Paying tithes in debt episode 8 – 9

PAYING_TITHES_IN_DEBTH

EPISODE 8&9

Doctor: You have to take heart for she needs all the love she can get right now.

David: Looked at the doctor and was speechless for a few minutes before he spoke up again ‘is there any chance she can be better again?’

Doctor: Miracles do happen if only you believe for that is her only hope right now.

David: The God she serves will never abandon her in her time of need.

Doctor: I believe so and Amen.

The following day, the members of the church she attended including her pastor came to pay her a visit in the hospital.

Pastor: Hello Mrs. Mercy, how are you feeling today?

Mercy: ‘I am doing okay’ she said with sadness in her eyes ‘I lost my two legs Pastor, I may never work again?

Pastor: This is not the time to lose faith in God, you will walk again in Jesus Name.

Mercy: Pastor, I have to walk again, I can’t be handicapped.

Pastor: Where is your faith? All you have to do right now is believe that he will heal you in no time; you shall work again, have faith my child.

Mercy: Amen Pastor, Amen.

Pastor: in the meantime, the church and I will keep putting you in our prayers.

Mercy: Yes Pastor and Thank you for that is what I need right now. Thank you for also paying me a visit.

Pastor: it is well.
They stayed for a few more hours, prayed with her and left her.

After a few days in the hospital, she was discharged and she went home but she never became the same again. They tried different methods both white and herbal Medicine but her situation remained the same. After exhausting all the money he had with him for his wife’s treatment, he decided to let her stay home for some time while he looks for money for her treatment for he has been absent from work for too long and his boss is beginning to complain.
==

Christiana: Nathaniel, our wedding is a few days from now yet no arrangement has been made and wedding card has been distributed.

Nathaniel: I told you not to worry, the Lord will provide.

Christiana: How can the Lord provide when all you do is attend one church programme to another without caring about anything or anyone in the world? Our wedding is few days away and you are less concerned. Preparations have been made and my family keeps asking me when you will bring money to finance our spending.

Nathaniel: I don’t know why you worry so much; you need to relax your nerves a little bit.

Christiana: I shouldn’t stress myself abi? What about getting a job, how far with the one your brother talked about?

Nathaniel: I have told you times without number not to stress yourself about it, my time will soon come.

Christiana: I don’t understand you Nathaniel how can I not stress myself when the man that I want to get married to has never given me a penny, he doesn’t have a job whereas I told my people that you will get a job soonest.

Nathaniel: Good.

Christiana: What do you mean Good?

Nathaniel: Good you told them I will soon get a job.

Christiana: Nathaniel, My people are asking for money to enable us finance our wedding, they are beginning to ask questions and I am becoming uncomfortable with this wh0le stuff.

Nathaniel: What stuff?

Christiana: This you without a job, how are we going to feed or take care of ourselves?

Nathaniel: When we get there, we will cross the bridge.

Christiana: I have told you oooo. If you have problems, better let’s go and see your brother about it.

Nathaniel: Meaning?

Christiana: If you have any problem concerning the job stuff , let’s go and see your brother so that he will know what to do.

Nathaniel: I can’t and I won’t.

Christiana: Why?

Nathaniel: Because I don’t want to.

Christiana: Are you hiding something from me Nathaniel for it is high time I know what is going on.

Nathaniel: I am not hiding anything.

Christiana: tell me the truth Nathaniel.

Nathaniel: Okay fine, I went to see the Man and begged him to help me. I gave him my CV but didn’t give him the money.

Christiana: You mean you didn’t give him the money your brother gave you on your behalf?

Nathaniel: Yes I didn’t.

Christiana: Ah Ah! Why? Why didn’t you?

Nathaniel: I used the money for God’s ministry.

Christiana: Nathaniel, how could you do that? How can you give the money for a particular thing for God’s ministry?

Nathaniel: Because I know that the God I serve will help me in times of need and he is not in support of bribery.

Christina: So you didn’t give him the money for you felt is it bribery?

Nathaniel: Yes and as a child of God, it is wrong.

Chrsitiana: Really, do you know that it is also wrong to get married when you don’t have a job?

Nathaniel: That one is different.

Christiana: Seriously, is that what you are going to say now?

Nathaniel: Yes, what do you want me to say?

Christiana: We need to go and see your brother and explain everything to him; maybe, just maybe he can help out.

Nathaniel: We don’t have to.

Christiana: Why if I may ask?

Nathaniel: Because I don’t want him to know anything about it. He won’t be happy with me.

Christiana: Why will he be happy when he gave you money for something and you used it for another? He needs to know what you did before he gets to know it from someone else.

Nathaniel: I said no, I will get a job soonest. Concerning our wedding, you need to look for anyone you can borrow from, I am expecting money soon, I will pay back.

Christiana: Who are you expecting money from?

Nathaniel: ‘The lord works in mysterious ways you know’ he said and smiled.

PAYING_TITHES_IN_DEBTH

EPISODE 9

Mercy: Honey, I called Pastor after you left for work to continue his prayers and fasting on my behalf.

David: What did he say?

Mercy: He said he never relents to pray for me and my family.

David: That is good to know.

Mercy: He is such a wonderful man of God.

David: Yes he is but there is something I am trying to understand which up till this moment, I haven’t.

Mercy: What is it?

David: does Pastor not know that we are financially not okay as it is? Cant he help us out a bit?

Mercy: Sweetheart, why are you sounding like it is his duty to provide for us?

David: But it was your duty to give all we had to the church wasn’t it?

Mercy: Hmmm, you want to start again? Pastor doesn’t know we are financially down because if he does, I am sure he will lend a helping hand.

David: Really? How many times has he come to visit you since this your accident?

Mercy: Once, why?

David: Only once? When you were up and doing, how many times do you go to his place?

Mercy: Almost every day. Why all this question?

David: I am simply asking because when you made Pastor your priority, are you also his priority or you were his priority when the going was only good?

Mercy: I refuse to listen to all this nonsense and I also refuse to partake in spoiling the image of a man of God. Don’t you know that he is a busy person? You think I am the only one he worries about?

David: I am only saying; look at it my way for once please when you were strong and healthy, you attended all the functions, gave out to the church and needy but when you are down, all those people that you were there for, they praised you and even recognized all your effort, where are they now? I am not saying or suggesting that they are bad, I am only saying that when the going gets tough, only your family members will be there but not in all cases ooo.

Mercy: I have heard. Whatever your trying to say, I understand and point taken but not my Pastor because I so much believe and trust him.

David: Alright, I have said my own ooo.

Mercy: I know we have nothing in the house and I know that Pastor has not been here for quiet sometime now but I will talk to him later in the day and request for his presence.

David: No problem. Can we pray please?
==

After the wedding of Christiana and Nathaniel, things became so tight for them that they can barely afford three square meal a day. Nathaniel was still devoted in his work in church and any little money he has, he uses it for the church instead of his home believing that God will still provide for him and his family. He stopped looking for Job for he believed that sooner or later, a miracle job is what he will have.

Christiana couldn’t concentrate at work for she was hoping that after marriage, things will get better but instead, it is getting worse by the day. The people she borrowed money for her wedding are busy disturbing and calling for their money while all her husband keeps saying is the Lord will provide. Her Monthly pay is not enough to see them through the month and she cannot keep running back to her family for financial aid. She made up her mind to visit her husband’s brother to explain things to her maybe he can help.

Christiana: Good day sir.

Mark: Good day, how are you and your husband?

Christiana: We are fine.

Mark: Hope no problem this one you came to see me, does your husband know you are here?

Christiana: No he doesn’t. I didn’t tell him I was coming to see you today because I never thought I would. I just made up my mind after close of work.

Mark: Okay, what is it? Hope you people aren’t fighting?

Christiana: No we are not, we are good.

Mark: Good to hear that, so what brings you here?

Christiana: Errmmm, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something?

Mark: You can talk to me about anything, just go ahead.

Christiana: I was wondering if you could talk to your brother about taking his family serious and looking for a job.

Mark: He is still looking for a job?

Christiana: Yes brother and he has refused to learn a skill. He keeps saying God will provide and I don’t know for how long I can cope with it. We can barely feed three times a day, the little money he gets goes to church without minding if there is food in the house.

Mark: And you are coming to me for help?

Christiana: Yes for you are the only one that can help in this situation.

Mark: Well, you are married and there is nothing I can do for you rather than wish you my best.

Christiana: No sir, you have to help me because you were the one that introduced us.

Mark: Yes I did introduce you and you chose to marry him even though you saw the kind of person he is. Are you trying to put the blame on me now?

Christiana: I did agree to marry him and you also promised him a job, I felt there was not going to be any problem.

Mark: A job he never took serious and you knew about it.

Christiana: I did because I always believed he will get a job.

Mark: You knew he didn’t pay the money I gave to him for Mr. Kingsley yet you kept quiet about it all, when I found out what he did from my friend, I was so mad and angry at him and you especially. Well, someone else got the job he was supposed to get and the person resumed work one month later. It could have been him you know but his foolishness wouldn’t allow him get a job.

Christiana: Ah! I am finished. Is there no way you can help us again?

Mark: Do you know why I really went out of my way to help him?

Christiana: Why sir?

Mark: Because ever since our parents died, I have been the one catering for him and pushing him. He would never have finished his education if I had not pushed and forced him to. The job he was supposed to get was a friend of mine who was looking for a person with his kind of degree, I decided to link him up hoping that his life will start anew from there but he disappointed me. You knew he didn’t deliver the money when he gave out his CV and never bothered to tell me about it.

Christiana: I wanted him to come and explain everything to you but he refused.

Mark: What about you, why didn’t you come on his behalf?

Christiana: He didn’t want me to tell you about it.

Mark: But I got to find out through Kingsley. Why do you want my help again, I am done helping your family.

Christiana: Ah sir, you can’t just abandon us

Question: Hmmm…. I feel Mark is not being fair. What do you think?

Mark: He has not come to talk to me about it and since he decided to be on his own from now on, I have washed my hands off his case and you as the wife, you will have to manage him

Christiana: Sir Please you have to help him and continue pushing him. I have talked and talked and talked but he won’t listen. Please sir, help him.

Mark: he is a man and a family man; there is nothing I can do other than if you need my help financially, I will help with the little I have.

Christiana: Ermm sir, can you please give me two hundred and fifty thousand naira?

Mark: what do you want to use that amount for?

Christiana: I am owing a lot of people and they are on my neck

Mark: ‘here’ he wrote a check of three fifty thousand naira and gave it to her ‘take this, use it to pay your debt and take care of yourself.

Christiana: ‘Thank you’ she said as she collected it.

When she got home, she prepared her husband’s favorite meal after paying off her debt and when he returned from church for that is the place he always goes to till late in the evening, he went straight to have his dinner.

Nathaniel: This meal is very delicious.

Christiana: You didn’t ask me where I got the money from.

Nathaniel: I don’t need to ask because the lord Provideth.

Christiana: I noticed that since we got married, I have been the one shouldering the responsibilities and it is getting too much on me especially when you are not helping matters. Why can’t you look for any job and do?

Nathaniel: Any job? My God is not any God, he is a miracle maker, he will do it for me soon.

Christiana: I am getting tired of this your speech ooo. Look for something doing so that you can take up responsibilities as a man. The little money I am earning can’t really be enough, if you were adding yours it will be a little relief to me.

Nathaniel: ‘You worry too much, just keep hoping and praying’ he said smiling, the lord is on the throne.

Christiana: I am really tired of hearing you say those words over and over again with no result. You need to put your acts together and do what’s right.

Nathaniel: What do you want me to do?

Christiana: I need you to get a job, any job so that you can at least help in the house.

Nathaniel: I will but not any job.

Christiana: Well you do not have any choice because any job is what I need you to get no matter how little it is.

Nathaniel: Why, what’s the problem?

Christina: I am Pregnant.