Convictions
GENERAL
Mayowa Ojo
6/10/20263 min read
As Susan walked toward the church building that morning, she smiled a little knowing that later in the evening when her mom typically called, she wouldn’t have to lie about having attended church as she’d done so many times. She and bestie, Temi, were late but past caring because well, it’s church, who’s marking attendance or punctuality?
Temi, her best friend of 16 years, was walking beside her, both of them whispering about people. In truth, it was more Temi asking Susan about people and Susan giving her the scoop on them because she knew. Serving diligently in church for 4 years does that to you and you have friends who know stuff about people and generously serve you hot gist!
She hadn't served in the last two years though because she found freedom from the demanding nature of what she considered free work in church; never mind that she blamed it on a busy work schedule when her HOD asked why she wanted to step down from her duties.
It was Temi’s first year and 3rd visit in 11 months. She was new to town but like Susan, was no stranger to church. They were both pastors kids and knew the ins and outs of church. It was easy for Susan to break away from her parents’ church because they lived on the other end of town and so making the commute every Sunday to the family church was cumbersome to say the least. Temi now lived several hundred miles away from her parents and for the first time in the last year since she moved, she felt liberated from having to attend the same church with her parents for almost 3 decades!
Just as they were about to step into church with the usher gesturing them to their seats, Temi’s phone rang, a loud and very secular ringtone that made her jump instinctively. She dashed back out to take the call, waving her friend to go on ahead.
By the time Temi was done with her call, the pastor had started preaching and so the usher by the door hurried her along to a different seat from the one beside Susan in their favorite spot.
Temi sat with a thud, not caring to regard the people seated on either side of her.
Within five minutes of sitting down, she reached for her phone and typed a message.
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When a notification popped up on Susan’s phone, she looked up and across the aisle to Temi.
Smiling, Susan returned her gaze to her phone and opened the message, knowing it was going to be something silly.
Temz: Su-Su, what has ur attention like ds? Is it candy crush? 😅
Susan: lol. Choose 1, candy crush or IG?
Temi: lol. With a sermon like today's, it might as well be both! 😂😂
Susan: I don't understand a word of what he's preaching today. I struggle on a norms but today I know it's not my fault. This might be my final cue to change churches sef. 🥴😡😒
Temi: The struggle started with praise and worship today. what were they singing?
Susan: See, I could deal with the worship team but what's up with P.S. today? Right now it even seems like he wants to cry, the message is just all over the place.
Just then, Pastor Samson asked for a scripture to go up and started quoting a different verse from memory. “God will not place more on you than you can bear,” he said, fighting tears.
Temi: he just did it again! Can this service just end?! 🥱🥱😴
Susan: at this point, my mind is on a million ways to drown this torture of a service.
Temi: Starting with Raymond’s birthday this afternoon. Amen?
Susan: AMEN!!!
The girls continued chatting through to the end of Pastor Samson’s sermon. After service, they spotted their friends Sola, Gbenga and Chuka in the parking lot and make a bee line for them.
“She was fine on Friday! I went to their house on Friday as usual to help with some admin tasks” Sola was saying in between sobs.
“Sorry oh, what happened Sola?” Susan asked Gbenga and Chuka who also wore long faces.
“Clearly you’ve not heard.” Chuka said.
“Heard what?!” Temi and Susan chorused.
“Pastor G died yesterday evening. She took an early nap and, pastor found her when he went to wake her up to have dinner,” Gbenga responded.
“No!” Susan gasped and quickly covered her mouth with one palm, as the news settled on her.
“Wait, which Pastor G?! Pastor's wife?!” Temi asked, still struggling with the many acronyms in church.
“No o, pastor's car! Look, today is not the day to fool around joor,” Chuka spat out, upset.
Suddenly it all made sense to Susan: the people gathered in groups around the parking lot, the people crying during the sermon and of course Pastor Samson’s disjointed message.
As though reading her thoughts, Gbenga suddenly blurted out, “How is PS even in church this morning? How could he have stood up there and preached?”
Sola responded, “He was obviously in a lot of pain, but that sermon came from his heart.”
Susan and Temi look at each other, shame filling their faces.
“Are we all going to the same heaven like this?” Temi asked Susan as they started on their way home.
Susan was too numb to respond as all her excuses for not serving suddenly became flawed by this one man’s commitment to service in the face of very valid reasons.
THE END
PS: Story was written by my brilliant wife, Tolu, and I.