Hello dear reader. Here is another episode of #BeingReal where real people share real stories. This is one of a kind. It blessed me so much. God bless you for sharing your truth
It was a Wednesday morning when an executive on my Leadership Team called to inform me about an emergency situation. She sounded so disturbed but subdued at the same time. You know when someone just passed through hell, and tries to narrate the ordeal? That was how she sounded. “There is a situation in Moremi hall at the moment… A member of the fellowship just gave birth to her child in the hostel… She has been taken to they clinic alongside the baby. They’re both fine… I just thought I should let you know Sir… Tayo Datapo is her room mate, you could reach her for more information”
The moment i received that call, a lot of things went through my mind. I didn’t even know any Church member was pregnant, talk more of a due one. Immediately, I called the financial secretary and told her to get some provisions for the lady and her baby in the school clinic.
Meanwhile, rumours had engulfed the whole school. “An UAO student tried to flush her baby down the toilet, what a heartless person”, “I even heard she’s a Muslim… That’s the only way she could have hidden the pregnancy for 9 months with all the long Islamic gowns and ijabs”, “She is a Christian o, she attends, ASORCF… I wonder what they preach in that fellowship… Never will my feet step in there”… In no less than 2 hours of the incident, the news was on Linda Ikeji Blog. And yeah, you guessed right… It was twisted and warped, it had almost no resemblance of the actual story. Nonetheless, we went ahead to minister to the now stigmatised young mother, who happened to be a member. Folks had raised curses on her based on the fallible rumours they heard on the news and gossips. If the baby could feel the air, he’d probably have given up the ghost as soon as he breathed his first. Thank God he was oblivious to all that.
After she was a bit fine to talk, I sat up next to her and just kept quiet. My presence there wasn’t to reprimand or rebuke her for a 9 month old mistake, especially when I could see the one day old miracle right before my eyes. I sat beside her and was willing to wait for a while and leave if she said nothing. It was all up to her to decide when to talk, and more importantly what to talk about.
By the time she spoke… Her eyes were filled with tears as she couldn’t say a much words without effusive giving of thanks to God. “what really happened Sope?” And the story began…
“I got pregnant 9 months ago by my boy friend. It was a huge mistake which I regretted. When I told him, he told me to abort the baby and never bring up such talks subsequently. I told him I didn’t want to but he insisted. I agreed… Verbally, even took the money he gave me to do the hideous job. I prayed to God for forgiveness and decided not to abort my first ever conception. Of course I was in school and had books to read but I really don’t know where the boldness came from… I decided not to leave school and trust God for a flat tummy pregnancy throughout the period.
I didn’t tell any human about this. No soul on earth knew about it. I just took it upon me as a personal Cross to carry. And Sir, God was more than faithful. I didn’t see a Doctor throughout the period, none of my room mates knew, and I carried a baby in my tummy for 9 months without anyone’s knowledge or help apart from God’s… Who owns all seed. My tummy was flat throughout. I got chubbier, but no protrusion… It’s still a wonder to me. Before the exams started, I had calculated that I was already in my third trimester and would be due immediately after exams which I had planned would meet me at home.
I was wrong! I was due during the exams. I had moi moi the previous night and had been to the rest room twice before morning… So by morning, I felt pressed again and immediately assumed it was the purging thing that had started at night. When I got to the rest room to ease myself, I gave birth to my baby… Even Jesus had a better landing spot than this. He was so fickle, fragile, bloody and immersed in the toilet water… Head first. I was too scared to touch him, I could only cry for help. Meanwhile, I was bleeding and seriously getting dizzy. I screamed with my last strength and my room mate Tayo came in. She was also too scared to know what to do. While we were still deciding what to do. A cleaner of the hall came in and heard the baby’s cry… She completely got presumptuous and assumed we were trying to flush the baby. Without asking any questions, she took the baby in her dirty cleaning gloves and went out with him… I was too weak to do or say anything, Tayo was too confused to get involved. She ran out with the bloody baby saying… “a girl tried flushing her baby, but I rescued him”.
She was hero of the day… Well, so it seemed at first. This was where everyone got their versions of the story from and Linda also got in on this juicy gist in no time.
“How could God be so faithful to me…? The baby dropped off me so painlessly I thought I was easing myself. The umbilical cord cut by itself… While I was being carried here, the placenta also dropped off me. I though I was dreaming! I only came to the clinic to rest, not because I needed one. God was everything! He was my Mother, my Doctor, my Friend and my Saviour. He saved me from violence. What people are saying now is completely drowned in the overflowing ocean of God’s faithfulness to me. How could I be stigmatised? God’s got my back. Pastor thank you. Thank you for the Grace message. I never for once felt condemned coming to Church. I didn’t skip Church in a bid to escape condemnation. I even got my strength from those messages.”
I was dumbfounded… How His Mercies endure beyond all our mess. I just soaked in God’s Miracle and Faithfulness with her in that moment and asked to pray for her and the baby. I prophesied and declared words over that boy… What an evening it was for us all. I never knew I would conduct a naming ceremony as a young student fellowship Pastor.
Oh you bet Church was more than filled the next Sunday. The whole crowd came to hear what I would say in defense or accusation of this “bad ambassador” who had tarnished the image of our very holy fellowship. Oh boy… The anointing came on me that day and I said a lot in her defense. One thing I would never forget I said under the unction was that “I would rather have mothers in my Church than murderers”.
That woman who picked up the baby wasn’t the hero… This lady who chose rather to carry a baby in her womb in the fear of God and against the instruction of her boyfriend was the unlikely hero. Against all odds and expectation of stigma, she defied reason and excusable fears to rather fear God than what man could do to her. She thought to herself, He that covereth his sins will not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh it shall obtain mercy. That there aren’t protruded tummies in the Church Choir doesn’t meant some of ladies weren’t planting and uprooting seeds from their wombs regularly and blatantly defying God’s Law not to end a life… No matter how little. John the Baptist got baptized as a baby in the womb… He was already a person with a specific destiny and assignment to fulfill.
Rebuking her 9 months after the mistake itself is obviously a misplaced rebuke. Rebuke the ladies who repeatedly defy God and have the nerve to gossip about a bold enough believer…. Who chose the more excellent way. The way of life, the way of love, the way of Grace.
Give that baby the chance to live. Your mistake nonetheless… GOD’S mercy endures beyond any mess. If only you will trust Him enough.
Oh yeah, the boy is going to be 4 years old in few weeks. He’s one of the smartest kid around… And his mother? God has completely beautified her life… Every life is a gift, no matter the circumstances surrounding its birth. Let’s treat it as such and the Giver of all gifts will make all things work together for your good.
Choose life:
PS: Thanks for reading yet again, don’t forget to share with someone.
