INDEPENDENT PATHS: Stories that instruct youthful hearts at Valentines 2024 DAY 3

 

LOLA was on her way to church one evening when she noticed a young man caught in traffic in another lane, and they smiled at each other. 

Unknown to them, they were both heading for the same church service. They finally met in church and were introduced.

The young man's name was Akin. Instantly, they developed a liking for each other.

Akin was in town from the USA and was accompanying his pastor on a mission to hold a crusade in Nigeria. It was not true. 

The crusade never took place.

The following month Lola took ill and had to be hospitalized.

Akin seized this opportunity to get closer to her. He was at Lola's bedside throughout her stay in hospital, showering her with gifts

and attention. 

By the time Lola was finally discharged, she had fallen madly in love with Akin and they started dating. 

Lola was so in love that she agreed to marry him before the end of that year.

So in love was she that she failed to ask Akin the necessary questions, neither did she seek counsel, or commit the relationship to God in prayer. 

Lola was blinded by what she thought was love. A few close friends who felt concerned about the way Lola was handling this affair, tried to intervene. 

They wanted Lola to acquaint them with all she knew about Akin. 

To their surprise, she knew very little about him. To make matters worse, she couldn't care less.

During their courtship Akin travelled back to the United States twice, leaving his supposed office phone numbers as the only means

of contact for Lola. In April 1997 Akin and Lola secretly got married in a court of law. 

Lola did not bother to notify even her parents

until September 1997, when they became suspicious and accused her of carrying Akin's baby outside wedlock. 

It was then that she brandished her civil marriage certificate.

Lola's parents, family and friends fell out with her, but - after much pleading and pacifying - they calmed down. 

The reality was that Lola was already pregnant and an abortion was out of the

question. 

A date for a proper family introduction and subsequent wedding ceremony was fixed. Wedding invitations were sent out.

The family introduction took place, but to everybody's amazement, Lola and Akin eloped to London a week before the wedding day.

In March 1998 Lola gave birth to a baby boy in London. Lola had a shock of her own a few days after the delivery. 

Akin had gone ahead to the USA, ostensibly to make arrangements for them all to

travel to America and live there as a family.

That was the last Lola saw of Akin!

Fifteen months later Lola learnt through a friend that Akin was critically ill and had been hospitalized somewhere in the United

States. 

Fortunately she found out the name and telephone number

of the hospital. A cheery nurse took her call. They talked at length and, when the nurse was about to transfer the call to Akin, she in-

formed Lola that Akin's wife and two children were at his bedside at that moment. 

Lola was dumbstruck and emotionally paralyzed but she managed to hang up. That piece of news choked her confidence and extinguished her pride. 

Barely a year after that Lola was to learn of another woman in Nigeria whom Akin had deceived into 'marriage'. 

This lady also had a child with him. It was only

the grace of God that kept Lola from having to be treated by a psychiatrist.

The good news, however, is that Lola has rededicated her life to Christ. 

Today Lola is a single parent living in London and is very active in the Pentecostal church. She says she has learnt her lesson, albeit the hard way.

The lessons to be learnt

✔Lola erred badly by replacing 'presence' with 'presents'. She did not seek counsel, ask relevant questions or pray.

✔Never enter into marriage without getting proper information on the background of your intended. This could be a major mistake, as proved by Lola's case.

Be careful with long-distance relationships.

Kindly share this write up with your friends and families. Also drop your observations and comments in the comment box. 

Have a spiritually edifying Valentines this season. May you experience the Agape dimension of love that brings lasting peace. 

Kay Daniels

CCYI GLOBAL

Youth coach and premarital counselor. 

Telegram: 08149537021