Assistant Holy Spirit. Part1

Stella drove into the garage of the two-story duplex she lived with her husband and three kids. She was about opening the car’s door when her phone beeped, she brought out her purse, unzipped it, and it was a reminder of her wedding anniversary.  She smiled and reclined on her seat as the memories of how far and how well her marriage has been, came rushing upon her like streams of fresh water.

Tomorrow would make it 15 years she’s been married to Joe, it’s been 15 years of unmeasurable joy and unquantifiable love. Joe had been a wonderful husband to her and a great father to their kids. But lately, something had been bothering her, so much that she was already losing her peace and joy.

She had given her life to Christ five years ago during a retreat organized by the women group of her local church. And since then she’s been on fire for the Lord.

Her growth has been very rapid as she has a deep hunger for God. Before long she began taking up leadership positions in her church and sometimes her pastor would give her opportunities to teach.

Often while she taught the congregation in church, it bothered her that her own husband wasn’t even in church.
He wasn’t born again yet even after she was converted and this was her worst night mere. She loved her husband and she also knew that divorce wasn’t among her options so she focused on winning him over to the Lord.

She worked really hard at achieving this.

She would persuade and lure her husband to meetings organized by well-known Men of God. Meetings that had millions in attendance and hundreds of thousands surrendering their lives unto the Lord.
But not Joe, he never moved. He would sit there as though nothing had been said, he wouldn’t even open the bible Stella had forced into his hands, and wait for the grace, once it’s said, he would head for the car. There he would wait for Stella to be done with her ‘hello saying’ to friends.

She would invite brethren to the house for prayer meetings and sometimes these meeting would become really loud. Other times She would insist on changing the TV channel to a Christian channel even when Joe wants to watch MTV BASE.

This had been the norm for the past three years, Stella didn’t know what to do anymore. On several  occasions she spoke to pastor Mark about her desire for her husband to be converted, and he had told her to be patient and believe the Lord for his convection. But yet it seemed Joe wasn’t going to be converted anytime soon.

Stella threw her hands on the wheel and dropped her head on them. At this point, she had run out of ideas on how to convert her husband. Hot liquid made to escape her eyelids, she blinked and allowed it flow. She quietly said an earnest prayer, one she had not said in a very long time now.

Stella: “De…dear Lord. I don’t know what to do about Joe anymore, I’m so confused and depressed right now. Would he ever be converted?”

God: “Yes dear, Joe would be converted”

Stella was somewhat surprised, she had heard of it but this would be the first time she heard God audibly. His voice was so audible she had to look at the backseat just to make sure no one was there. She was even more surprised the Lord had said Joe would be converted. So she pressed on to ask Him more questions.

Stella: “When would that be  Lord, when would Joe be converted?” she was hoping the Lord would give her an answer like 3months, 6months or even a year.

God: “When you stop being an ‘assistant Holy Spirit’ in his life.”

Stella: “How do you mean?” she sat up straight and levelled her eyes on the windscreen, as though God was there and she needed to tell Him to be careful of the things He said of her.

God: “You've been trying to convert Joe by your power, salvation belongs to me, my dear. Allow me to work on your husband."

Stella kept weeping in her car until the gateman came to check what has kept madam unusually long in the garage. That was when she wiped her tears and came out of the car, that day climbing the stairs felt like going up a mount.

God's words are that heavy when they come to us.

She released Joe to be himself, to live his life and enjoy their marriage. She put her trust in the God that encountered Paul on his way to Damascus.

One early morning a month later at around 5:30am, a morning crier was preaching in the neighbourhood on a topic that Stella didn’t even deem powerful enough to convict a 10year old sinner not to mention a full-grown sinner.

But she heard someone sobbing softly, she made to go check on the kids but then she realized it was Joe and before she could ask what was wrong with him, the street preacher made an altar call.

Joe hesitated for a moment but then he went out to the street to give his life to Christ.

Stella watched from the balcony as her husband made it through the gate and knelt down before this unknown street preacher. Just then what God had said to her that day in the garage came alive again to her, she didn’t know when said tearfully, “salvation belongs to the Lord.” “Psalms 3:8” Jimmy, her eldest son responded and embraced her.

(Based on true events)
...to be continued.