I was a post graduate student at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, USA. In the summer holiday of 1976, my bosom friend Dr. Lawson James Erhunmwensee of Blessed memory invited me to New York City to make money driving a taxi, because it was lucrative. I responded swiftly because I had not been able to secure a summer job in the city of Greensboro. So the invitation to come to New York to make money driving taxi was a welcome one.

I departed my station Greensboro on a Friday with my Chevrolet car in the morning at about 6:00am and arrived in the evening at about 7:00pm to the warm embrace of my late friend mentioned above. Happily he allowed me to drive his taxi until I register my own vehicle for business in the city of New York, USA. Thereafter, I put it to work and as it were Dollars started coming to my purse more than I expected. Ostensibly, on Saturday the 11th of July 1976, substantial Dollars was earned driving taxi.

Invariably on Sunday the 12th of July 1976, I, a regular church goer decided not to go to church but to go out with my taxi to make more money. I was enticed by the success recorded on Saturday thinking that history will repeat itself on that Sunday. The get rich syndrome got hold of me and I forgot all that it means to worship and glorify God which is the purpose I was created – Read Isaiah 43:7.

On that fateful Sunday, I woke up from my bed, without Morning Prayer and devotion I started business as early as 6:30am. As usual money started coming in more than the previous days. It was so much that I forgot to go on lunch break. I continued working until it was about 8:30pm that I decided to go home and rest satisfied with what I had made.

Before going home I thought it wise to go to the nearby grocery store to buy provisions for the house since my house mate had been the one feeding me since my arrival. Immediately I entered the grocery store, my mind told me to go back home and shop the following day which was a Monday the 13th of July 1976. That was perhaps the voice of Satan misleading me.

As I came out of the store, I saw three persons; two guys and a lady waiting for a taxi. I could not resist it so I picked them up. I asked them where they were going and they told me “along” which was 123rd street. I picked them up not knowing that they were armed robbers who were to drain all my earnings for the day.

When I got to 123rd street and Eagle Avenue to be precise, one of them pointed a gun at me and asked me to stop the vehicle and surrender the key. I obeyed. Furthermore, in a thunderous voice, he commanded me to surrender all the money I had. I surrendered to them all that I had made. Thereafter, they asked the lady among them who sat in the front seat to stab me and push me out of the vehicle. I pleaded with them to let me come down ad not to stab me. They further commanded me to lie down and face the ground. I obeyed, but this time around I remembered God whom I failed to go to church to worship in the morning. I started repeating “JESUS, JESUS, save me”. Luckily the good people who lived in the house close to the scene of the incident who saw what was happening called in the police.

Thank God the police who were nearby arrived with a bright light over the place. The robbers were panic stricken and hit the fire hydrant with my vehicle in a bid to get away. They threw the key away and took to their heels. The police team led by a sergeant came to me and said “young man are you hurt?” I said “no sir” he said “get up” and I got up. He said “you are lucky, there is hardly any day they don’t kill people here, that is the reason the police station has been moved closer here”

They towed my car and took me to the police station. They asked me a few questions and then wanted us to go after the robbers, but I told them that I was not interested in pursuing the case because I was a foreign student and cannot be coming from Greensboro in North Carolina for a court case in New York. They reasoned with me and took me home.

As God will have it, my house mate just arrived saying that he was not favourably disposed to work that night and decided to come home. With his key we were able to open our door and went to our room to cook eat and sleep. At day break we went to the police station cum the scene of the incident and we found the key to the car.

The car was damaged, but I managed to drive it home. I spent all I had earned since coming to New York to repair it. I quickly abandoned driving taxi in New York and I returned to my base in Greensboro and later picked up a job with Sears Roebuck and Company.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is the nasty experience I had for not going to church on a Sunday. If I had obeyed God and the scriptures which enjoined us to keep holy the Sabbath day and worship God the creator of Heaven and of Earth (Exodus 20) the awful experience I had would have been averted. Therefore, beloved do not wait to have this kind of experience I had before making every Sunday worship a must

By Deacon D.U AIGBOVBIOSA (Formerly AIGBOGUN)
Writes in from Benin City, Nigeria

For Prayers and Counselling –
Text or Call: +2348053039119
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What about the thousands that have died on their way to and from church crusades? Or the guy whose baby was stolen from church? I guess going by your logic, one can argue that it is far more beneficial and safer to stay at home instead of travelling on our dangerous roads in December to attend those cross over services.