As a medical doctor, I had a lot of plans for myself in terms of ministry and work. I thought that by now, I would have been nearing my appointment as a consultant, healing the sick, casting out demons and doing exploits.
Sitting in my office one day, I looked back at the three years I had spent in God’s Lighthouse and I realized how much God had done for me.
I remember I actually argued with the Holy Spirit on the issue of coming to Uyo. I really didn’t want to come to Akwa Ibom because I thought there was nothing good about the state. I had a very bad impression about Uyo as I was of the opinion that following women, drinking, eating dogs and pigs, was all that happened in Uyo.
So when I was led to come to Uyo by the Holy Spirit, I fought and threw tantrums. However, I was surprised at what I saw when I arrived. I remember the first time I saw sister C. and sister T. during the morning review in the hospital where I was doing my internship, there was something about them that challenged me even though they didn’t speak to me initially.
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Back story: I had some struggles which hampered my relationship with God and a point came when I couldn’t see or hear from God. I lost faith and was practically afraid of my stand with Him. So when I came to Uyo, the first thing I did was to go around churches, trying to test what they have to say, if it was equal to what I had in Ekiti state where I schooled, but I was quite disappointed. The last place I went to, in the middle of the service, the minister did something strange – she called out people to give money so that they’ll survive from December till January. I was so embarrassed. I felt as though she had disgraced God before everyone. So I packed my bags despite sitting in front, damned the usher and left. At this point, I told God to remember the argument we had about nothing good being in Uyo!
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I couldn’t focus during the morning review because there was something about their presence. I almost got into trouble with my consultant because I kept looking back while wondering; “Do these kinds of people still exist in this state?” I didn’t talk to sis C. until one evening when she talked about Jesus so much that I was offended in my head. “Do you think you are the only one that knows about Jesus? You don’t know what I’ve done with Jesus” I said in my heart. I got so offended that I told her to calm down and went on to say some things to show that I was in the same standing with her but she was overwhelming.
Then she mentioned something that I had heard before coming to Uyo. She said “We are a nameless and faceless people”. “How does this girl know? Was she with me when I was talking with God?” I thought in my heart. She invited me to God’s Lighthouse, and even though I had a mix up in the address, I was divinely led to the venue. When I came in, I didn’t notice that sis C. was sitting right beside me. I sat down and fixed my gaze on Pastor Ita who was speaking. Inside of me, I went like “This is not possible!” Just about that time, he mentioned a phrase ‘The Powers of the Age to Come’ – which was the last thing I heard in Ekiti state before leaving.
My eyes were glued on Pastor and from then on, I couldn’t stop coming. There were times I had to create and engineer strategies to come to church due to the nature of my job. For example; sometimes I would beg the Lord that nobody should come to the hospital, and then leave for church meetings when I heard ‘Go ahead’.
I thought I was ready for the world, ready to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and all, but the three years I have spent in God’s Lighthouse has made me realize that I was very unprepared. It made me see that if I had gone out, I would have been an embarrassment and it’s one thing I never wanted to be.
In 2021, I spoke to pastor about certain struggles I was having and this was his diagnosis: He told me “Three things are wrong with you; you have wickedness in you, you are a hypocrite and you have an issue with self.” I sat there thinking, “I’m a hypocrite after all I’ve done for God? I have wickedness?” I had to sit still for a while before I stood up to continue pondering on the words I had received. Truth be told, I had all those things, I had a lot of baggage.
My discipler in Ekiti state had at one time said to me “you are proud”. Most times we returned from a meeting, he would tell me to go and wash plates, wash his clothes, and cook. His aim of doing that was to clip my wings because I came to a point where I thought I had arrived; I mean everything that was happening in the lives of many ministers who were well known and in the cameras was happening around me too. But I was slow of learning.
This 2022 which I call the ‘Year of the Knife’, I was surgically operated by God and a lot of things removed. Looking back now, I’m grateful to God that He allowed me to pass through this process. There were times where I complained, but I was reminded that the process was necessary because of the things God had in store for me to do.
David’s story taught me a whole lot especially in the aspect of obedience and humility. Kenneth Haggin said that ‘Power will kill you but what will keep you is bending to God’s will’. I was intoxicated with power; I mean I did crazy things for that thing called power, I did foolish things but the Lord helped me in that I look back and I ponder on ‘what if I had gone the route I was about to go?’ I would have ended badly. One time I swore to God that I would not stop praying until I raised the dead and then I will go back and raise my mom who passed away in 2006, just because I never wanted to be embarrassed by a dead body.
I really thank God for God’s Lighthouse, where I was taught that obedience is the strategy. God’s Lighthouse was introduced to me as the cave of Adullam and in the scripture, we see what happened in the cave. It is where men of no repute were made into men of war, and that’s the mentality I came to God’s Lighthouse with. I thought God was going to keep me here for maybe three to four months and then launch me into the world, but three months became six months, one year, two years and now three years.
I’m thankful to God for showing me that there is a purpose in everything He does and all I can say is “Please bend to God’s will. Everything will work out in its due time and season.”
