I was ill on Thursday. Very ill. I’m not even exaggerating oh but I thought I was going to give up the ghost! So I started praying with my little strength and reciting Psalms and declaring that ‘I shall not die but LIVE to declare the works of the LORD in the land of the living’. It was really bad. I called my Pastor who kept on praying for me and calling me almost every hour despite his busy schedule. It was so horrible. My mom called me. That woman sha! It’s like she is a spirit that just knows when something is wrong. As much as I tried to pretend that I was fine, she saw through it. But all she could do was pray for me. She was so worried ’cause she knows me. Hmm, I’m a very strong girl so for me to breakdown like that, it was serious.

And this Jand is so annoying. Kani let’s say I were back in Naij, it used to be a thing of joy to fall ill. Number 1, no chores for you. You could falala/lounge in your room all day whilst everyone including my lovely big brothers took turns to say ‘sorry, Temi’. I even remember once I fell ill and my parents ordered my eldest brother to peel oranges for me. Hehehe. It was funny seeing him come into my room, tray in hand. Trust me, I had to enjoy every moment and so I demanded that he cut them up in four little pieces and he sheepishly obliged. Lol! I’m sure he was thinking, ‘you get better and see how I shall deal with you’.

When you fell ill at home, everyone (including my toughie dad) fawned over you. You could laze in the living room watch TV all day whilst everyone fell over themselves to see to it that you were ok. As soon as you go to the hospital and had your medicine in little nylon containers and possibly, injection, you had qualified for special treatment. It was that time that all the ‘treats’ would be thrown in your face. See how popsy will be begging, ‘should we go and buy you Mr Biggs or do you want ice cream’. There would be Lucozade (bottle oh, not plastic, with that orange nylon thingy), glucose, vitamin C, Big Treats bread and all sorts. You would be the King/Queen in the house till you felt better and became a normal citizen again. Even at school, when you returned, everyone would care and ask if how you were feeling, both teachers and students. Even those beefing you would say ‘hi’ that period and there would be no punishment for you by the teachers and principal (for at least that week you returned).

But in this Jand, hmm, there is ABSOLUTELY no fun in being ill o. Gbabe! You are in OYO town. On Your Own. I was locked up in my flat the entire day groaning, writhing, praying and none of my neighbours knew. Not even the person next door. Everyman for himself, God for us all. Thank God for friends but there’s something about Jand you just don’t wanna bother people. Everyone is on the move and so busy. They say things like, ‘oh you should have called me’ but you know its good you didn’t ’cause they wish you well but really are soooooo tied up.

Anyways, there I was lying on my bed on Thursday morning. Something woke me up, whether it was my alarm or my headache, I’m not certain. But I woke up feeling like I fought battles in my dream. My back hurt, I was weak, I had headache, I was hearing all sorts of buzzing sounds in my ears, I had cough, running nose, cold, catarrh (I’m sure the last three are the same but just to pass across the gravity, lol) . And most worryingly, I had no apetite! Ok, I’m no glutton but I do have an okay apetite. I eat once a day. My usual day will start off with a cup of tea then on my way to Church office (where I volunteer), I’d stop by Starbucks and get a Venti Caramel Macchiato or Latte with whipped cream. Around 4, I’d get something to snack on then eat a proper meal at home when I get back (proper meal, being pancakes or the like). Somedays, I’ll just vex and make egusi, ila alasepo Okro or Okra (depending on where you’re from), efo riro (Vegetable soup), dish them in plastic containers and pile them in my freezer so I can always have something to eat when I get back. But the thing about me is that all those things will just lie in my freezer till I have visitors. I don’t like setting a table of food before myself. I prefer the quick concoction/jollof rice than making poundo or amala for myself. I just kent. I digress…and badly too.lol.

Ok, so I had no apetite, no medicine at home apart from the Actifed my friend forgot with me. I took Actifed and kept drifting in and out of sleep, all day on an empty stomok. At some point, I decided to watch some Yoruba movies on RejuvenatedBlendz’s channel on YouTube. As I was watching, the headache was getting even worse. Something then whispered into my ear, ‘Temi, why don’t you watch a sermon, maybe your fave, Aunty Joyce’. So I decided to go to my favourite site : http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/Broadcast/.

To my amazement and delight, the topic for that Thursday was ‘The Lord our Healer’. I just started chanting, ‘Thank You Jesus, Thank You Jesus, Thank You Rapha, I am healed!’. I watched it about 4 times and indeed the Word is a healer. I started feeling better and better. Thanks be to God!

The next day was the beginning of our Praise Weekend at church which we had been preparing hard for. There was no way I was gonna miss it. So I gathered my strength, had a shower for the first time in two days, ironed my choir uniform, left my flat walking like a snail. I then branched at CostCutter to get Innocent Smoothie before getting on the bus.

Upon arriving at church, I felt a bit better. As soon as the Praise and Worship started, it was like magic. I was not dancing as I normally would (trust me, David’s undignified dance is usually my target) but for someone who thought they were going to die the day before, any small motion was a miracle. Friday was absolutely amazing, to put it succinctly. The choir sang ‘Thou Oh Lord’ by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir which yours truly suggested and taught, with the help of our leader, and conducted. As I stood in front of them, I was just kabashing in my heart, praying that it goes well and it did. So all adoration be to the King of kings for that. Here is the song.

This song got me through some difficult times of my life and I just love it with my being. It is from Psalm 3:1-5 almost verbatim.

Psalm 3

1Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

2Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

3But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

4I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

5I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

 

 

Ok, I didn't do it exactly that way

Well that was my story that Friday evening so the song meant even more to me as I waved my hands back and forth to the sopranos, altos and tenors in my conduction. I was indeed grateful to be alive and standing. The praise and worship by guest minister, Silas was on POINT! People, in their joy, came out to the front to dance and I’m sure even the hosts of heaven were dancing along and God must defo have been nodding His heading and tapping His feet. It was great.

Saturday was awesome as well…It was even greater than Friday. Then came Sunday. Hmmn. I’m speeshless about Sunday. It was WONDERFUL! For real! Everything was glorious. I danced till I had backache. Though, I was still feeling a bit woozy, tired and weak, I do not know where exactly that strength came from. God bless our Pastor and his beautiful wife. God bless our choir. God bless our Church. God bless Dayo Bello and his team who ministered. That his drummer and his talking drummer had me doing things I didn’t think I had the physical capability to do. Someone even compared my dancing to Bro Franklin’s. For those of you who don’t know Bro Franklin, here he is in action.

Everyone was agog for God. Even those posh people who usually do ‘to the left, to the right’ during Praise and Worship were exhibiting some skills all in a bid to praise our awesome God who has seen us through January to December.

Then came the scariest part for me. Testimony Time. Azzz in. I wanted to faint cos I’m shy. Seriously, I am. That was my first time in all my life giving a testimony but I just had to tell people what God had done in my life. I had planned that testimony since June, lol. I thank God for His great mercies. God has been good to us all. Mehn, see queue waiting to testify. It was looooong. But we all got through and I was blessed by each testimony and I’m sure mine encouraged some too.

All in all, it was a lovely weekend. I had  great time praising the LORD. I also thank God because despite what/how I feel, I know I AM TOTALLY HEALED IN JESUS’ NAME! Amen.

That’s all folks (for now)

Temiville.xoxo