn’t  accept  Jesus Christ  as their Lord  and Savior  before they  left  this world, the  fear  of  failing my exams and most of  all, the fear  that  God actually exists. The  other day, the  man in my  dream  told  me  that  he had the power  to save  me  from  myself.  What  exactly did  He mean  by that?   “Am I  the one  hindering  my breakthrough”?   “Am I  stopping  myself  from being delivered”?

Those  thoughts ran through my mind as  I  sniffed and  came  to notice  tiny balls of tears  rolling  down  my  cheeks. “Could  this be it?”  I  thought. I’ve  heard different  people talk  about  how they  got  a  conviction within their minds before  they gave their lives  to Christ  then all  of a sudden,  I  remembered that  my mum  once  told  me  about  how Gideon in the Bible  asked  the angel  that  appeared to him for  proof that  he was sent by God.  I  decided to act the same way.    I  made up  my  mind  that  if this God heeds  my  request,  I  will  make a decision to serve Him all  my life.   “Dele!”  my  mum called. “Come downstairs  now  and  eat  your  food  before  it  gets cold!”   “Yes  mummy!”  I  answered as  I  quickly stuffed my  Vaseline  under by duvet and dashed  out  of the  room. Before  I  slept that  night,  I  went down  on my knees beside my bed to pray  as  my  dad  had taught  me  when  I  was younger.   “God,”  I  started,  “if  truly You exist  as people say  you do,  if  you were the man in  my  dream the other  night  and if  truly You are the God of the universe as  my  dad says You  are,  visit  me again tonight  and show me properly the way out  of my present  state of distress.  Thank  you in advance.” I  wasn’t  sure  if  that  was actually a form  of prayer  but  I  was keen on testing  to see  whether  or  not this God  actually listened to men.  

That  night,  I  had a  dream…

To  be continued…

THOUGHT TABLE
Oh!  It  seems Dele is gradually coming  to a  realization  that  God exists! Do  you  think God  will  answer  Dele’s  request  and show  Himself  in his dream? I  am very sorry for  bringing  this episode of  RESTORATION  to you people later  than  expected.  As a  means of compensation, episode four will  be out sooner  than you expect.  I  love  you!
Lastly,  I  decree by  the name that  is above every other  name,  {the name of Jesus}  that  any  one  reading  this that  is  struggling with  one form of  addiction  or  the other,  or  passing  through a  phase of intense travail  is  released right  now from  the  shackles  of the devil!  We  put under  captivity every  spirit  of shame  that  the enemy  has been using  to shield you from  realizing  your  glory in Christ  Jesus  by  the  power  of the Holy Spirit, Amen.   Be  assured  that  God is moving in your favor  and  that  you will continue to be in  my  prayers.   God  bless you.