In fear, I returned the wedding gown (My encounter with the Holy Spirit)

I had the privilege of doing my wedding shopping in the U.S courtesy of my adorable parents. I went to one of the most expensive shops in New York. I tried on up to five beautiful wedding gowns before making my final choice.

I settled for a tube-like gown that had a small jacket on it. In excitement, I returned to my Aunt’s house clutching my wedding gown on my chest.

That night in my sleep, I had a dream. A man in a silk robe sat in front of me and began to chat me up. The conversation went thus:

Stranger: Why did you choose that wedding gown?

Me: It was the one that fitted me best.

Stranger: Do you know that half of your breast was revealed when you wore it?

Me: But there is a jacket to cover the exposed part of my breast.

Stranger: When you get to the reception, will you not remove the jacket?

Me: removing the jacket at the reception is the fun of the gown.

Stranger: With your breast out for public consumption?

Me: But we would have left church.

Stranger: At the reception, will there not be unbelievers there who will blaspheme my name? Those who will say “see what she is wearing, and she calls herself a Christian.”

Me: People don’t think like that anymore. More so, it is this tube-like gowns that are reigning now.

Stranger: You seem to be adamant on wearing the tube… what if I ask you to return it and pick a decent one that covers the upper part of your body?

Me: But I like this one. I’m not sure I want to return it.

Stranger: You are my precious daughter and I know you would not like to hurt me just as I would not like to hurt you.

Me: Who are you please?

Stranger: I am the Holy Spirit, and your body is my temple. Keep my temple holy and I will keep your marriage holy. I will also keep your body holy. If you insist on wearing it, can you cope with breast cancer?

Me: Breast Cancer?

I woke up sweating. By mid-day, I returned the gown to pick one that would not expose my breast.

There in that shop, I met the daughter of a very popular king in Nigeria. We got talking and I saw that she did not even go to the section of tube styles. When I asked her why she did not try the tube style, she said “my father (the king) will never allow it”. He says “Royalty does not dress indecently.”

I learnt an eternal lesson that day, firstly, from the Holy Spirit and secondly, from the earthly royal princess.

“ROYALTY DOES NOT DRESS INDECENTLY.”

“If you keep dressing with your breast exposed, can you stand a breast cancer later in life?”

By Salvation girls

YOUNG AND CONFIDENT, IMPACT 002

This is the cover design of our new book, YOUNG AND CONFIDENT, IMPACT 002. Read and be Transformed.

The book has eleven chapters that will change your life drastically. It's a positive touch

Celebrate Others Now

                       

                       

Not quite long after Tope qualified as a chartered accountant, he got a job in one of the new generation banks in the country. Within few months of his stay, the bank discovered that he was loaded upstairs “brilliant.” So, he was moved to another department where they felt he would be more useful.

Immediately he got to this new department, he knew he would need God to pull through. According to him, his immediate boss was always complaining and harassing him. When he moved 10 kilometres, he would tell him he should have moved 100 kilometres. On the other hand, when he moved 100 kilometres, the boss would tell him he should have just moved for 10 kilometres. In fact, there was a time that this issue was a major prayer point as he began to pray for favour from his boss.

After some time, our young man got another job in another bank and he shifted base and resumed in the new bank where he said, he was treated as a human being for the first time in many years.

Not long after he left, the department had a problem. It was such a big riddle that none of the staff could unravel. When the case got to his former boss, he shouted at them and told them to get Tope to solve the problem (In fact, it was like, why are you bringing this problem to me when you have a young man who could solve the problem).

The officers exchanged glances and one of them told “oga” that Tope had left their bank for another bank. He could not believe it. He then told them “That young man is brilliant and if he were to be here, he would have proffered a solution to the problem.”  My question is, if oga knew this all along, why was he intimidating the young man? Was he afraid or what?

Now, what exactly does it take to celebrate others? Is it really a Herculean task which cannot be accomplished? The answer is No. It takes a pure heart to celebrate others. If we always rejoice with them that rejoice, then it will be very easy for us to celebrate others.

Furthermore, anyone who has a pure heart will always see the good works or deeds done by others. Why? A good work, behaviour etc is not hidden, it is pronounced. So, if our hearts are pure, we would always see the good works or deeds of others and tell them.

When we celebrate others, we are telling them that they are important. We recognize the gifts, talents, good behaviour innovation etc in others and we praise them by showing approval or admiration for them.

Even God who is our heavenly Father celebrate us, who are mere mortals. God told Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil? Job 1:8

Jonathan was always celebrating David even before his father (I Sam. 19:4) who hated him. It is evil not to celebrate others. Anyone who does not see the good in others or sees that good and portray others as bad is a wicked fellow.

It is often said by some people that when you praise people, they often become proud. I make bold to say that it is not true. The fact that you celebrate another person is not a reason for the person to be proud; it is just an avenue for the person to perform better next time.

How often do we celebrate our friends, classmates, colleagues and family members who make any progress or do anything in a good way? I have discovered that some of us always prefer to celebrate others when they have left the scene. That is when some of us will say, “You don’t know the value of what you have until you lose it.” How bad!

Let us celebrate each other now because the fellow may just not be there tomorrow because of promotion, relocation, etc. Put a smile on someone’s face. Celebrate others.

This is one of the chapters in my book, Young & Confident, Impact 001. Impact 002 is on the way.