THE EVANGELIST…. PART 6

©Temi Akintade

The match began by the end of the week. It was community by community. Since we had just 4 communities in the town, the community where I lived, Rigasa, played a football match with the other town. I watched as the young boys ran around the round-shaped leather, raising brown dust on their heads. They didn't even care that they wore no sneaker to play. They played with their barefoot and I was impressed to see such rigor and skill. I took short videos and pictures and posted them on Facebook. The pastors and most of the church leaders were seated at another corner of the field while I stood beside some of our community boys. Cheering up those on the field that they could do better.

Our girls were not left in the whole match exercise because the following day, which was a Friday, the girls played. But before they played their match with the other community, I gathered the youths available before the match started. I wasn't sure if they were up to a hundred but I knew that they were many. I ordered them to sit on the dusty ground and they all did, soon their eyes fell on me and I could hear a deafening silence. They were all waiting for me to speak.

"I have always thought that God must have been wicked to have created that evil tree in the garden of Eden for Eve to be tempted to have a bite."

Many heads nodded and I caught a glimpse of Kauna's alluring figure somewhere in the crowd and my attention wobbled. I didn't want to be distracted again so I stopped looking towards that angle and blocked off any thought of her.

"But I realized that the reason why God created Adam and Eve was for fellowship and intimacy. He wanted them to be used to him as their companion. He also kept the evil tree there because he made humans with a will of their own. That is, he made us with an ability to make our own choice. Otherwise, we would just be robots leaving a controlled life."

There were a few 'yes' here and there.

Impressed, I continued. "So God when Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their authority, dominion, and power to the devil. I will stop here for today. But I want you to know that there is a God, who loves you and wants an intimate relationship with you. There is a God who wants to be your companion. He knows your name. And he wants you to come back to him so that he can show you the strategies you can use in defeating the devil because the devil has always been jealous of man. He aims to destroy that good thing that God has placed inside you. But the only way you can get to defeat the devil and get to know God is by believing in his only begotten son, Jesus Christ." I continued.

That afternoon, I led about 50 youths to Christ. They were all in tears, pleading to know God more. Was in tears myself because I didn't believe that God could do much with the little talk I gave. It was then that I realized that if I hadn't obeyed God to come to Kaduna. Maybe the would of these young people who are tired to me, would have perished. It was then, that I made a promise to God to always preach the gospel.

After leading them to Christ, I ended the section and it was time for the match. It was then, that I got thirsty and decided to search for water to drink. By the time I got to out of the field and began to walk towards one of the houses that sold water, I heard my name. I turned and realized that it was Kauna who was calling me. I thought she was someone I could ignore but I froze at a spot when I saw her dressed in a tight red gown. The gown didn't attempt to cover her accentuated curves and her face was smooth. It was as smooth as the face of the pap the missionary's wife made that morning.

"Evangelist, how have you been sir? I have been wanting to speak to you. I have been having emotional problems, sir." She said, batting her eyelashes repeatedly. And even though that simple act caught my interest and turned me on, I knew that there was one thing I needed to do since I didn't want to disappoint God.

Flee!

I turned to leave but she grabbed my hand with a firm grip and placed it swiftly on her chest. My hand brushed the softness of her dress and I froze again. I wasn't sure of what to do other than a whisper to the Holy Spirit to please take away this temptation.

Then I heard in my Spirit. 'No temptation is given to you that you cannot handle.' I remembered that scripture from the Bible. Then suddenly, the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife flashed across my mind. It was then an idea popped into my head.

"Let this be the first and the last time you will ever stop me to speak to on such issues, or touch me okay? If you have emotional issues, sit with your pastor's wife and speak to her. She is good at handling emotional issues."

She released my hand quickly and folded her arms across her chest like I had hurt her. "My pastor and his wife, their marriage is nothing to write home about so I can't speak to them about my relationship." She said.

"How do you even know that their marriage is nothing to write home about? Besides, what do you know about marriage?"

Kauna laughed. I have never seen this bold and daring part of her before. Well maybe just once but this part of her was difficult to come by on a normal day. "Because the pastor himself told me."

A frown found its way to my face. "I don't understand. Why will the pastor tell you what happens between him and his wife?"

She eyed me and said, "You better be careful in this town else, I will destroy you myself. All the pastors here, dance to my tune and if you can't be like the others, then leave! I am not a witch but I am attracted to men of God. And if you must succeed as a pastor in this town, you must come to me first. You know where to find me." She smiled and sashayed away.

I froze there in shock. Only that this time, my jaw dropped open.

What just happened?