MY COMFORT ZONE : EPISODES 1 – 10

MY COMFORT ZONE : EPISODES 1 – 10

Princess Stories

EPISODE 7

My Comfort Zone

Episode 7

Dave drove home alone, leaving his wife and child behind.
He didn’t know if he was doing the right thing by disallowing any form of spiritual exrcise in his home.

“You’re doing the right thing as the head of the home. If you allow your wife engage in spiritual exercises as often as she wants to, you’d end up losing her to God in a matter of time. Recall it was as a result of your mom ‘serving the Lord’ that you and your siblings were denied the motherly care and attention you deserved as kids. You wouldn’t want that cycle repeated, would you? ” David heard in his heart as he drove home that evening..

“No! Not when I’m in charge!” David replied to whatever voice speaking to him in his head.

“You wouldn’t want to rid yourself of benefits because of parental mistakes, would you? No matter how you look at it, allowing your wife grow spiritually will help you and your family get to where God wants you to be. Don’t listen to any voice telling you otherwise.” A softer voice spoke.

After being in the traffic for about half an hour, the jam eased up and he got home in less than 10mins.

“I’m so confused on what to do and how to go about these fears I feel within me. I really wish Mama Zipporah lived longer; at least I wouldn’t be in this tight situation right now.” David thought as he made himself some tea.

It wasn’t up to an hour before his family was back. Gift greeted her father well like nothing had happened but Belinda ignored his presence and went straight to the master’s bedroom to wait for him there.

“What kind of a father leaves his daughter and wife in the hospital to come home himself? Seriously?” Belinda asked as soon as he walked into the room.

“Belinda the last thing I’d want to tackle this evening is a baseless argument from you. I’ve had a long day already, just be nice enough to give me something to eat rather than this argument you want to have with me that’s really uncalled for.” Dave said. Belinda had wanted to respond but she heard a soft voice ask her not to.

“He called my argument baseless. Ah, David you don’t know who you’re dealing with o. Me baseless argument? Okay, it’s okay. It’ll be fire for fire if that’s how you want it; plus that vigil you seem to want to oppose will hold. You will see.” Belinda thought angrily as she made dinner for her family.

“Really? Fire for fire approach? Is that what your Bible taught you?” A soft voice spoke to her from within and that made her think for a while.
The food was eaten in silence and when they were done, Belinda and Dave retired to the master’s bedroom.

A part of Belinda wanted to be angrily all night and go to bed without saying anything to her husnad, but an inner voice asked her to do otherwise.

“Babe how was your day?” She asked to his surprise.

“It was….fine, I think.” He said with much hesitation.

“Hmmm…..are you sure it was fine? The way you left your wife and daughter at the hospital yesterday says otherwise.” She said with an incredible calm voice, as he exhaled heavily.

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t expected of me. I let my emotions overwhelm me and I’m sorry about that.”

“Honestly, apologizing is the last response I expect from you. I’ve been thinking of something and I cant seem to wrap my head around it.” She said and moved closer to him

“It feels like you’re scared of something. That’s why you’re so much against any attempt to take our relationship with the Lord to the next level. What exactly is the problem? Please talk to me.” She said pleadingly with her eyes locked in his.

“Nothing is wrong.”

“You know that’s a lie. Something is, and it just hurts me that you don’t deem it fit to share your fears over this issue with me. Remember our agreement in this marriage that we won’t keep secrets from each other in order to avoid an enemy having an advantage over us?

So please tell me the sincere truth, what exactly is the problem?” She asked softly, still maintaining eye contact. It was obvious to even herself that the anger she once felt against her husband had been replaced with a deep concern and curiosity as to know what was running through his mind.

“I read up a book given to me by a friend somewhere. It was a….I don’t know whether to call it a Christain novel because the end of the story suggested “over-christianity” should be discouraged or something.”

“Okay.”

“In the story, a couple had just wedded. A man had married the love of his life, the one he was so sure he wanted to do life with. Few months into the marriage,

challenges came rolling into the lives of the lovebirds. The challenges were in form of financial difficulties and the woman had just lost her job. The woman after trying several the much she could to get a better job, resorted to taking her issues to God in prayer.”

“Okay…” Belinda said and readjusted herself to show her interest in the conversation.

“She kept late vigils, attended almost all programmes set for her church and prayed as often as tie permitted her when she was home. Her husband didn’t have a problem with the new change of behavior of his wife at first until he started denying him her body and neglecting his needs.”

“Hmmmm….”

“To him, her spirituality was omign too much and was beginning to blind her from her responsibilities and obligations to him as a wife.”

“Hmm….Is that your fear? That I’d neglect you?” She asked and he nodded slowly. This made her smile and blush at the same time.

“Babe…” She called out and caressed his beards in a loving manner.

“Okay first things first, I’m happy you’re scared of losing me. Like I’m gald, you don’t know how that makes me feel, dp you? You certainly don’t.

But at the same time, I’m surprised that you believe I’d be so insensitive to your needs and feelings as to neglect them, just because I’m making efforts to build my relationship with God and consequently my prayer life. Like, really? Are you kidding me?”

“Not but you know how these things go now, they’re never really intentional and I can’t bear to lose what we….” He tried to explain but Belinda interrupted him with a deep kiss.

“Hey…..let go, will you? Please let go of your fears because none of your assumptions is gonna happen. Okay?” She said with a whisper as she caressed his lips with her index finger.

MY COMFORT ZONE : EPISODES 1 – 10

That night, Gift didn’t sleep as usual. She was really worried about her dad’s refusal to commence a family vigil.

“God, please touch my daddy’s heart. Make him understand it is for our own good and this might be the only way for me to get well and be like every other child out there.” She said in prayer as she knelt beside her bed. Right there a thought dropped in her heart and she was all smiley and chuckling.

“God I really want to confirm that you do hear and answer prayers, so I want to make this request. Lord please change my daddy’s heart tonight so ny tomoorow, I’d hear a goodnews. Thank you father because I know you wont disappoint me, in Jesus name I’ve prayed, AMEN.” She prayed and went to sleep with a smile on her face.

MY COMFORT ZONE : EPISODES 1 – 10

Rachel was holding a personal vigil in her room. She had just ended the praise/worship section and singing of hymn and settled with the Word of God to read.

A part of her led her to Jeremiah 29 and she sat to read and study it carefully.

“Build ye houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.” The words from verse 5 kept repeating in her heart as she read it over and over again. She knew that instant that the Holy Spirit was trying to pass a message across to her via that verse because she couldn’t seem to read any further.

“Lord reveal the mystery behind this verse to me, in the name of Jesus. Open the eyes of my understanding that I may see and understand the instruction you are trying to give to me through this passage in the ame of Jesus.” She prayed silently and began meditating on the passage till she slept off.

“Rachel! Don’t tell me you’re still sleeping o…….drag yourself to this place and come help me out.” Rachel heard her mom call.

“Ohh Lord! On a Saturday faa. Can’t someone just have a peaceful weekend void of errands?” Vivian murmured as she forced herself up from bed.

“Good morning Ma.” She greeted as soon as she walked into the kitchen and sighted her mother.

“Good morning dear. You woke up late; you know your father would be coming home today and he mustn’t hear we haven’t prepared something for him. ” Her mom said as Rachel slapped her head with her right palm.

“I forgot honestly.” She said and moved closer to help her mom with the dishes. Together they made a big pot of Jollof rice with peppered fish.

After getting the meal for the day prepared, Vivian went to her room to bring out all her dirty clothes for washing. She packed them to the laundry room and began to wash. While at it, she played a gospel podcast to her ears busy.

“There are some believers who do nothing but wait for the right moment before they do certain things. They wait for massive financial breakthroughs before they consider giving to God either via tithing or whatever, they wait till they have that marital breakthrough before praying for their home, some people even wait till they have a better job before they will be happy with God their maker. Listen beloved, let me tell you something this morning- there is no right moment, the right moment is now. Look at what the word of God says in Jer 29.”

“Jeremiah 29? That’s where I read this morning.” Rachel reasoned and paid more attention

“I’d love to start from verse 4.” He said and read down to verse 6.

“In other words, the message God was trying to pass across through His prophet Jeremiah ‘Don’t be stagnant because you’re not where you’re supposed to be. Don’t refuse to grow in that position you’re at presently, else you’d shrink and become insignificant.

Plant gardens and eat the fruits of them. Still sow seeds where you are presently and enjoy the fruit of your labour.
Don’t sit around doing nothing because you’re not yet where you desire or pray to be. Don’t sit around wallowing in self-pity because you haven’t gotten your desired breakthroughs yet. Get yourself busy with kingdom business. Still work on your prayer life, still maintain a healthy relationship with your father. Continue to be an agent of peace wherever you are. Continue working on yourself to be the best version of yourself.

Don’t stop growing, don’t stop planting. In the appointed time your harvest would be large. You would reap the fruits of your labour in a way you never imagined to.” The speaker said and Vivian pondered on the message for a while.

“Don’t stop growing….keep planting.” She reasoned aloud

“But how does God want me to plant? Plant how? Plant where? God please make your way plain before my face. Let me understand exactly what you want me to do at this season of my life.”

MY COMFORT ZONE : EPISODES 1 – 10

Gift’s heart was overwhelmed with joy. Her weekend wouldn’t have been any better as her mom just broke the news of her father’s agreement to begin family vigils like she suggested at the hospital.

“God does hear and answer prayers, He just proved that to me!” She said happily and knelt down in her room to thank God.

The day seemed to be very slow for Gift as all on her mind was the vigil- how they were going to start, who would lead, the Bible passage they’d read and what to pray about.
She also thought of the duration- how long the vigil would last.

“30mins more!” She said excitedly as the clock read 11:30pm

Meanwhile, while little Gift was excited about their first family vigil, her parents were pondering over how to go about it.

“How long is it going to last first? Because I get very sleepy in the midnight hours, I don’t think I’d be able to keep awake for so long. I might sleep off” Dave said

“No it won’t get to that. I don’t want it to be lengthy either. I think 30mins would do.” Belinda suggested.

“30mins? For something we’re just starting? Shorten the time abit please.”

“How is 30mins too much? I hear of people….men of God pray for 2hours straight, and you’re saying 30mins is too small. How?”

“Well thankfully, the man you married isn’t a man of God neither are you. And besides, little drops of ewater make an ocean. Who told you they could prsy for 2 hours straight when they first started. Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know?”

“Hmmm…you do have a point. Okay 20mins then.”

“Make it 15.”

“No, 20.”

“Fine, let’s see how it goes.” Dave said and they heard a knock on their door.

“It’s five minutes to the time mummy.” The little girl said as she knock continuously. Belinda found her daughter’s behavior really amusing.

“Gift is really excited about this vigil stuff.” Dave said

“You can say that again.” Belinda responded and went to answer their daughter.

“It’s almost midnight.” Gift announced as soon as the door creaked open with her mom standing in front of her.

“Yes dear. Go we’re right behind you.”

The vigil commenced as soon as they got to the living room. Although it got really awkward at some point, their first vigil as a family was a success, plus it ended 5mins earlier than planned.

“Wow, okay that was nice.” Dave said as soon as they got to their room.

“I know right. And funny too. You couldn’t even pray past 3mins.” Belinda said and laughed

“Well you don’t blame me, this is the first time I’m ever getting to do this.”

“Are you sure? You came from a Christain background didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah. And we did practise prayers as kids. Mom called it ‘family altar’. But as we grew into teenagers all that stopped and everyone lived their lives as it felt right in their eyes.”

“Probably because she passed away and there was no on willing to diligent instill the art of prayer into you guys till it becomes a habit.” Belinda added and David nodded in agreement

“Yeah. You know I think I’m glad Gift suggested this. It looks promising, if we keep at it.”

“Exactly. If we keep at it……it’s consistency that births great results. If we can be diligent in building this family altar, the result would surely be massive…..”

“Yeah, just like if I get consistent with communicating with you throughout the day, a big reward awaits me at night.” Dave said with a quick peck on her cheeks as she chuckled.

“Tomorrow’s Sunday. We have to sleep early so we wouldn’t be late for the service.” Belinda said

“Yeah. Cheers to our new spiritual goals.” He said with his palm in the air.

“Cheers? Where’s the wine?”

“Just give me a high 5.” He said and she obliged after which they cuddled themselves to sleep.

TBC
Okay, so they have a common spiritual goal- to improve their spiritual life and enhance their relationship with God by building a family altar, and they plan achieving this by taking baby steps ( praying for 15mins each day)…………….I don’t know, are you getting any ideas from this?</p>

MY COM

FORT ZONE : EPISODES 1 – 10

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