MY LIFE (Story)

She held her breath as the metal touched her neck. No one can foretell how they'll die, but one can make the choice on where he or she will spend eternity. Though she never wished to die so young, she's very happy at the thought of where she'll spend eternity. Oh the joy of seeing Him and spending forever with Him.

"Make your choice." a gruff voice said behind her.

She'd been so overcome by the joy of leaving this dark world for a glorious one, she'd partially forgotten where she was.
She smiled contentedly, the peace in her heart had sealed her choice.

"I can't deny someone who love me and gave His life for me."

"You either deny Him, or lose your life."

Seyi smiled again, "I can't lose my life, Jesus is my life and He's promised He'll never leave me. Whether I remain in this world or not, I still have Jesus - and that's my life. You can't take my life from me because you cannot take Jesus from me. Jesus is my life."

Infuriated by her words, the man with the gruff voice punched her hard across the face. She fell and was pulled up by another person.

"Lock her up."

Seyi was dragged into an empty room. Bound hand and feet, she fell hard on the cold floor as the men pushed her in.

"And she's fine o." one of them said.

"Anyone talking that Jesus rubbish is not fine to me at all. As I'm looking at her, it's like I should skin her alive." the other man said, irritably.

The first man laughed very loudly, "Bully, we all know you're the one that hates them most." he laughed again.

The man called Bully kicked her hard in the stomach, "Wretched bastard." he spat on the floor angrily and walked out.

***

It was very dark when a plate of food was placed in front of her.

"Eat."

Seyi opened her eyes to see who brought it. The man had a gentle expression though he looked scary. His face was hard and had scars.

The chain on her hand was removed to enable her eat. She  picked the small plastic spoon in it and started eating. She had been starved for two days.

"No one knows I brought you food." the man told her.

Seyi looked up at him again, but said nothing.

"I want to talk to you. Don't worry, no one is around. I was left here alone to guard you."

She nodded.

"Are you ready to die?"

She remained silent.

The man shrugged, "I mean, you're too young to die. Do you think this Jesus of yours is worth it?"

She coughed quietly to clear her throat, "He died for me. I'm glad to do same."

He stared at her in shock, "You're glad to die." he stated rather than ask.

There was some shuffling sound outside. He went to check but found nothing. So he came back in.

"She was glad to die too?"

Seyi frowned, not knowing what he meant.

"Who are you talking about?"

"My wife." he paused. His head was bowed.

She wondered what he was thinking.

"She gave her life to this Jesus two years after our marriage. How could she do that? She knows about me and my people, we kill them. Yet, she was glad to die. I hated this Jesus for making her like that? She became different, she smiles even when I hurt that she's a Christian and that infuriated me. I loved her, I didn't want her to die. I begged her to stop but she says she couldn't. What do you people see in this Jesus that you are not afraid to die? What is so special about Him?"

Tears were streaming down his face as he spoke. Seyi saw he was still hurt at his wife's death and held Jesus responsible for it.

Holy Spirit, help me minister to this man. She prayed.

"I was born into a polygamus family. My father had three wives, my mother happens to be the second wife." she paused and sighed, "My immediate elder brother accepted Christ four years before I did. I didn't wanted to, I thought I won't enjoy life if I did. I wanted to explore all life had to offer. I was wild, I was my parents headache. But deep down, I was empty. There was this longing in me that couldn't be satisfied no matter what I did. I partied and I partied hard, I drank, I slept around, I had money from the bad boys I moved with. Yes, I was bad, very bad." She looked into his eyes, he was shocked, probably trying to imagine how she could have done stuff like that. "Then I couldn't take it anymore," she said quietly, "I knew what I was doing was bad but I couldn't stop it, yet the longing in me wouldn't go away. I had this longing that there's was more to life than these. I wanted to die. But something stopped me. My brother has a favorite hymn he loved to sing, I only knew the first part
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued? 
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me! 
Whenever he sang that song, I wonder why God should die. How could God die? So I went home and asked him. My brother explained to me how God so loved us all and didn't want us to perish. So He made a way for everyone to be free from sin and have eternal life. That way is Jesus. Jesus paid the price for our sin, the price for sin is death, He died for all of us. And He arose on the third day and is alive forever...."

"He arose? I always thought that's not true."

"It is."

"So of Jesus had paid for the sin of everyone, then why are some no going to heaven?"

"Only those that believe in Jesus can be saved. He is the only way. Even though He has paid the price, anyone who does not believe in Him will not be saved. You have to believe what He did for you, accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and remain in Him."

He sighed deeply and stood up, turning His back on her.

"Since you accepted Jesus, did that longing stop?" he asked quietly.

"I felt a peace I had never felt before. The longing was for God. I believe everyone has a longing for more, and it's only God that can fill it."

"Will I see my wife in heaven?"

"All of us who believe in Jesus will one day live together and never be separated again."

"I've killed Jesus' people, can I be saved?"

"Jesus says He won't reject anyone who comes to Him. I'm sure that includes you."

He turned back to her and she could see that he'd been weeping the whole time his back was turned to her.

"Please help me." he whispered and sobbed quietly.

Seyi led him in the prayer of salvation.

"I volunteered to guard you tonight because I wanted to talk to you. And see, it turns out to be my night of salvation." he laughed quietly. "Thank you."

"Thank You, Jesus." Seyi said.

"Thank You, Jesus." he repeated after her.

***

Perhaps my reason for being here is so he could be saved. 
Seyi thought to herself throughout the night.

Williams, that was his name. He'd left very early in the morning, promising to find a way of escape for her.
She had expected him to come back sooner but it was getting late in the afternoon and still he hadn't returned.

Later that evening, the door burst open and he was dragged in by the other men. In his hand was a small Bible.

"What are you doing with a Bible?" asked the man with the gruff voice, who happened to be the boss.

Williams kept quiet.

"We shouldn't have left him alone with her! I say this people are pest, anyone left with them becomes one of them." Bully spat out.

The boss stared hard at William, "Have you also been deceived to become a Jesus' person?"

"I'm not deceived. I know the truth now. Yes, Jesus is my Lord." William replied calmly.

Bully pounced on him, hitting him in the face and stomach.

"I will give you one last chance. Stop this nonsense and return to us." the boss told William when Bully stopped.

"No, I will gladly die knowing my life is in Jesus' hand."

This annoyed the boss. "Since you've decided to be one of them, then you'll die like them." he turned to leave, "Kill him, and finish the girl." and then he was gone.

Seyi watched as William was stabbed brutally.

"Thank you, Seyi. I'll see you in heaven." he struggled to say, spluttering blood.

Then he died.

"And then we'll never be separated again." Seyi whispered quietly.

Bully picked up a gun and turned to her. Her chains were removed. He smiled evilly and shot at her. But she stood unharmed.
They looks at one another. He shot again and again but she stood still. Alarmed and scared, they all ran away.

Seyi was surprised. "Thank You, Jesus."

She took one last look at William and then scurreied out of the building. She ran till she saw a road. It looked deserted, but after a few minutes she saw a little car coming. She flagged it down and checked inside carefully.

"Come in." the driver spoke to her warmly.

Thank You Lord for You are my Protector. I am safe in Jesus name. She prayed silently and got in.

It was a vehicle she boarded a few days earlier that had brought her to the killers. Some of the other passengers had been killed while others were taken away to no one knows where.

She calmed a little when he started playing a Christian song, and surprisingly it was the hymn "And can it be".
She couldn't but sing along when he got to the last part,
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head, 
And clothed in righteousness divine, 
Bold I approach the eternal throne, 
And claim the crown, through Christ, my own. 

He drove her to her house bus stop. She turned to him, surprised He knew where she lived.

As she alighted, she saw "Jesus, the same yesterday today and forever" printed on the back door. And then he zoomed off.

Then she blinked, and blinked again. He just took off and he was not on the road again. How could he have sped that much to be off the road so soon.

Who was he? She thought to herself.

*****

Thanks for reading.

Written by: O-Lawal Esther

Love you



Picture source: Internet