MENDED WINGS... Final episode.
His Love Tabernacle church was filled to its capacity. Many people who didn’t have a place to sit in the church sat on the porch of the church or under tents outside the church, watching the transmission of the ministration on large screens installed to feed the people outside the large auditorium.
It was the last day of the singles’ summit and the minister for the day was a widely known teacher of the word, Mrs Ella Mason. Little wonder the congregants doubled the previous day number. In spite of the thousands of people present in the auditorium, the drop of a needle could be heard clearly.
Many were crying and some were shaking their heads in pity. Almost everyone was listening with rapt attention to the preacher. Not only because she was an anointed, seasoned, sought-after minister, but because her message was rendering the hearts of many and opening the eyes of countless.
She continued preaching, saying, “the accident was fatal. I thought I would die in it and be forgotten. But somehow, God saved me miraculously. I regained my consciousness on the hospital bed many days later and found myself alive but in a terrible condition. I had wounds all over. The doctor later told me I had 75% burns and femoral fracture. The scars are still here as evidence.” She raised her hands and pointed to her face. “I didn’t even have the courage to ask anything from God, I just kept begging God for mercy, even while I was on the hospital bed. You know, I was wishing God would forgive me and allow me die so I could at least gain eternity. But God didn’t take my life.”
She mopped the tears on her face with a flannel. “Weeks after, I was told my husband, Joel mason had passed away. I couldn’t help crying. I still cry when I remember that till date. You could be wondering why I cried instead of rejoicing, I was crying because he didn’t get a chance to repent as I did.” She paused and sighed. “Shortly after, when my health started improving, I was told I had lost my five months pregnancy and not just that, I had lost my womb because it had been torn during the accident. I couldn’t cry, maybe because I accepted it as a punishment for my disobedience or because a part of me didn’t want that child. I was just thankful I got my life back and I got time to repent. The doctor came again and told me I’d have to be on drugs for life because I was HIV positive. And that was when I broke down. I lost hope and my condition started deteriorating. Thank God for my aunt, siblings, Kunle who was happily married, and a few other people God used for me. I accepted my state and started seeking the face of God. The journey to recovery was long, I must say.” She dabbed the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead.
“I fasted and prayed. And God being ever merciful showed me mercy and mended my wings. Now my wings are mended and I can fly again. That is my story, not my message. My message for you today is total submission to God. Obedience is better than a thousand sacrifices. God sees better. He knows better. And His will is the best for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says and I quote, ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.’ To the singles here, I say, the second most important decision you’ll take after surrendering your life to Christ is deciding whom to marry.” She nodded and swallowed.
“God does not drag our decisions with us but He’ll always show us the way. But majority of time, we chose ways that are pleasing to us instead. The Bible, in Proverbs 14:12, says, ‘There is a way that seems right unto a man, but its end is the way of death.’ Get this now, that it seems right doesn’t make it right. You can’t force your will on God just as God won’t force His will on you. And you can’t have God take responsibilities for your own actions. Let me give you this nugget to hold on to, ‘if it ain’t God’s will, it ain’t God’s bill.’”
The congregants clapped, with many nodding.
“It is best if you acknowledge God in all your decision-making in life. Kunle, who I thought was spiritually lower than me, was the same person God used for me when I was dying. He’s blessed with a wonderful wife and four grown children today. You might be worried about people’s opinion, just as I was. What would people say? How could I tell the world that was my husband? He was too ugly and unspiritual for my liking. He had no post in church, blah, and blah. The truth was I wanted someone I could be proud of, someone that appealed to my senses, and I cared less what God wanted for me. I got what I wanted indeed and you all know the end of the story. I’m not saying you shouldn’t aim for the best, or desire something beautiful. After all, The Bible, in Proverbs 10:24, says, ‘The fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted.’ However, you have to submit your will to God. Always allow His plan to override yours.”
People clapped again and different sound of agreement rent the air momentarily.
“Amen,” she said.
“Amen,” the congregants responded.
“Many things we trivialise in Christianity will count against us if caution is thrown to the wind. Crush, lust, infatuation, give it any sweet name you like, impatience, haughty mindedness, and so on, can cloud your vision and judgement. More reason I cried for Joel was that he was impatient. One day when we were discussing, he confessed to me that God never told him to marry me. He said God told him to wait. But because he was beginning to think people would realize he had a problem, and for the fact that I was on his neck, he gave in and married me. Perhaps he wouldn’t have ended the way he did if he had obeyed and waited and hadn’t married me. After all, God created him and knew exactly what to do about his situation. Take this from me, as many believe, God is indeed merciful. He will accept you when you return in genuine repentance. Nevertheless, part or all of the damages you did to yourself while you were away might remain forever. Ten pairs of mended wings can never be as good as a pair of unbroken wings. Do not crave mending but crave power to maintain your unbroken wings. But as for many as have been broken, don’t wait until it gets worse before you return and seek the face of God. For any of you who still don’t mind mended wings instead of maintaining your unbroken ones, hear this, I’ll be fifty years old on Saturday, I don’t have any biological child, although I have many spiritual children, I don’t have a husband, God is the husband of the widow, anyways. Listen, and learn. I could have had all those and still be in Christ if I had obeyed the Lord. But glory to God, I believe my name is written in the book of life. My soul is saved. The Bible tells us that it is better to enter into life maimed that to go to hell with a whole body. So, if you’re here and you have spent your life in a terrible way in the past or even until now, done abortions, taken drugs, or made wrong decisions, come, the Lord can still mend and renew you. And your soul will be saved. No one knows when the end will come. If Joel knew, he would have repented before the accident. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past or how much you’ve disobeyed, just come now, He is ready to save you and write your name in the book of life. John 1:12 says ‘But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe on His name.’ Surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Rededicate your life to Him if you’ve backslidden. He’ll accept you, wash you, and change your story,” Ella said.
People trooped out in twenties and hundreds, to surrender their lives to Jesus.
“Those of you with unbroken wings but who can’t fly or you want God to help you keep your wings from tearing, come, lay it at His feet. He’ll help you. He’s ever ready. Come.”
Many people walked out and she prayed with them before allowing them to return to their seats.
“If you have any disease in your body, lay your hands on it right now with faith in your heart. The Lord is going to heal you today. He’s a healer. By His stripes, you’re healed. In Jesus name you are healed.”
Sound of rejoicing rent the air as many began to wave their hands to signify they had been healed.
“I can see, hallelujah, I can see,” a blind woman who had just received her sight shouted.
Shout of hallelujah filled the auditorium, as miracles began to happen.
Ella prayed for many categories of people, those waiting on the Lord for future partners, direction in life, and many more. It was a day to remember for everyone who attended the program.
Ella lived the rest of her life sharing the gospel and touching lives, and through her God did many miracles.
Her wings were indeed mended, although she wished she had maintained unbroken wings.
It was the last day of the singles’ summit and the minister for the day was a widely known teacher of the word, Mrs Ella Mason. Little wonder the congregants doubled the previous day number. In spite of the thousands of people present in the auditorium, the drop of a needle could be heard clearly.
Many were crying and some were shaking their heads in pity. Almost everyone was listening with rapt attention to the preacher. Not only because she was an anointed, seasoned, sought-after minister, but because her message was rendering the hearts of many and opening the eyes of countless.
She continued preaching, saying, “the accident was fatal. I thought I would die in it and be forgotten. But somehow, God saved me miraculously. I regained my consciousness on the hospital bed many days later and found myself alive but in a terrible condition. I had wounds all over. The doctor later told me I had 75% burns and femoral fracture. The scars are still here as evidence.” She raised her hands and pointed to her face. “I didn’t even have the courage to ask anything from God, I just kept begging God for mercy, even while I was on the hospital bed. You know, I was wishing God would forgive me and allow me die so I could at least gain eternity. But God didn’t take my life.”
She mopped the tears on her face with a flannel. “Weeks after, I was told my husband, Joel mason had passed away. I couldn’t help crying. I still cry when I remember that till date. You could be wondering why I cried instead of rejoicing, I was crying because he didn’t get a chance to repent as I did.” She paused and sighed. “Shortly after, when my health started improving, I was told I had lost my five months pregnancy and not just that, I had lost my womb because it had been torn during the accident. I couldn’t cry, maybe because I accepted it as a punishment for my disobedience or because a part of me didn’t want that child. I was just thankful I got my life back and I got time to repent. The doctor came again and told me I’d have to be on drugs for life because I was HIV positive. And that was when I broke down. I lost hope and my condition started deteriorating. Thank God for my aunt, siblings, Kunle who was happily married, and a few other people God used for me. I accepted my state and started seeking the face of God. The journey to recovery was long, I must say.” She dabbed the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead.
“I fasted and prayed. And God being ever merciful showed me mercy and mended my wings. Now my wings are mended and I can fly again. That is my story, not my message. My message for you today is total submission to God. Obedience is better than a thousand sacrifices. God sees better. He knows better. And His will is the best for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says and I quote, ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.’ To the singles here, I say, the second most important decision you’ll take after surrendering your life to Christ is deciding whom to marry.” She nodded and swallowed.
“God does not drag our decisions with us but He’ll always show us the way. But majority of time, we chose ways that are pleasing to us instead. The Bible, in Proverbs 14:12, says, ‘There is a way that seems right unto a man, but its end is the way of death.’ Get this now, that it seems right doesn’t make it right. You can’t force your will on God just as God won’t force His will on you. And you can’t have God take responsibilities for your own actions. Let me give you this nugget to hold on to, ‘if it ain’t God’s will, it ain’t God’s bill.’”
The congregants clapped, with many nodding.
“It is best if you acknowledge God in all your decision-making in life. Kunle, who I thought was spiritually lower than me, was the same person God used for me when I was dying. He’s blessed with a wonderful wife and four grown children today. You might be worried about people’s opinion, just as I was. What would people say? How could I tell the world that was my husband? He was too ugly and unspiritual for my liking. He had no post in church, blah, and blah. The truth was I wanted someone I could be proud of, someone that appealed to my senses, and I cared less what God wanted for me. I got what I wanted indeed and you all know the end of the story. I’m not saying you shouldn’t aim for the best, or desire something beautiful. After all, The Bible, in Proverbs 10:24, says, ‘The fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted.’ However, you have to submit your will to God. Always allow His plan to override yours.”
People clapped again and different sound of agreement rent the air momentarily.
“Amen,” she said.
“Amen,” the congregants responded.
“Many things we trivialise in Christianity will count against us if caution is thrown to the wind. Crush, lust, infatuation, give it any sweet name you like, impatience, haughty mindedness, and so on, can cloud your vision and judgement. More reason I cried for Joel was that he was impatient. One day when we were discussing, he confessed to me that God never told him to marry me. He said God told him to wait. But because he was beginning to think people would realize he had a problem, and for the fact that I was on his neck, he gave in and married me. Perhaps he wouldn’t have ended the way he did if he had obeyed and waited and hadn’t married me. After all, God created him and knew exactly what to do about his situation. Take this from me, as many believe, God is indeed merciful. He will accept you when you return in genuine repentance. Nevertheless, part or all of the damages you did to yourself while you were away might remain forever. Ten pairs of mended wings can never be as good as a pair of unbroken wings. Do not crave mending but crave power to maintain your unbroken wings. But as for many as have been broken, don’t wait until it gets worse before you return and seek the face of God. For any of you who still don’t mind mended wings instead of maintaining your unbroken ones, hear this, I’ll be fifty years old on Saturday, I don’t have any biological child, although I have many spiritual children, I don’t have a husband, God is the husband of the widow, anyways. Listen, and learn. I could have had all those and still be in Christ if I had obeyed the Lord. But glory to God, I believe my name is written in the book of life. My soul is saved. The Bible tells us that it is better to enter into life maimed that to go to hell with a whole body. So, if you’re here and you have spent your life in a terrible way in the past or even until now, done abortions, taken drugs, or made wrong decisions, come, the Lord can still mend and renew you. And your soul will be saved. No one knows when the end will come. If Joel knew, he would have repented before the accident. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past or how much you’ve disobeyed, just come now, He is ready to save you and write your name in the book of life. John 1:12 says ‘But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe on His name.’ Surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Rededicate your life to Him if you’ve backslidden. He’ll accept you, wash you, and change your story,” Ella said.
People trooped out in twenties and hundreds, to surrender their lives to Jesus.
“Those of you with unbroken wings but who can’t fly or you want God to help you keep your wings from tearing, come, lay it at His feet. He’ll help you. He’s ever ready. Come.”
Many people walked out and she prayed with them before allowing them to return to their seats.
“If you have any disease in your body, lay your hands on it right now with faith in your heart. The Lord is going to heal you today. He’s a healer. By His stripes, you’re healed. In Jesus name you are healed.”
Sound of rejoicing rent the air as many began to wave their hands to signify they had been healed.
“I can see, hallelujah, I can see,” a blind woman who had just received her sight shouted.
Shout of hallelujah filled the auditorium, as miracles began to happen.
Ella prayed for many categories of people, those waiting on the Lord for future partners, direction in life, and many more. It was a day to remember for everyone who attended the program.
Ella lived the rest of her life sharing the gospel and touching lives, and through her God did many miracles.
Her wings were indeed mended, although she wished she had maintained unbroken wings.
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