(A true life story)
by
Praises Chidera Obiora
A pastor who was praying in his church, received a call from his wife. She told him the kids were all sent home from school for their school fees. She told him she had gone back to the school to beg the management for some more time to pay up, but they had refused.
The pastor had some amount of money with him – thirty thousand naira in total. He told his wife to wait at the school while the children returned back to class.
“I am coming to pay something. Give the principal the phone let me talk to him.” He instructed.
The phone was handed over to the principal and the pastor told the principal to allow his children attend lessons.
“I am coming to drop something sir. I am on my way please. Let them return to class. I do not want them to miss classes.” He said.
The principal agreed.
Quickly the pastor picked the amount of money and flagged down a taxi. He announced his destination to the driver and the journey began.
While in the taxi, a conversation was raised by a passenger about the situation of the country. The pastor told the passenger that he was on his way to pay his children school fees and he didn’t even have the complete fees yet. The driver also complained about his inability to pay his own children school fees.
“I haven’t even finished feeding my family not to talk of raising school fees. Just yesterday, my wife just delivered of a baby, and I do not have money to pay her hospital bills. My rent would soon be due. I do not know what else to do.” The driver spoke bitterly.
Everyone spoke at random about the country’s situation. While they spoke, the pastor heard a voice clearly. It had come through his right ears.
“Give him the money in your hands.”
The pastor laughed to himself. The passengers in the car wondered why the pastor was laughing.
To the pastor, the message sounded funny, considering the fact that God knew he needed the money to pay his children fees. God couldn’t possibly ask him to give out his children school fees to a man he never knew from Adam.
“O devil you are liar.” The pastor muttered to himself and blurted in tongues.
Half way to his destination, he heard the voice a second time. This time, it was louder and clearer.
“Give him the money in your hands.”
The pastor became sad. He knew it was the voice of God. But then, he thought about his children. He thought about the commitment he had made to the principal. He thought about the way his wife will feel when he tells her he had given out his children fees to a random driver he had met in a taxi to solve his problems, while he was still left with his unsolved.
When the driver arrived at his children school, instead of paying his transport fair, he pulled out thirty thousand and handed over to the driver.
“Take this. Pay your wife’s hospital bill. And settle your rent. It is all I have.” He announced.
The driver collected the money with tears in his eyes. He immediately came down from the cab and knelt down to thank the pastor who had done him such great favour. The pastor lifted him up and helped wipe his tears.
As a means to keep contact, and one day attend his church with his wife, the driver collected the pastors number before driving off.
The wife of the pastor who had seen from a distance all that had happened, ran up to her husband. She saw the look on his face and immediately knew her husband had done something that would both affect them.
“Where is the fees?” She asked.
“I gave to the driver. His wife is in the hospital.” He replied.
“How much.” She inquired.
“Thirty thousand.”
The wife broke down in tears.
“Thirty thousand? In such a situation and time when we need money the most you gave out thirty thousand?”
“It was the voice of God.”
“I do not think you know the voice of God and the voice of the devil any longer. God cannot tell you to make such a drastic sacrifice. God cannot tell you to give thirty thousand to a common stranger, while our three kids are being sent home for school fees. Even God knows we need the money more than him. Why will you allow the devil use you to put us to shame? Why?” She shouted bitterly.
The children were brought out of their class rooms and made to go home with their parents until they were able to settle their fees.
It so happened that the driver that same day, was driving back home. He picked a random passenger who was just standing in front of the airport gate.
During a random conversation with the driver, the passenger announced that he was a pastor who was new in the country. He told the driver that he was sent by his church to supervise a big project which was suppose to begin in the country. But he has no one to trust who could show him around, and help him execute the project.
“I know a man. I know a man who is trust worthy. A good man. A man who had just helped me moments back. He is a pastor like you. See, he gave me thirty thousand to pay my wife’s hospital bill and also settle my rent. He gave me this money, yet he had no money to pay his children school fees. You can trust this man sir. I collected his phone number. I believe if you call him and speak with him, he would be able to help you.” The driver spoke confidently.
The pastor was convinced. He requested for the number of this pastor, whom this driver had spoke of.
“Give me his number, and I shall call him right away to meet me in my hotel. If he is trust worthy as you say, he shall handle all projects in this country, while I return back to my church. He shall be paid handsomely too.”
The call was made. The meeting between both pastors took place. An agreement was reached. A contract was initiated and signed. The pastor who had listened to the voice that spoke to him, was awarded the contract to supervise the establishment of 17 churches in the country. The pastor was also invited by the visiting pastor to come to his country to preach to his congregation too.
The life of one struggling pastor was changed in one day, because he listened to a voice and made a sacrifice.
How many times have you heard the voice speak to you, only for you to ignore it? How many times have you had that urge and feeling to help someone and you turned it down? Many have missed an opportunity that would have changed their lives forever, just because they refused to listen to that voice. They failed to make that sacrifice because they felt they needed it more. They felt the urge yet they ignored it.
May God help us not to miss that opportunity that will secure our future and destiny in life.
Don’t let this message end with you alone.
Do well to mention someone to read this story as well. Like and share the story.
Let a life somewhere be touched.
Inspiring people to be better
HEAVENREAL FAMILY 