PAULINA... A Life With A Difference
© OLAYEMI GRACE

EPISODE FIFTEEN
Paulina could not just but wonder what the message could be. She had scanned the woman and knew that she could not be more than thirty years old or thereabout and she looked like she had been on the praying ground for long because of the dirt on her clothes towards the knee level and her white eyeballs looked like she had not eaten for days.

“I’m very sorry ma’am but I don’t know you from anywhere or do you know me?” Paulina asked the woman who was looking eager to deliver her message to Paulina.

“You may not know me but the person that sent me to you knows you and everything about you,” the woman replied. “And who could that be?” Paulina asked looking perplexed.

“The Lord Jesus Christ,” she replied.

Paulina smiled to reveal her well set dental arrangement and then her eyes shone brighter because she was optimistic and very excited to know what God had told the woman for her. But another part of her was feeling uneasy and she could sense that there was something unusual or probably not right about the woman.

The woman went to a building not so far from the shade where Paulina was seated and brought a chair which she sat on. And before she gave her message she introduced herself as Prophetess Mary.

“The message I have for you is that your prayers have been answered.”

“As I was passing by while you were praying, I saw a siege been lifted from your head and angels were descending from heaven bringing gifts and they were handing them over to you. I would have just walked away and not say anything but I saw a strong man struggling with you and he wanted to take the gifts away from you and then God told me that you would have to do something to stop the strong man from overpowering you and taking your blessings away,” the prophetess narrated to Paulina who was looking at her with keen interest.

Paulina had the gift of discernment of spirits and as the woman was speaking to her she could see through her and discern that she was deceiving her but she didn’t want to be rude so she just listened and played along.

“What did God say I should do?” Paulina asked.

“You have to sow a seed and fast for 21 days.”

“Ok, ma’am thanks for the message I really appreciate it,” Paulina said and turned back to her bible.

“You didn’t even ask for further information on how the seed sowing would be and the fasting?” The prophetess asked rather surprised by Paulina’s seemingly carefree attitude.

She had to wonder if Paulina was really on that prayer ground for something serious. She was used to going to people she saw in the place of prayer to tell them that God had answered their prayers and that they should sow some seeds to a certain orphanage which she would give them the account details and unknown to those people she was in charge of the account so in short, she do swindle people of their hard-earned money. She knows that anyone that would take out time from their busy schedule to go to any secluded place for prayers must have a serious need and must be desperate to do anything to get result. She do move from places to places and most times she never goes back to any place once she had completed her job.

She arrived at that particular retreat ground where Paulina was that afternoon and once she sighted Paulina she felt she would be her target for that day. She kept looking at Paulina expecting a reply from her and when she gets none she became discouraged.

“Don’t you want your blessings to locate you?” The prophetess probed further hoping that she would get a positive reply from Paulina. Paulina had no intentions of confronting the woman for her lies but she could no longer hold herself as she wanted to scream in her face and ask why she was doing all she was doing but on a second thought she decided to make the woman agree to her crimes.

“I obviously want my blessings to locate me, but I just want to ask you ma’am that what was the tag that was on the gifts that you saw the angels bringing to me?” Paulina asked.

EPISODE SIXTEEN
Prophetess Mary was quiet for a while, she was not expecting such a question and so she had no ready answer to give. She looked at Paulina for a while and was trying to guess what a young woman like her could need so desperately. After thinking for a while, she finally concluded that the only thing that could be so germane to a lady of her age should be marriage or probably admission into the university or success in her exams. Paulina just smiled as the prophetess told her the tags she saw on the packages and by the time she got to the husband part, Paulina could not hold her laughter. She laughed her heart out and tears fell from her eyes. After which she maintained a straight face and told the woman that the packages she saw were not for her and that she should look for the owner before the strong man goes away with it.

The prophetess was embarrassed and offended but since she knew that she was lying she had no defence and she could not afford to be exposed so she just stood up and made to leave.

“Not so fast ma’am, you and I have a lot to discuss so I would advise you sit down quietly so we don’t make a scene,” Paulina called back to her and she had to sit.

Paulina asked why she was doing what she was doing and even after Mary narrated to her that she was led into it after she suffered a colossal loss when she was stripped of all her savings by a man of God who claimed to be sent to her to deliver her son from insanity.

She worked so hard to keep up with the man’s demands and even though her husband was not in support of it, she was bent on doing anything just to see her son recover. She sold most of her properties and even took a loan from the bank using her matrimonial home as collateral and yet her son was not getting better. The last straw that broke her camel’s back was when the man gave her a mixture to use for her son and after using it the child developed complications and died days later. Her husband was so angry and he sent her packing after making sure that she paid for the loan she took with his house as collateral. She went back to the man of God but he had absconded. That made her so angry and she was on a revenge mission to also make others feel what she felt after being fooled.

Paulina felt pity for the woman and prayed that God would comfort her. However, she made it clear to her that the fact that she was a victim did not justify her actions. She didn’t have to make other people suffer for what someone else did to her. Paulina advised her to seek the face of God for forgiveness and she should forgive that man and that was the only time that she could be healed from the hurt and pain. Paulina prayed with her and she even received a word of knowledge that the woman should go back to her husband because God had touched his heart and that he was sorry for chasing her out.

Mary was very grateful after her encounter with Paulina and she could not but wonder how such a young girl was so yielded to God and was walking in such dimension. She bade Paulina farewell after they both exchanged contacts.
To be continued...

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PAULINA... A Life With A Difference
© OLAYEMI GRACE

EPISODE FOURTEEN
The first semester was gradually drawing to a close and lectures were being rounded off and exams were knocking. Students became more serious with their academics and some of them neglect other things to face the exam squarely. Some even went to the extent of staying away from the church fellowship with the mind that they wanted to have enough time to read.

Paulina was rather different, she was always calm during exams and didn’t really change her normal routine except that lectures had ended and she would have more time to herself. She had formed the habit of reading daily right from her secondary school days so during exams, she would just do some revisions and pray.

Exams came and went and the school had to go on two weeks break to allow the students rest before the commencement of the second semester. Paulina had the habit of staying back in the school during short holidays for personal retreat and communion with God. But that particular time, she had a leading in her spirit to go to a nearby town where there was a camp site for her retreats. She was expectant as she knew that anytime she received such instructions she would always have a special encounter with God. She packed all she would need for the journey and set out.

The retreat ground was about two hours drive from the campus. Paulina set out early on a Tuesday morning in order to meet the first bus to avoid the problem of sitting for long hours in the bus before the bus gets filled with passengers. She had been to the camp site before when she went on a village outreach with her team. They lodged at the camp site and the pastor there was very accommodating, he made sure they enjoyed their stay and he gave them all the necessary information they needed about the village and even joined them in prayers. The camp site was interdenominational and the pastor was only in charge of overseeing the activities of the people that went there for retreats or programs.

Paulina got to the place at about 9am and she had no problem settling down. She went through all the registration procedures and was directed to the quarters where she would be sleeping, it was a well-furnished self-contained room. She made herself comfortable and after taking a bath she decided to sleep for a while before she launched out into her programs for the retreat.

After sleeping for a while, Paulina got up and went out to the praying ground to start her prayers, study and meditation. She prayed for some hours after which she started studying the bible. She had not even read up to a chapter before someone walked up to her.

“Peace be unto you,” the lady who was wearing a white garment and was looking pale and unkempt said to Paulina as she approached her.

It was not in Paulina’s habit to respond to people or engage in any form of discussion with anyone whenever she was studying her bible. She believed that she was having a conversation with God at that time and it would be rude and unruly for her to talk to someone else. Paulina kept her gaze on her bible ignoring the woman’s greeting hoping that she would get the message that she didn’t want to be disturbed and she would walk away. But the woman who was hell bent on speaking to Paulina tapped her shoulders and repeated the greeting again. Paulina knew at that time that she could not ignore the woman anymore and then she gave a long sigh, muttered a short prayer to God to excuse her for a while and then looked up at the woman.

“Peace be unto you too,” Paulina said looking at the woman from head to toe.

“I have a message for you my daughter,” the woman said.
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PAULINA... A Life With A Difference
© OLAYEMI GRACE

EPISODE TWELVE
Immediately she entered the prayer room, the lady began to scream and beg for forgiveness.

“I’ll leave her alone, I’ll leave your church, I’ll never come back here to spy on your liberty anymore,” the spirit was speaking through the lady.

Paulina just stood there without saying a word and when the lady maintained eye contact with her, the spirit left her and she fell to the ground becoming almost lifeless. Paulina went over to pray for her and after a short prayer she came around and was made to sit down. Paulina excused the others and asked to address the situation and they obliged to her.

“How are you sister Lizzy?” She asked the lady.

“I don’t know how I’m feeling. My head hurts, my body is aching and I’m looking all dirty and I must have fainted because it seems something happened to me and I don’t seem to know what it was,” Lizzy replied in uttermost confusion.

“You were manipulated and taken over by an evil spirit that was sent to the church to distract people and to hinder the heart of people from concentrating on the sermon,” Paulina explained to the confused sister.

“I can’t believe this,” she screamed in surprise and began to cry.

“Does this mean I will run mad?” She asked in tears.

“Not at all, just that the spirit found a vacuum in you and decided to use your body to perform its evil deeds. You know a spirit cannot really operate in this realm without a body,” Paulina tried to explain to her.

“The question I want to ask you is that how was the spirit able to get a hold of you? If you are a Christian and filled with the spirit of God, no evil spirit can possess your body,” Paulina asked with concern and utmost surprise.

“I’m a Christian by the grace of God,” Lizzy replied.

“Let me rephrase the question, are you truly born-again?”

“I am,” Lizzy answered.

There was silence for some minutes as Paulina was praying silently for God to reveal where the missing link was so they can proffer solution to the problem. Because she knew just as the bible said that if an evil spirit was cast out from an individual and the spirit goes through arid regions and when he does not find a place of rest would conclude that he should go back to his house (the individual he was cast out from). When he gets to the place and meets the heart of the person swept clean but empty, he would look for seven other spirits more powerful than himself and they would invade the life of the person. And the bible says the latter end of that person would be worse than the beginning. That was the danger of conducting deliverance for a person and leaving the person without ensuring that Christ was enthroned in the person’s heart.

After a while, the source of the problem was impressed on Paulina’s heart and she was thankful to the Holy Spirit.

“Did you have a quarrel or misunderstanding with any one recently?” Paulina asked.

Lizzy thought for some seconds and was about to say no when she remembered something.

“I think so,” she replied.

“That is it. When you fight with someone as a Christian, you open the door for the devil to come in.”

“Did you reconcile with the person after the fight?” Paulina asked.

“No,” Lizzy replied.

“That was what gave the place for the devil to find expression in you. You see, actions like fighting, evil speaking, unforgiveness, malice, etc grieves the Holy Spirit and this makes Him leave which would in turn make the believer vulnerable to anything coming from the kingdom of Satan. I just thank God it was not more than that and that you had not died in that state because that would be a straight journey to hell. That is why many people would be surprised at the end when they hear depart from me all you workers of iniquities. Little things like these really matters and that is why the bible says we should examine ourselves always whether we are still in the faith and we should judge ourselves before the judgment of God comes.”

“What do I do now?” Lizzy asked.

“Ask God to forgive you and ask the Holy Spirit to come back into your heart then you would go and make peace with whomsoever you had a quarrel with.”

“Remember, the bible says “follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Lizzy quickly went on her knees and was asking God for forgiveness. Paulina also joined her in prayers and afterward prayed with her. She was really grateful to God for the second chance she had to make her ways right and was also grateful to Paulina for not leaving her after the deliverance but for helping her solve the problem from the source. She expressed her gratitude and Paulina just returned all the glory to God since it belongs to Him. They left the prayer room and went into the main church where they discovered that the service had ended and almost everyone had left the church except few people that were hanging around to gist and others who were waiting to see the president for counseling.


EPISODE THIRTEEN
Paulina went to where she sat earlier to say a word of prayer and to get her belongings so she would head home. It was getting late and she was pretty sure her roommates would not wait for her because she was used to staying in church for long hours after service, sometimes to address her team members, pray with them or pray with people that come to her for prayers. Some people have even concluded that more people wait to see Paulina after the service than the president or the sisters’ coordinator.

After stepping out of the church, she met some sisters and they greeted her which she responded and exchanged some pleasantries with them and she walked away. Just as she left, they began to talk about her. They said a lot of nasty things and made derogatory comments about her. They said she was proud and that all that happened that evening was staged just to make her popular and people should think she was spiritual.

“Nobody called her into the prayer room when the prayer was ongoing but she found her way there just for show off,” one of them remarked.

“Exactly, I even heard she asked everyone to leave and took over the deliverance,” another said.

“Such an egoistic lady,” another retorted.

They continued by saying that she was always giving her used clothes to people just to show that she had rich parents and that all her devotion in church and outside church were just camouflages to deceive people.

Unknown to those sisters, a brother who was leaning against the wall behind them unintentionally eavesdropped on their conversation and he was taken aback to hear such things coming from supposed Christian sisters.

“I’m really disappointed in you sisters,” Bro Jerry said as he walked up to them.

He could no longer bear the insults and degradation they were putting up to a fellow sister just because she was better than them.

“To even imagine that you people are workers in this fellowship is so disheartening,” he said looking at them sternly.

“When the sister was here, you all greeted her and acted like saints but behind her you are busy biting her with your tongues. You will still use the same mouth to sing worship to God and to pray and you would expect God to hear you. Let me tell you something, backbiting and gossiping is a product of envy. You people are just envious of how God is using a fellow lady like you and instead of you to move closer to her to discover how she was able to attain such heights; you are here sinning against God. That is the problem of many so called Christians today, once they see someone doing something they wanted to do or what they had tried and failed at, instead of they to humble themselves and become a mentee to the person so they can learn, they would start criticizing the person as a way of covering their inner frustrations. You better go and beg God for forgiveness and apologize to her because what I witnessed tonight is sin against God,” Bro Jerry concluded and walked away from them saddened with the height of envy, jealousy, and hatred being portrayed in the body of Christ.
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PAULINA... A Life With A Difference
© OLAYEMI GRACE

EPISODE TEN
Evelyn appeared in the room with a bottle of malt and some biscuits.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” she said placing the malt and biscuits on the table in front of Paulina.

“No problem at all,” Paulina replied.

“Well, I guess you can now gist me right?” Paulina asked and they both laughed.

“Of course, I’m just very happy about how God has been helping me ever since I gave my life to Him.”

“And I also went for evangelism yesterday and I was able to win someone for Christ by sharing my story with her.”

“I think I’ve discovered my purpose in life. God wants me to proclaim the gospel by sharing my story to teenagers and young adults and to help as many people that are in the same situation to show them the way of peace and joy,” Evelyn said smiling.

“That’s a very good thing. You know it very important for us to discover our purpose in life and not just purpose but our calling and assignment and ministry so we can really maximize our potentials to glorify God.” Paulina said.

“Have you prayed about it?” She asked.

“Yes, I have and I’m very convinced that is what God wants me to do.”

Paulina encouraged her and told her of the importance of always seeking the face of God before doing anything and to always obey Him. They shared the word of God together and prayed before Paulina finally departed to her own house.

Evelyn was one of the people Paulina loved to spend time with. She was always happy and full of life. She would always have a lot of questions to ask and revelations to share. She was really growing in faith and Paulina was very happy for her.

Paulina walked pass a group of ladies and greeted them, she still had some tracts with her so she shared it with them with a smile telling them that Jesus loved them and He was ready to save them.

“How can a young lady like this be living her life so pathetically?” One of the ladies said as Paulina left them.

“Pathetic you say? She is living the best life anyone can dream of,” another replied.

“What is there to desire in the way she dresses shabbily and doesn’t even have fun at all?”

“You don’t mean it.”

“She is the type of lady everyone secretly wants to be like.”

“Don’t you want to be exceptionally brilliant and be a blessing to everyone around you?” One of them asked.

“Well, I want to be.”

“Then you have to really devote your life to Jesus.”

“You see, it takes commitment to whatever we are doing to make a difference. Some of us go to church but really we are not living the life we ought to live and that is why no one can see us and desire the kind of life we live.” The lady continued…

“She has really done a lot of great things for God in this school and if we are really going to the same heaven she’s going to then I wonder how little our mansion in heaven would be compared to hers.”

“That’s true o, I pray God would help us,” another person replied.

“God has already helped us, we are the ones that need to help ourselves and rise from our sleeping state and become vibrant for God. God already gave us Jesus Christ as our savior, He gave us the Holy Spirit and also gave us abundant grace, so what other help do we need.” The lady said passionately changing the mood of the conversation to a serious one.

“This conversation is becoming serious o,” one of the ladies noticed and pointed out.

“Of course, it should be a serious one; matters of the Kingdom are always serious.” Someone else answered.

“Less I forget I heard recently that she prayed for a sick person and the person became whole instantaneously.” One of them said.

“Who?” Another asked.

Who else? Paulina of course.

“That is not a new thing. At least ever since I’ve been in this school, I have always been hearing of her doing such things.”

“And I even heard that someone stole her phone and the person’s hands became swollen and he did not recover until he returned the phone,” the lady that had been silent since they started the conversation spoke.

“I really admire this lady a lot. I wish to be like her. Every part of her life is just an inspiration to others and upon all what she is doing for God she still remains humble, kind, nice and gentle. You will never see her doing anything wrong. She’s really a perfect example of who a Christian should be,” she concluded.

“I pray God would help us as well,”
They said amen and began to leave one after the other since it was getting dark.
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PAULINA... A Life With A Difference
© OLAYEMI GRACE

EPISODE EIGHT
Tuesdays were less strenuous than Mondays and so there was no serious rush on Tuesday mornings. Paulina’s first class for Tuesdays was by 10 am so she had enough time to do one or two things before going to class.
It was her habit to leave the hostel early enough to give her adequate time to get to class without rush and also to preach to one or two people or even address her colleagues before the arrival of the lecturer and to also glance through her notes to get prepared for any impromptu tests.
That particular Tuesday morning was not an exception to her normal routine of earliness to class and speaking to her classmates about the good news of the gospel of Christ before the lecturer arrived.

Paulina got to the class at about 9:05am and as her usual practice was, she secured a good spot for herself in front, said a short prayer, took out her notebook and listened to the prompting of the Holy Spirit whether to speak personally to a person or address the whole class.

She had not read for up to five minutes when someone tapped her. She looked up to see who it was and why the person was trying to get her attention.

“Good morning,” she said trying to register the face of the young man in blue t-shirt and black trousers that was standing behind her.

“Good morning.” The guy replied.

“Can I help you?” Paulina asked when she could not place the face even though he looked familiar.

“Please ma’am I need your help. Can you step out for a while?” He asked.

Paulina stood up and went out of the classroom with him.
Outside the classroom were two other guys looking haggard and unkempt. Paulina recognized her colleague who harassed her the previous day as one of the guys and she was guessing the other two were his accomplices.

They began to apologize to Paulina that they didn’t want to fight God and that she should forgive them. They were going on their knees and really causing a scene which was making Paulina uncomfortable. She asked that they moved to a quiet place to talk and they did.

“What exactly happened to you people and please speak in clearer terms because I don’t seem to understand what you are saying,” Paulina said as soon as they arrived under the pavilion close to the lecture halls.

“We are sorry for what we did to you yesterday.”

“You didn’t offend me at all and even if you did I have forgiven you already.”

“Thank you, but please you have to pray for us, we really need it.”

“What exactly happed that made you guys become like this?” She asked.

“We all had a terrible dream and funny enough it was the same.”

“A man was coming towards us with a sword saying that we have touched His daughter and that we have done harm to His anointed and we were running but suddenly got to a dead end and saw a sign post which read “you can’t run from your maker” and then suddenly two creatures appeared and started beating us and when we woke up we started feeling the pain of the cane and by this morning it was all swollen and very painful,” one of the guys narrated amidst tears.

“So how does all this relate to me?”

“Please it does relate to you. You are the only one we harassed and offended yesterday.”

“Please forgive us.”

Paulina just sat there for a while and she was so overwhelmed at how God took her side and fought for her even when she could not do anything for herself. “God is indeed my ever present help in time of need, thank you Jesus,” she thought to herself and sighed.

“You said you saw a sign post that indicates that you can’t run from your maker right?” She asked.

“Yes!” They chorused.

“The truth is that, that post is the true reality of your lives. Any man that wants to keep on living in sin and ignoring the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross is likened to a man that is running from His maker and fighting His maker.”

“It’s like you bought a toy and gave it to a little boy and when you wanted to help the child with it, he kept it back and ran away with it. The child will misuse that toy and eventually spoil it. Such is the life of every sinner that ignores the gospel of salvation.”

Paulina told them that true peace and happiness lies in Jesus and no one can be truly joyful outside Christ. They were convicted of their sins and at that spot they surrendered their lives and all to Jesus and Paulina was really happy for them. She prayed for them and they were relived from their pains and most importantly their names were registered in heaven as children of God.

To be continued...
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PAULINA... A Life With A Difference
© OLAYEMI GRACE

EPISODE SIX
Paulina was known for always preaching and admonishing her course mates and they were already used to her telling them about the love of Jesus, why they need to forsake their sins and turn to Jesus to live a meaningful life and avoid eternity in hell. They were also witnesses to the power of God at work in Paulina’s life.

There was a particular time when they were in 200 level when they did an elective course from Biochemistry department and their results were not released. They did all they could and the class representative was running helter-skelter to rectify it but found no solution and they were all to rewrite the course.

Paulina gathered them together and they prayed, after which they went back to the lecturer and he produced their results stating that it was because their grades were better than those of his students that was why he didn’t upload their results. They wanted to take him up to the student affairs but Paulina encouraged them to forgive him since God had fought for them.
On several occasions she had prayed for her sick, disturbed or tormented classmates and they were healed.

Paulina told them that she would be speaking to them that day on the wages of death.

“I would be reading from the book of Romans 6:23,” she said after saying a word of prayer and introducing her topic to her audience.

The bible says “for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

From where I have read, it is important to know the meaning of certain words. The first one is wages: wages is a form of reward that a man receives for the work he has done. The wages can be money, food, property or any other thing. Sin is the transgression of the law of God. Gift is a present we receive from someone as an act of kindness of the person towards us. Eternal life is life without end in bliss and enjoyment. We all know of a surety that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. One way or the other we have at one point or another done something we shouldn’t do and most times it is not because we wanted to do it but it is just because of the nature of sin that is embedded in mankind which makes him prone to committing sin without having the power on his own to stop. We all know that no one teaches a child to lie or steal before he starts doing it, which is the nature of sin. But the joy we have is that God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. He paid the price of death by shedding His blood to wash away our sins and now He is calling us to come and receive of the free gift He has made available for us so we can live a meaningful life and also avoid eternal death.

“Keep quiet and stop disturbing our peace,” a guy said from the extreme end of the class.

You are used to always disturbing others with your religious ideologies and it seems as if you are just hell-bent on transforming everyone to a religious fanatic like yourself. I don’t know why you like condemning others just because they don’t share the same opinion with you. If I don’t believe what you believe does that make me less than human? I don’t even know why you guys that go to church believe that you will make it to heaven. See let me tell you the obvious, I’ll keep living my life the way I want to and still make heaven.”

The guy kept on ranting and as such disrupted the sermon and Paulina had to go back to her seat. Paulina said a little prayer for the guy and sat down quietly as they await the arrival of the lecturer.

The class lasted for about three hours, after which they waited for the next lecturer who did not show up and that was how Paulina ended her day. She could not eat before she left the hostel in the morning and she really wasn’t a fan of junks and so she was really hungry. She decided to rush down to the hotel to eat and rest before going back to the library to study. She went straight to the bus terminus and luckily for her she was the last person to join the bus and they took off.

After she alighted from the bus, she had to trek for about 5 minutes before entering her hostel.

At a corner, she saw about three guys seated. She walked pass them but they beckoned on her and she didn’t answer them because she was in a hurry. They rushed at her and forced her to stop. Then she looked at their faces and could recognize one of them as the guy who interrupted her preaching in the class earlier that day.
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PAULINA... A Life With A Difference
© OLAYEMI GRACE

EPISODE SEVEN
“What is the meaning of this?” She said in the calmest way she could to hide her irritation.

“I just wanted to see how strong you are,” the guy replied and then laughed with his guys.

“I thought it would be difficult to harass you since you claimed to be saved so I want to see how secure your salvation is,” he added and chuckled.

“Don’t tempt God,”

Paulina tried to walk away from them but one of the guys stood before her and blocked her way so she was not able to go and she was getting really exhausted due to how hungry she was.

“What if I want to?” Another one said.

“Let’s see what will happen.”

“I’m not going to allow you bring tears to the eyes of your innocent parents when they hear of your death. Because I know no one can fight God and live to tell the story. All I just have for you is that Jesus loves you and He died because of sinners like you so you can be saved and delivered from this bondage of sin.”

“Hahahahahaha!” They all laughed loudly.

“I can see that you are not well, so you are still preaching to me?” The guy said and gave Paulina a dirty slap.

She wasn’t expecting that and she could not bear the impact of the slap on her that she fell to the ground.

The guys told her never to talk about sin or death anywhere they were again and that the slap was just a tip of the iceberg and the next time they see or hear her preaching they were going to personally see to her destruction in the school.

Paulina was really hurt and it took her a while before she could stand to her feet. The corner was secluded and quiet because students hardly pass through the place due to the records of negative things that do happen along that road. A lot of girls had been raped, robbed and assaulted on that road and the school authority had tried all they could to curb the evil but those criminals were unbending. And since it was a road that led to the female hostels, they had to make another way which was fully secured by guards and cameras were everywhere.
But Paulina had to pass through that road because it was shorter and she was very hungry. She never had any feeling that something of such was going to happen to her and that was really strange. Because, before anything would happen to her whether good or bad, she would have known.

When she got to her hostel, she sat on her bed and kept on wondering why all that happened had to happen. She didn’t get any answers to all her questions but she could not just stop wondering. She laid on her bed still thinking and then she slept off. She had a dream which was an answer to all her questions.

To be continued...
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PAULINA... A Life With A Difference
© OLAYEMI GRACE

EPISODE FIVE
Monday mornings were always characterized with a lot of hustles and bustles and a lot of people dreaded Mondays. Students were not left out of the Monday morning saga and most students always wished that they could skip Mondays and have double Fridays. From the early morning lectures to the long hours of lectures to the long queue at the bus terminus and the pushing and struggling to get a seat in the bus and the traffic that would make a thirty minutes journey become two hours, all these made Monday an enemy of all. Lecturers were also not helping matters as they would take attendance, give tests and not allow any student join the class once they arrived.

It was another Monday and it was evident that no one was excited about the day because they all wore long faces as they got ready for the struggle of the day.

Paulina and her roommates got ready for school and the thought of the stress of the day made them to just do their stuff in silence. Unlike other days when they would gist and giggle happily as they got ready for the day.

Paulina was a very fair and good-looking lady. She was not lousy or extravagant and she always loved to wear something simple and decent. A lot of people called her holy Mary because of the way she dressed and she would just laugh about it and reply that holy Mary was her role model and it would be a privilege to look like her.

That day was not an exception; she wore a long sleeve blue blouse on a black skirt. She packed her hair to the back and took her sandals.

“I’m not going to wait for any of you,” she said and continued buckling her sandals.

“We are almost ready madam, so calm down.” One of them said.

“The lecturer that would be taking the class I have this morning is an early riser, no matter how early you are you will always meet him in the class. At a point I began to wonder if he sleeps at all,” another said.

“Probably he spends the night in the class,” one said and they all laughed.

They got ready and set out. They headed to the bus terminus where they took the next bus down to the academic arena.

Paulina left the hostel as early as 7am for her 9am lecture. She had calculated the time to wait for the bus plus the traffic and knew that she should be able to get to the class before 9am no matter what happened.

But as God would have it, the bus arrived almost immediately they got to the terminus and the traffic was very mild. She got to the class around 7:50am, she went to secure a safe place for herself in the front of the class where she would be able to hear the lecturer well and have a clear access to the board without straining her eyes. She sat beside a lady on the second row in the front and she exchanged pleasantries with her. She said a word of prayer and took out her note book to revise what she had been taught in the course because she didn’t know if the lecturer would welcome them into a new week with an impromptu test.

She had not read for up to twenty minutes when she felt led in her spirit to preach to her other colleagues that had arrived for the lecture as well.
She took her bible in her hand and stepped up to climb the podium.

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen,” she said to get their attention because some of them were busy pressing their phones, some were reading while others were chatting with their friends.

They all stopped and looked up to see who was greeting them. On seeing Paulina, some of them hissed, others continued with what they were doing while some paid attention to her to hear what she was going to say.
To be continued...
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CHAPTER TWO
Monday mornings were always characterized with a lot of hustles and bustles and a lot of people dreaded Mondays. Students were not left out of the Monday morning saga and most students always wished that they could skip Mondays and have double Fridays. From the early morning lectures to the long hours of lectures to the long queue at the bus terminus and the pushing and struggling to get a seat in the bus and the traffic that would make a thirty minutes journey become two hours, all these made Monday an enemy of all. Lecturers were also not helping matters as they would take attendance, give tests and not allow any student join the class once they arrived.
It was another Monday and it was evident that no one was excited about the day because they all wore long faces as they got ready for the struggle of the day. Paulina and her roommates got ready for school and the thought of the stress of the day made them to just do their stuff in silence. Unlike other days when they would gist and giggle happily as they got ready for the day.
Paulina was a very fair and good-looking lady. She was not lousy or extravagant and she always loved to wear something simple and decent. A lot of people called her holy Mary because of the way she dressed and she would just laugh about it and reply that holy Mary was her role model and it would be a privilege to look like her.
That day was not an exception; she wore a long sleeve blue blouse on a black skirt. She parked her hair to the back and took her sandals.
“I’m not going to wait for any of you,” she said and continued buckling her sandals.
“We are almost ready madam, so calm down.” One of them said.
“The lecturer that would be taking the class I have this morning is an early riser, no matter how early you are you will always meet him in the class. At a point I began to wonder if he sleeps at all,” another said.
“Probably he spends the night in the class,” one said and they all laughed.
They got ready and set out. They headed to the bus terminus where they took the next bus down to the academic arena.
Paulina left the hostel as early as 7am for her 9am lecture. She had calculated the time to wait for the bus plus the traffic and knew that she should be able to get to the class before 9am no matter what happened.
But as God would have it, the bus arrived almost immediately they got to the terminus and the traffic was very mild. She got to the class around 7:50am, she went to secure a safe place for herself in the front of the class where she would be able to hear the lecturer well and have a clear access to the board without straining her eyes. She sat beside a lady on the second row in the front and she exchanged pleasantries with her. She said a word of prayer and took out her note book to revise what she had been taught in the course because she didn’t know if the lecturer would welcome them into a new week with an impromptu test. She had not read for up to twenty minutes when she felt led in her spirit to preach to her other colleagues that had arrived for the lecture as well.
She took her bible in her hand and stepped up to climb the podium. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen,” she said to get their attention because some of them were busy pressing their phones, some were reading while others were chatting with their friends.
They all stopped and looked up to see who was greeting them. On seeing Paulina, some of them hissed, others continued with what they were doing while some paid attention to her to hear what she was going to say.
Paulina was known for always preaching and admonishing her course mates and they were already used to her telling them about the love of Jesus, why they need to forsake their sins and turn to Jesus to live a meaningful life and avoid eternity in hell. They were also witnesses to the power of God at work in Paulina’s life.
There was a particular time when they were in 200 level when they did an elective course from Biochemistry department and their results were not released. They did all they could and the class representative was running helter-skelter to rectify it but found no solution and they were all to rewrite the course.
Paulina gathered them together and they prayed, after which they went back to the lecturer and he produced their results stating that it was because their grades were better than those of his students that was why he didn’t upload their results. They wanted to take him up to the student affairs but Paulina encouraged them to forgive him since God had fought for them.
On several occasions she had prayed for her sick, disturbed or tormented classmates and they were healed.
Paulina told them that she would be speaking to them that day on the wages of death.
“I would be reading from the book of Romans 6:23,” she said after saying a word of prayer and introducing her topic to her audience.
The bible says “for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” From where I have read, it is important to know the meaning of certain words. The first one is wages: wages is a form of reward that a man receives for the work he has done. The wages can be money, food, property or any other thing. Sin is the transgression of the law of God. Gift is a present we receive from someone as an act of kindness of the person towards us. Eternal life is life without end in bliss and enjoyment. We all know of a surety that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. One way or the other we have at one point or another done something we shouldn’t do and most times it is not because we wanted to do it but it is just because of the nature of sin that is embedded in mankind which makes him prone to committing sin without having the power on his own to stop. We all know that no one teaches a child to lie or steal before he starts doing it, which is the nature of sin. But the joy we have is that God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. He paid the price of death by shedding His blood to wash away our sins and now He is calling us to come and receive of the free gift He has made available for us so we can live a meaningful life and also avoid eternal death.
“Keep quiet and stop disturbing our peace,” a guy said from the extreme end of the class. You are used to always disturbing others with your religious ideologies and it seems as if you are just hell-bent on transforming everyone to a religious fanatic like yourself. I don’t know why you like condemning others just because they don’t share the same opinion with you. If I don’t believe what you believe does that make me less than human? I don’t even know why you guys that go to church believe that you will make it to heaven. See let me tell you the obvious, I’ll keep living my life the way I want to and still make heaven.”
The guy kept on ranting and as such disrupted the sermon and Paulina had to go back to her seat. Paulina said a little prayer for the guy and sat down quietly as they await the arrival of the lecturer.
The class lasted for about three hours, after which they waited for the next lecturer who did not show up and that was how Paulina ended her day. She could not eat before she left the hostel in the morning and she really wasn’t a fan of junks and so she was really hungry. She decided to rush down to the hotel to eat and rest before going back to the library to study. She went straight to the bus terminus and luckily for her she was the last person to join the bus and they took off.
After she alighted from the bus, she had to trek for about 5 minutes before entering her hostel. At a corner, she saw about three guys seated. She walked pass them but they beckoned on her and she didn’t answer them because she was in a hurry. They rushed at her and forced her to stop. Then she looked at their faces and could recognize one of them as the guy who interrupted her preaching in the class earlier that day.
“What is the meaning of this?” She said in the calmest way she could to hide her irritation.
“I just wanted to see how strong you are,” the guy replied and then laughed with his guys.
“I thought it would be difficult to harass you since you claimed to be saved so I want to see how secure your salvation is,” he added and chuckled.
“Don’t tempt God,” Paulina tried to walk away from them but one of the guys stood before her and blocked her way so she was not able to go and she was getting really exhausted due to how hungry she was.
“What if I want to?” Another one said.
“Let’s see what will happen.”
“I’m not going to allow you bring tears to the eyes of your innocent parents when they hear of your death. Because I know no one can fight God and live to tell the story. All I just have for you is that Jesus loves you and He died because of sinners like you so you can be saved and delivered from this bondage of sin.”
“Hahahahahaha!” They all laughed loudly.
“I can see that you are not well, so you are still preaching to me?”
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CHAPTER ONE
“Sharon! Sharon! Sharon! You can’t do this to us. Please open your eyes.”
“OMG! She is no longer breathing, someone please call the porters.” “This girl must not die.”
Those were the words coming from room 32 in Oriyomi’s edifice, one of the hostels in the Federal university. Sharon, a 300 level student of economics suddenly screamed from her sleep and collapsed afterwards leaving everyone in panic mode. She was not sick before she went to bed that night and something like that had never happened in the hall of residence before. And that made everyone confused as to what to do to remedy the situation.
“Has anyone gone to call the porters?” Nike, who happened to be one of the oldest girls in that hostel asked, looking around to see if anyone had gone.
“Yes, Shile has gone to get the porters,” someone answered her and everyone just sat there in silence hoping that when the porters arrived they would be able to proffer solution to what was going on.
“What really happened to her?” One of the porters asked as they stepped into the room.
“She just screamed and collapsed,” someone answered.
“Is she still breathing?” The other porter asked.
“Come and see for yourself and stop asking foolish questions,” one of the girls said amidst confusion.
The porters moved closer to where Sharon was lying and they checked for her pulse and temperature. They were also thrown into panic mode when they couldn’t discover a pulse and she was really cold.
“What do we do now?” one of the porters said.
“Are you asking us that? We called you people here because we don’t know what to do and you are standing there asking us what we are going to do. Maybe you should bring a knife so we can divide her parts and roast it.” One of the students said in anger as they had expected the porters being older should know what to do.
“That’s too harsh; you don’t talk to an elderly person like that. We are all upset and confused but it is totally wrong to say things like that.” Another person rebuked her sharply.
“You guys should just stop all these nonsense and let’s focus on the matter at hand.” Someone else said in frustration.
“We can’t get a cab at this time. It is 2am and if we should call the health centre, they won’t get here till day break.”
“Exactly, I already called the security unit and I told them we have a medical emergency and that someone is dying and I gave them all the details but I’m sure they won’t do anything until daybreak.”
“What a pathetic country!”
“If they don’t help us at least we should be able to help ourselves.”
Everyone seemed confused and even the porters could not think of anything. They placed another call through to the security unit and they got the same reply of “we will be with you soon.” There are no vehicles around. Not even a motorcycle that they could use to convey Sharon to the hospital.
“Is this how this girl will die?” Someone asked and began to shed tears and others joined her. The scene became a pitiable one as these students watched their colleague, friend, and roommate, dying due to negligence.
“Let’s call Lady Fire,” a girl who had been silent since the pandemonium began said, and everyone turned to look at her.
“Do you think this is a joke?” Someone asked her angrily.
“Why are you getting angry at her?” Another person retorted. “At least she can think of something. What can your dumb head think of?” She added.
“You guys are just so pathetic, someone is dying here and all you can do is to argue and insult one another. I guess it’s true that a leopard can’t wash off its skin, she said and hissed.”
“Whether it is Lady Fire or Lady Thunder you want to call please do it on time. We are losing Sharon,” someone else said and some of them giggled at the humour. A lady volunteered to go and get Lady Fire who stayed at the next hostel.
Paulina was a 300 level student of Anatomy. She was born and bred in a Christian family and gave her life to Jesus at a very tender age. She loved the Lord and everything that has to do with church and service to God excites her. She was enthusiastic and very passionate about the things of God. She doesn’t joke with her quiet time, bible study, evangelism, prayer and also the cooperate ones in church, she was always present. She was the only child of her parents and even though they were rich and very influential, she was neither proud nor spoilt. She had everything that she needed at her disposal and never lacked anything. She was very generous and open hearted. She can give her life for someone if she had the chance. She gained admission into the university at the age of 15 and though she was young she was already sound in the scriptures and Christian living. Her parents didn’t have to worry about her getting influenced negatively.
An incidence occurred when Paulina was in 100 level which earned her the nickname (Lady Fire) and other events that occurred afterwards confirmed the name and most students didn’t even know her real name.
It was the habit of most students to wait till examination period before they got serious with their academics. It was at that period that the notes of the serious students would get missing and the photocopying centers would be filled with students photocopying notes and course materials and a lot of them would start doing crash work of reading for long hours without getting enough sleep which mostly led to health crises during and after the exams.
That particular semester was Paulina’s first semester in the university and with little orientation about the incidences surrounding examination time, she didn’t handle her notebooks and textbooks with special care. She just kept them like she had been doing before. She would keep her books and textbooks in her locker in the hostel without locking it and then go out.
On a particular night about two weeks to the commencement of the examination, she came back from evening prayer meeting in church and after doing a few things she decided to head to the library for night class. She opened her locker and she discovered that all her books and textbooks had been taken away and not even a single one was left, even her jotter where she wrote rough things was also taken. She just stood there perplexed and was looking from face to face to see if any of her roommates would smile so she would know who was playing a prank on her. They were all busy with their things and none of them even looked at her.
After a few seconds of wondering what could have happened, she decided to ask them.
“This is not funny guys. You people should suspend this joke till after the exams o because as it is now, I’m a very busy person,” she said and they all looked at her wondering what gibberish she was saying.
“You are not the type that joke or play around so I wonder what joke you are talking about,” one of them said not being able to piece together a single meaning from all Paulina said.
“Did you hit your head? Another one asked and they all laughed.”
“Don’t try to play a fast one on me at all. I know you guys understand what I’m saying perfectly,” Paulina said not convinced that they didn’t understand what she was talking about.
“When you are ready to talk, let us know. We are also busy people.”
“Okay guys can I have my books now,” she said.
“Are you sure you are fine?”
“Are you hungry? Or do you need to sleep so you can come to your senses and stop talking rubbish.”
“Do we share your books with you or which one is can I have my books?”
Paulina at this juncture didn’t know if they were still pulling her legs or they were being sincere because are roommates were fond of playing pranks on her being the youngest in the room. She was getting frustrated as time was going and the hostel would be locked by 10pm which meant that she won’t be able to go to class that night.
She narrated to them how she left her books in her locker only to come back to meet an empty locker. Her roommates were shocked at the development and blamed themselves for their negligence.
“You didn’t send anyone to help you bring your chemistry textbook?” One of them asked.
“No.”
“We didn’t even suspect a thing and we didn’t even tell you about the dangers of leaving your notes carelessly during exam time.”
“We are so sorry. We think your notes had been stolen.”
“Someone came around and said you asked her to help you bring your chemistry textbook to class because you won’t be coming to the hostel tonight. We didn’t suspect her because she looked decent and we never taught she could be lying.”
Paulina’s roommates really felt sorry for her. They apologized over and over again.
Paulina couldn’t come to terms with the fact that her notebooks and textbooks were gone. She didn’t cry or scream. She just laid on her bed and opened her bible. She read a few verses after which she started praying.
She had not prayed for up to 20 minutes before someone ran into the room screaming…
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please forgive me, I’ll return them.” The young lady in her early twenties was screaming on the top of her voice and she was scratching her body violently.
She called the attention of the other students and they all assembled in Paulina’s room wanting to know what exactly was wrong with the lady that was screaming.
They tried to calm her down but all to no avail. She was turning red and her body was becoming very hot as if she was being roasted. Paulina’s roommates and others around just didn’t know what to do. They wanted to calm her down and listen to her but the more they tried the more restless she became.
All the while, Paulina was still lying on her bed praying. She didn’t mind the noise and distraction and she continued with her prayers.
“Paulina, help us here now,” someone said and tapped her. She ended her prayers and sat up.
Immediately the lady saw her, she became calm and she went on her knees begging Paulina to forgive her that she was sorry for what she did.
“I don’t know you and I don’t know what you are talking about,” she said.
The lady then narrated how she was in the same department with Paulina and she was not always in class and when she did her findings she got to know that Paulina was very punctual in class and had an up-to-date note. She followed her to know her hall of residence and she had been monitoring her for some days before she eventually decided to strike that very day by pretending to be a friend and went away with all her books.
“Haah!” Everyone exclaimed and started calling her bad names but Paulina remained calm.
“Why are you here like these?” Paulina asked.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know your father is a king.”
“As I was returning to my hostel, I was kidnapped by some guys and they said I was a thief. I tried to deny it but somehow I could not tell lies around them. I confessed all the wrong things I’ve done and they instructed me to return your books.”
“They released me and I went to my hostel. I thought about all that happened and concluded that it was just a mere coincidence and I discarded the thoughts of returning the books.”
“As I slept, I had a dream where I saw you and those guys and you instructed them to tie me up which they did and you brought out a long whip and started flogging me.”
“I pleaded for mercy but you will not listen and then after a while you stopped and asked those guys to bring petrol. You poured it on my body and set me on fire.”
“I screamed out of my sleep and when I was awake I started having the sensation of fire all over my body and my skin became red and hot and that’s why I’m here to return your books please forgive me and release me,” the lady said amidst tears.
Everyone was amazed at such a thing. They all knew Paulina to be a Christian and such a thing was strange to explain.
Paulina just smiled and said “you don’t hurt a child of God and go scot-free.”
She prayed for the lady and the lady was whole after which she told the lady of the danger of stealing both here on earth and in eternity. She preached Jesus to the lady and that night she repented of all her sins and confessed Jesus as her Lord and personal savior. Others who were also convicted of their sins begged God for forgiveness that night and since then they never ceased to call Paulina Lady Fire.
There were other incidences that occurred which made people around her to see her as a special and rear kind of person.
There was a day a snake entered their room. As other students were panicking, she just spoke to the snake and it ran out of the room and that was the last time they saw a snake in the hostel arena.
On a particular day, they returned from fellowship late at night and the gate of the hostel arena was already closed which meant that they would have to spend the night elsewhere because the porters won’t allow them in no matter how they plead or how sincere they were. Paulina just stared at the lock for a few minutes and the gates opened by itself.
She was also known for possibilities and there was nothing that anyone took to her that did not receive a positive impact. She was known for always praying for the sick in the hostel and even going to the health centre to pray for patients and they would be healed instantaneously.
She was also very sound academically and she taught her mates and junior colleagues tutorials and whosoever she taught would receive a special kind of understanding for that course that such a person would not be able to explain.
She was loved and respected by everyone but, she had some haters who just didn’t like anything about her and they were always in the business of criticizing her and finding faults with whatever she did but she couldn’t care less.
The lady that went to call Paulina finally arrived with her.
“What is happening here?” Paulina asked as she stepped into the room.
“She just screamed out of her sleep and fainted,” someone said trying to explain the situation to Paulina.
Paulina went over to where Sharon was lying and touched her neck she discovered that she was actually becoming very cold. She excused everyone from the room and closed the door. She went on her knees close to her and said a word of prayer.
“Lord Jesus, what do I do? I believe you can heal her and raise her up but I know that everything you do is always to the glory of your holy name. Father, let your will be done in this situation. Glorify yourself Lord, in Jesus name Amen.”
She finished praying and went over to touch Sharon again. Sharon sneezed and sat up, she was sweating profusely and Paulina gave her water to drink.
“What happened?” She asked after taking a gulp of water.
Paulina explained to her that she fainted after screaming from her sleep. Sharon started shedding tears and told Paulina all she had been going through. How she was always seeing herself being beaten and molested in the dream and when she wakes up she would see the marks on her body.
Paulina preached Jesus to Sharon the only solution to her problems. She knelt down beside the bed and surrendered her life to Jesus.
It was at that point that the people outside lost their patience and opened the door to see what was going on. They were surprised to see Sharon hale and hearty and they couldn’t hide it. They were all eager to hear how it happened and Paulina gave Sharon the privilege of sharing the testimony herself.
By the time Sharon finished sharing her testimony, a lot of them were already in tears, and some of them were on their knees while others were rolling on the floor. They were grateful to God for the deliverance He wrought and some of them were just left in awe of the might of God.
A lot of them that had similar problems began to speak up and they all willingly surrendered their lives to Jesus the only one that could save them. After which Paulina led them into prayers and there was a mighty revival in the hostel that night as evil spirits were being cast out of many and deliverance and liberation from all oppression happened to all that were being oppressed by the devil.
After which there was a mighty praise session as everyone began to praise God in their various languages for all He did for them. Paulina was also lost in worship as she knelt down and tears were running down freely from her eyes. God had used her once again as an instrument in His hands and she was just grateful.
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LOVE SO TRUE
Written by: Olayemi Grace
Inspired by: The Holy Spirit

NO PART OF THIS BOOK IS TO BE REPRINTED, COPIED, OR REPRODUCED IN WHATEVER FORM WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.




EPISODE ONE
Once upon a time, there lived a very influential and extremely wealthy king who had an only son. His only son was apparently the heir to the throne and to the entire riches of the father. He grew up in wealth and started making his own wealth. He was highly loved and respected by everyone in the kingdom and he was every maiden's dream man.
One day, the prince was walking through the palace and he noticed a small dark room with heavy locks and he wondered what could be in the room. His curiosity made him peep through a tiny hole in the wall of the room and what he saw bewildered him. He saw a young maiden in rags, brutally beaten, looking emancipated and in chains. He was moved with compassion towards her and he went to speak to his father about her.
There is nothing I can do for her, son. She's paying for her sins. What sins could she have committed to deserve this great punishment? She was a slave brought into the kingdom after a conquest. She was raised and nurtured in this kingdom from childhood to adulthood. Then suddenly it was discovered that people around her were dying. When enquires were made, it was discovered that she was adding poison to the food she prepared. She killed a total of thirty people and so she would suffer to death.
After the king stated the offence of the maiden, the prince's compassion towards her increased and he was determined to save her at all cost. He kept on pestering his father until he gave in to his request on the condition that he would take her place for seven years. When the Prince's friends heard about his decision to suffer for the maiden, they all dissuaded him but he didn't bulge.
The day came for the great exchange to be made, the whole village gathered in the palace and they were mourning the demise of the prince (because the torture was equivalent to death and only a few survives it). The dark room was opened and the maiden was released. She was very happy to see the light again after many years of being in darkness. She was brought out and just as she stepped to the entrance of the dark room she met with the prince who told her that "I'm going to bear your sins and suffer for your wrong doings for seven years. After which I would be released and then I can take you as my bride I love you and I want you to be mine". The maiden was moved to tears she promised the prince that she would wait for him and always look forward to his return again. Though the maiden could not understand why a man she doesn't know would decide to take her place and suffer on her behalf, she was so grateful to him. She was met with the greatest shock when she discovered the identity of the man that took her place and that he didn't just take her place but he actually switched places with her………to be continued
LOVE SO TRUE
Written by: Olayemi Grace
Inspired by: The Holy Spirit
Episode 2
She automatically became the princess of the land. She was clothed with royal apparel and she began to live in the affluence of the palace. The king was also consoled, for the loss of his son he now has a daughter and he loved her like his own.
After about two years, the maiden began to have suitors from all over the world. Great Princes, emperors and Noble men were asking for her hand in marriage. But she always refused then stating that she had been bought with a price and betrothed to a lover who would soon return to make her his bride. That continued for so long and the maiden was getting discouraged more so because it was almost seven years and there was no sign of the Prince's return.
The maiden's friends began to advise her to get herself a husband because she was getting old and the time of a woman would soon pass her by and she may not have a child of her own if that should happen. What if your so called lover is dead? They would ask her. What if he had abandoned you? What if he has forgotten you? What if he never returns? They would continually say to her.
LOVE SO TRUE
Written by: Olayemi Grace
Inspired by: The Holy Spirit
Episode 3
Finally, she got tired of waiting and decided to give in to her most ardent suitor, who has not given up chase on her for so many years. The prince of the world, as he was fondly called, finally had his dream bride. Their wedding ceremony was elaborate and well lavished, dignitaries came from all over the world to grace the occasion and it was a colourful event indeed. The king could not but shed tears. He wept because of the loss of her s son and now his supposed daughter would be going far away. The wedding ended and all the guests went back to their various homes. When the time came for the newly wedded couple to go to the husband's kingdom, the bride discovered the bitter truth.
He was not a prince, he had no kingdom and all he promised the maiden were just mirages. She wept and wept and wept upon discovering this. She was exposed to harsh living conditions and soon her glowing skin began to fade. She would sit and wish she never married him but there was nothing that could be done.
When it was exactly seven years as promised, the prince was released from the dark room. He ran out of the room with the little strength in him and with so much excitement hoping to see his betrothed wife which he has been dreaming of for all through the years he spent in the dark room. He was met with the greatest shock of his life when he was informed that his betrothed wife has married another man and not just any man, she married his enemy.
Pause for a minute, if you were this prince what would you do? Answers and comments are expected.
LOVE SO TRUE
Written by: Olayemi Grace
Inspired by: The Holy Spirit
Episode 4
The prince was so sad and heartbroken. He couldn't understand why she would do that to him. He wanted to forget her but his love for her was so strong that he always thought about her. He wondered how she was faring and when he could no longer bear it, he sent some of his servants to go and inquire about her welfare.
The report that his messengers bought to him further broke his heart and he could not eat. He decided to go and rescue his lover. He begged his father to grant him permission and after much pleading his father obliged. Many people called him a fool and a love-sick person but really he didn't care.
He travelled for many days in the forest, wilderness and through the river and after many months he got to where his lover was. He was happy to finally see her though sad about the horrible condition she was in. She was so ashamed to look him in the face and even when he made attempt to come closer to her, she ran away in shame thinking that he was there to mock her.
He stayed with her for many days proclaiming his undying love to her and requesting that she takes him back as her lover and return with him to the palace. She told him that she was too filthy to return to the palace with him and that she wasn't qualified to be called his bride anymore. But he assures her that his influence was enough to cover her filth and that all she had to do was accept him back and come with him.
Pause for a minute, what would you advise this maiden to do?
LOVE SO TRUE
Written by: Olayemi Grace
Inspired by: The Holy Spirit
Final episode
The maiden refused to follow the prince claiming that she was with child. The prince had to leave feeling dejected and cast down. Months later the king conquered his enemy city and the prince of the world together with the maiden were destroyed in the battle.
At this juncture you might want to call the maiden a fool, an ingrate and many other derogatory word but wait a minute aren't you also like her doing exactly what she did.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Just like the prince, Jesus left his glory above just to suffer and die for our sins. He died to save us from death; he shed his sinless blood to wash away our sins. But what do we do in return; we leave him and run after the things of this world. We make him sad and unhappy by our lives of constant sins and iniquity. But yet he is still reaching out to us, calling us to return home. Telling us to accept him as our lover so that his blood would wash our filth away and we would be able to stand before the father. He is still calling out to dinners today and backsliders that have gone astray from him. He wants to forgive you and receive you back and all he is asking you to do is to accept him.
Before the conquest of his enemy city which is the rapture, he wants to save as many as would be saved because he does not want anyone to perish but that all should come to repentance. Jesus loves you, He is calling you, and he wants to receive you back.
You may think you have gone too far but I tell you that there is no how far his hand of mercy cannot reach and no matter how deep in sin you've gone, his mercy can reach out to you.
All you have to do is accept that you have wronged him. Confess all your sins to him. Ask him to wash you clean with his precious blood. Welcome him into your life. Surrender your all to him. Ask him to give you grace not to go astray and to abide in him.
Hurray! After doing this, you have successfully returned as a bride of Jesus and a Son of the father. And don't forget YOUR LOVER LOVES YOU! Shalom.
I appreciate every one of you for taking out time to read through this story. Reviews, criticisms, comment, questions and enquiries are welcomed. Do well to share with your friends and family. You can contact the author through any of the mediums listed above.
Till I come your way again with another exciting story, remain blessed.