OH LORD, JUST THIS ONCE!🙏

She looked stunning as always in her long blue dress. Blue is probably the new gold! Just two seats away from the Preacher, she felt awed by the message. It was a 'Call To Your First Love' by Rev Richardson Omane, a renowned revivalist who had been invited to Cynthia's church as part of the 5-days revival. It was a Sunday and the last day of the revival. She obviously seemed in love with the Revivalist's sermons. After his first sermon, 'Lord, I'm all  yours', Asabea had not missed the first row. Obviously, she wasn't the only one eagerly waiting for today's message. As early as 7:30am, all the front seats had been taken. She thus reluctantly made for the next seat on the second row. She had to check her watch again to be sure it was only 7:30am and the auditorium was beginning to fill up.

This is truly a Revival! Rev. Gyebi was impressed that finally his congregation was appreciating the need to be on time to church. His constant nods to his colleague's sermon was indicative of his satisfaction with this year's revival. Indeed, his congregation were 'Back to the Lord' just as the theme for the revival expressed. It was only thirty minutes past eight that he realised that the ushers were making arrangements for more chairs to be added. The auditorium was already filled up. At this same hour a week ago, the auditorium would only be half-filled. "God is definitely at work", he whispered. However, he whispered that audibly enough for his wife to turn to him and nod in agreement. She was equally awed by what was happening in the Gospel Way Church. The call for Revivalist Richardson was timely.

Asabea's excitement caught the attention of Michael, the head of the church's publicity unit. He didn't hesitate to take a shot of her with his camera. This was not only useful for his unit. It was definitely going to be an opportunity to talk to his pastor's daughter and his dream lady. He has eyed Asabea for the past years and has been waiting for an opportunity to express his love for her.

Cynthia Asabea Gyebi is the second and only female of Rev. Gyebi's three children. Asabea's a 24-year old beautiful young lady and a fresh graduate from one of the prestigious universities in the country with a BSc in Business Administration. Besides Michael, Asabea is the dream lady of nearly all the young men in the church. "She's a Rebecca in our days", they would usually say when she walks past the instrumentalists to her father on the pulpit. Interestingly, despite the several accolades they showered on her, Asabea had her eyes outside the church. Seven years in the Obonsu township and in the church, she hadn't found any guy good enough to meet her standards. She had been approached by a few Obonsu-standard wealthy men yet Asabea described them as below belt. Well, she wasn't ready to be confined to this small town when they were other prospects coming from the city. "I didn't get a university degree to live in this community", she told Ida, her closest pal from senior high school, one day when the topic of suitors came up.

But right there on her seat that Sunday morning, Asabea was engrossed in the Spirit-filled message by the Preacher that she barely noticed the click from Michael's camera. She would have been perfectly fine if not for what crossed her mind that minute. It was her birthday in two days. What should have brought much more excitement actually stole her joy. The thought of her birthday was the only stumbling block to her full reception of the message being preached. A day ago, when the thought came to her, she had wished this preacher had come a week later. To truly reunite her love with Christ, she had to probably cancel her plans with Kelvin.

Kelvin, her boyfriend, has promised to take her out to one of the finest hotels in the capital city on her birthday. Asabea knew there was much more to this than merely eating chicken and sipping wine. She was going to have 'fun' with her ideal man. She wished she could just say NO but this was a hotel she's longed to spend a night in. The excitement on her face vanished. Michael noticed as he tried to take his fifth shot...he stopped midway.

"Lord, just this once please", she said to herself as she tried hard to pay attention to the Preacher's concluding remarks. She wished she could just be granted the opportunity to have fun on Tuesday and then reunite with her First Love afterwards. She was still weighing her options when the Preacher remarked, "Life is full of choices. And we get to make these choices for ourselves - whether good or bad. God does not take over our will till we tell Him to. It might seem a difficult decision to stand with God but it's always the best decision. Run to your First Love. Run to Christ. Don't be entrapped by the temporary things of this world. They are but for a moment. This is a call from your First Love". He ended his message with those lines and the auditorium resonated with applause and a standing ovation. These last words seemed to have hit Asabea so hard that she didn't realise everyone else had taken their seats. It took a tap from the person next to her for her to finally get in touch with reality. She looked around confused and gently took her seat. Unfortunately for her, her father noticed her confusion as he walked towards Rev Omane to embrace him. What could probably be wrong with his daughter that will make her put on a worried face after such a powerful ministration from the man of God? Rev Gyebi wondered.

Each of us probably might have experienced Asabea's dilemma where we're torn between our needs and wants, affections and morals as well as good and bad. Most often, we had found ourselves in the Church, prayer meetings, Bible study group etc wondering whether to honour an invitation that contravenes our moral standards or spirituality. As humans, we are most often likely to choose that which gives us the gratification that we desire. It could be a romantic time with a loved one, the company of bad friends, immoral thoughts and acts, resort to an old life among others. Although these things give a certain form of satisfaction to the Carnal self, it is only short-lived and never fulfilling. A true fulfilling experience is intimacy with our First Love.

I do not know what's possibly going through your mind this moment neither can I predict your intentions for the next minute, but I believe Rev Richardson Omane's concluding message should hit you hard enough, just like it did to Asabea, if you have a resolution to return to Christ. Like Asabea, you probably might be making a request to have it done just this once but don't forget that that could be your doom. You can never tell what that ONCE experience will leave you with. It's a "Call unto Your First Love", for what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?
Tomorrow might be too late.

© Oheneba Inspires
Oheneba Kwadwo Aduse Poku Nimako Jnr
kwadwoaduse@gmail.com
0545029466