Victims and Victors (Part 2)

Redemption

Mercy stayed indoor all day crying her heart out and smoking at intervals. She only managed to cook noodles in the evening when she started feeling dizzy.

At about 9:00pm, she started feeling like going to the club again so she went into the bathroom, had a cold shower, smoked and got ready for 10:30pm to leave the house.

The club, Aplus, in Victoria Island will open fully by 11:pm and even though it is Monday some fun seekers still come around to hook up.

She picked up her phone, look through her contact list to see who she can call to hook up with, she just hissed as she scrolled down. She put the phone in her bag,stood up, picked her car keys, went to the kitchen, drank water and left the house for the club.

She looked around when she got to the club to check if anyone she knew was around, not recognising any face except the bar man, she walked towards him.

“See who I have here on a boring day like this, the ever irrepressible Mercy. Good evening angel, you are looking stunning in that black dress.” Mike said.

“Shut up there, you have started again” Mercy said laughing.

“Why should I shut up? You know I am saying the truth. When a real man sees a beauty, he must acknowledge. Your skins glows like the stars in the night.” Mike replied with a wink.

He leaned forward towards Mercy, took a deep breath and said “You take my breath away.”

Mercy laughed hard and said “Mike are you flirting with me? Mind yourself o.”

Mike laughed and said “It has been a while, how are you doing?”

“I am fine but can be better.” She replied.

“The usual?” Mike asked.

“No alcohol tonight, just give me soda water.” She replied.

“There you have it.”

Mike handed over a glass of Soda to her and she cat walked to a private corner of the bar while the few eyes in the club followed her.

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Mercy stayed for about an hour and was about to leave when one of the guys that has been staring at her finally approached her. She offered him a seat and some minutes later they were both chatting and laughing like they’ve been friends for a long time.

Femi told her he works in a construction company and lives with his cousins in Ajah.

At about 1:30am, he stood up to leave. He asked for her phone number and promised to keep in touch.

Mercy just stared on, the first time that a guy in the club wouldn’t ask her if she will like to go home with him.

“This is a big milestone for me, I haven’t taken alcohol all night and I am not feeling like ending the night with a man in my bed. It means all hope is not lost for me. I can change, I will pick up my life and turn it around again.” She said to herself.

She picked up her bag and smiled happily. Entered her car and drove home.

At home, she drank cold tea and went to bed. For the first time in a long time, she slept peacefully.

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Tuesday morning are meeting days in Frank’s office. Days that being a cash officer is a blessing, marketers dread the day because they will have to give report of their activities.

He sat at his usual back seat in the common room used for the meeting and listened as the marketers took turn to give their reports.

The head of operations rounded up the reports and the branch manager commented on all the reports with words that sounded like threats and castigation.

At the end of the meeting, one of the new staff was asked to close the meeting with a prayer and she kept on praying and after about five minutes the branch manager shouted amen.

Frank thought about his routine job and felt sad but his face lightened up when he remembered that he will be going to church for Bible study later in the day.

Even though he stays at Ketu, he goes to a church in Victoria Island every Tuesday for Bible study and it usually is refreshing and powerful. It was a friend that invited him and ever since he hasn’t missed a Tuesday service in the church.

By 5pm he was out of the office and got a bus to Victoria Island.
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Mercy enjoyed her day, she cleaned the whole house, washed her clothes and applied for job through some job websites.

She looked at the wall clock, she shouted when she saw it was 15 minutes to 5pm. She dropped the book she was reading and rushed to the bathroom. Femi had called her earlier in the day that he will like to take out by 5pm.

“He will be here any moment from now.” She said to herself.

She was dressing up when her phone rang, Femi was waiting outside. She opened the door for him, they hugged and offered him a seat.

“I will be back in a minute.” She said then turned to him “Hope this is appropriate for the place you are taking me to this evening?” Showing off her blue gown.

“It is perfect.” Femi replied.

“Okay then, will be with you in a minute.” She dashed to the room to make up.

……………………………………..

Frank got to the church when the choir was leading the praises. The church was already getting filled up by the time he entered.

He was super excited to find a good seat close to the front because the Pastor had announced on Twitter that they were going to be having a guest minister that will speak on Overcoming Addictions.

With his struggles, he prayed and hoped that by the end of the service he would have gotten his victory.

He had been addicted to masturbation and had done everything to stop but the more he tried, the more it became difficult.

Even though being a christian, he has struggled with the habit for sometime now and it has completely eaten up his spiritual life.

………………………………………….

Femi later told Mercy that he is taking her to his church for Bible Study. She just kept quiet and played along, at least he is the only sane thing that has happened to her in months.

They entered when the choir was rendering their special number, found two seats towards the back as the church was already filled up.

When the minister came up, she turned out to be Mrs Eniola James, the same woman that counselled her on Sunday.

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“The first step towards overcoming addiction is to admit that it is an addiction” Mrs. Eniola James

“The next step is for the person to choose to stop and believe that he/she can actually stop.”

“Most people are defeated before they start at all because of the cycle of failure that they have gone through, they feel that they are beyond redemption but that is the life of the devil”

“I am an example of someone that overcame addiction. I was a sex addict and was hooked on heroine but I encountered God’s power, worked hard at it, ignored the shame and today my mess is now a message. If I can do it, so can you.

Your singular choice today of trusting Jesus with your life will completely change your life forever.”

She preached with power, highlighting all necessary point but then concluded with the fact that admitting, confessing and repenting from any sinful addiction is the first step.

Mercy and Frank stood up with tears in their eyes, went to the altar to give and re-dedicate their lives to God again.

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It doesn’t matter who you are, if you are involved in any sinful habit you are a victim but the good news is that there is victory in Christ Jesus.

No matter how many long years you have been under the yoke of the addiction, you can come out of it clean and better.

Frank and Mercy made the most important choice of their lives that night, will you do the same?

What were the steps they took after that night? Were they able to overcome their addiction?

Victims and Victors continues next week Saturday by 8am.

@ohteehem

@ohteehem…committed to 2 Timothy 2:2