Excerpt from Morning Does Come: Chapter 7 Page 64

“Your mother does not need to know you came to see me,” Uncle Timothy said. “She will not be happy with you.”

“Why?” Kaine asked.

“It is complicated. Come here,” he said, motioning to her with his hand. “Come and sit on my lap like you used to when you were a child.”

She blushed.

“Uncle, I am quite heavy now,” she said as she stood up and walked toward him.

“The heavier, the better,” he said with a laugh.

He lifted her unto his lap. As she tried to make herself comfortable, her skirt moved up, revealing her thighs. He immediately pulled her closer to him.

In a hushed tone he said, “If a beautiful girl like you runs a restaurant, you will have many customers, not because of the food you cook but because many men will want to have a feel of you.”

What is the fate of Kaine during this meeting? Would she get what she wants out of the visit? Can you predict what next?

If you haven't picked up your copy of Morning Does Come, find out what happens to Kaine (and much more) by getting a copy through any of the means listed HERE. Get a copy for yourself or someone dear to you.

Compliments of the season and have a very Merry Christmas.

Ordinary but not Ordinary

Certain events may seem ordinary in your eyes but to God they are not ordinary; they are strategically happening for a greater purpose in time to come. #hope #lifelessonsfromkaine #morningdoescome

Next week, I will share with you an excerpt from my novel "Morning Does Come". Stay tuned... 

Morning Does Come

My Toddler and the Bottle of Medicine

It was a Tuesday. The day went on like any normal day. Infact, it was much better. The children had closed early from school. We had played together, done 'Mummy's Lessons' together, and talked and laughed so much. The children were in the best behaviors and I couldn't thank God enough for the joy He had given me through them. 

As usual, women have to be multitasking. 2 separate pots of beans were on the fire while we were having fun. And just when it was time to finalize the cooking of the beans, I remembered that the children's medications were in the fridge and needed to be warmer before I could administer them. So I brought them out of the fridge and kept on my section of the dining table then resumed cooking the beans. 

After some minutes, I heard the children haggling over something. 

"Give me some!" the older one said.

"No, its my own!" the toddler replied.

"Let me drink a little na!"

"No!"

I could not imagine what they were fighting over. 

I peeped through the glass in my kitchen door that overlooked the living room. Then I saw my toddler holding an empty bottle of cough syrup. I immediately ran out of the kitchen, forgetting the beans on the fire. She was coughing.

"Mummy, it's very sweet!" she told me with an innocent look as she handed to me the empty bottle of medicine.

I was finished at that point in time. I did not know where to start from. I turned to the older one to ask what exactly happened. It was obvious. I found myself scolding the 4 year old saying "next time, if you see your sister touching a bottle of medicine, take it from her and come and report to me!" How silly I sounded. 

I called Mr. Rita, told him we have an emergency and explained what had happened. No response from him, how frustrating. So I dropped the line and called Mr. Rita's father who is a doctor. I explained which medicine she drank and he gave me tips on what to do. After that, I went to attend to the beans which was almost burnt.

Very depressing and condemning thoughts began to enter my mind. I called myself names from irresponsible mother to a woman who did not deserve the precious gifts of God. I began to think of the impact of the medicine overdose, and this was only worsened when I consulted Dr. Google. 

When Mr. Rita returned from work, I immediately handed his children over to him (without greeting him) and ran into the bedroom to have a good cry.  Then I cried to God because the self-condemning thoughts were so depressing. And He comforted me. He reminded me of how happy the children were to spend the afternoon and evening with me. He reminded me of the beautiful paintings that came out of the extra time I spent teaching them how to color neatly. He reminded me that none had cried or thrown tantrums while we were together. I was not so bad after all.

So I wiped my tears away and went to join the rest of the family. Mr. Rita was as usual awesome with the children. They did not miss me. And just as I was about to set the table for their dinner, I saw that the medicine had spilled on the floor of the dining table. 

Phew! What a relief! She had not drank a full bottle of cough syrup but the whole experience was a lesson for me - Keep all medicines and anything harmful away from children!!!

And dear Mums, yes sometimes those self-condemning thoughts may come but I want to assure you that you are a great Mum, and no one could be a better mum to your kids than you.

Remain blessed.

From Dream to Reality

My children and I were watching an animated version of the story of Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob in the Bible. Since the children are less than 5 years old, I had to do a lot of explanation during certain scenes.

My older daughter has watched this movie several times. At the scene of one of Joseph’s dream, where the sun and the moon and the stars were bowing down to him, I explained it meant his brothers and parents will one day bow down to him. Then my older daughter asked, “Why did he have to go to Egypt and be washing the floor and enter prison before his brothers came and bowed down to him?”

To this I replied, “Ajuju”, which I always reply her when she asks me those deep questions which I must not hurry to answer. And then I began to ponder.

Isn’t it like God to give a ‘dream’ which only comes to reality in the fullness of time? Isn’t it the same God that made a promise to Abraham concerning a son from his wife Sarah, and when the time was right, it came to pass?

Let me not go too biblical. I am sure there are certain times you have prayed and the answers to the prayer came when the Lord deemed the timing right. I believe there are certain words, prophesies and promises spoken to you that became manifest only in the fullness of time. The fullness of time could be immediately, a day later, a month later, a year later or even ten years later, or more.

And if you are in waiting, do not despair. Your fullness of time will come. In the meantime, here are some things you can consider.

1. God exists outside of time. He is not bound by nor limited by our time. While you, or those around you may feel that time is going and soon it will be too late, when He finally comes through, you will understand that His timing is perfect. The bible states that “Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age…” [Hebrews 11:11, KJV]. There was no medical condition of this child (Isaac) which was recorded to have been due to Sarah’s age, nor was it said recorded that she had issues during the 9 month journey due to her age. Indeed the Lord perfected the conception and childbirth despite Sarah’s age.

    2. God cannot lie. God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through? [Numbers 23:19, NLT]. Hence if He has given you a dream, shown you a vision, or given you a word, it will come to pass. It does not matter when.

    3.God does not need ‘big faith’ to work with you. Yes the Bible says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” [Hebrews 11:6, KJV] but all He needs is a little faith. This is demonstrated in the scripture, "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." [Matthew 17:20, NLT]. Faith as small as a mustard seed could simply be a confession that ‘Lord, I cannot bear this on my own. I give it all to You because You are the only one who can help me through this situation’. Or it could be that revelation in your heart when a word of God comes alive in you, and you have that knowing that God is able, and your situation is settled in Him. Little faith is sufficient for Him.

  4. Prior to a breakthrough, it may seem as if the situation heightens in magnitude, almost crushing you beyond what you can bear. Imagine that Joseph had to go to prison before his breakthrough. Beloved, where there is life, there is hope. No matter what comes your way, you will overcome “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” [1 John 5:4, NIV].

May your dreams come to reality.

Remain blessed.

The story of Joseph can be read in the Bible Genesis 37, 39 – 48.

‘Ajuju’ is an igbo word that means ‘Question’.

Tune to Inspiration 92.3fm let's talk about Morning Does Come

Join Titilayo Oyinsan (TeeEyeTeeEye) and I during the Tea Break Show on 92.3 Inspiration Fm this Friday from 10.30am as we discuss my 2nd novel "Morning Does Come".

Make it a date as follows:
Friday, 4th of December
10:30am - 1:00pm WAT

If you are far from your radio, you can join in via the link below:
http://tunein.com/radio/Inspiration-923-FM-s165872/

If you've read the book, here is an opportunity to ask those questions that have been running through your mind, and share your point of view. If you have not yet read the book, here is an opportunity to know why "Morning Does Come" is a must-read.

Talk soon...

Morning Does Come Now Available in Nigeria

Morning Does Come - A brief review:

This beautifully written novel tells the story of Kaine, a young woman whom we have all met: a promising ray of hope born amidst less than fortunate circumstances.

Her journey of faith and self-actualization through life's travails will move you. It reminds us of personal encounters with divine providence, and how indeed through it all, morning does come.

Rita Okoroafor has been blessed with the gift of inspiring faith through prose. Her stories reach the depths of human existence in a simple and unembellished way. The characters she creates are as real as the readers themselves and her message inspires reflection on God's message of love and hope. A gem has surely made her entrance into the Christian literary world.

~ Adetola A.


Morning Does Come, is now available in Nigeria. If you wish to get an autographed copy (within Lagos and Port Harcourt), please drop me a message on Facebook or using the email esurunma@gmail.com, and we can discuss further.

For more details of the book and how you can get a copy, please visit the link here.

For more details of my first novel "Against the Perfect Will", please visit this link here.

Remain blessed.

Some Truths About Marriage

Just to share an excerpt of a book in progress...

1.  Marriage does not drive away loneliness: It is shocking to realize that though marriage is meant to provide companionship, there can still be times when you feel lonely in marriage. There will always be a vacuum that your spouse cannot fill, and that nothing else can really fill. There is always a space left for God (and the things He will need you to do) to fill...  

2. Marriage is not the solution to sexual promiscuity, sexual addictions, or lust: If these issues are not properly dealt with before marriage, chances are they may rear their heads during the course of the marriage.

3. There will be conflict in marriage even if you are married to “Mr. Right”: What makes the difference between the good and the bad and results in a happy, successful marriage is how conflict is managed.

4. Marriage may come with some trials and temptations: Prayer and the fear of God will help in such times. God will not give you more than you can bear, and you can overcome any trial or temptation that comes your way by His grace.

5. Marriage has a way of molding us into the image of God if we allow it: In being married to someone with a different personality, a different background, and differing experiences and expectations, you may find yourself learning new things, becoming less self-centered, and being refined... 

Excerpt from Chapter 1: #Preparingforyourking

What are your thoughts on the points above? True? Not true? Something else to add?

Remain Blessed.

Time to do exploits

As I discussed with the hotel manager concerning business in the hotel, she confessed that things had changed recently. She could not explain the sudden drop in customers or why it seemed clients no longer used the conference rooms in her hotel. She wondered if competition was doing something differently. I left her speculating.

I could only assume. The ripple effect. The oil price dipped. Budgets were revised. Many were out of jobs. Cost cutting/reduction became the order of the day. Nice-to-haves were shelved aside. Frivolities were suspended. It started with the oil industry but pervaded through some other parts of the economy. People and businesses were affected directly or indirectly.

There are homes where husbands and wives found themselves out of jobs. There are some where the breadwinner or supporters were affected. There are those who were hoping to get lucrative jobs once they finished school, only to be hit with the news that there is a freeze on recruitment for the time being. There are so many scenarios of the ripple effect.

But should one lose hope?

This post is for you who might be in despair. Your dreams will not crumble. Your life will not be shattered. The macro and micro "things" may happen...

...but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits [Daniel 11:32, AKJV].

The Lord foreknew these things, and He knows there is a way out. He is the God able to sustain you one day at a time. He is the one who is able to open your eyes to see new opportunities. He is the one who is able to restore you even to positions better than the former.

It is time for you to do great exploits, much more that you ever thought you could do. As you get to know Him more and more, attune your ears to His voice and align your heart with His, He will direct your steps. 

Remain Blessed.

The Sojourn

I had not seen Mr. Rita in 4 months. And he had not laid eyes on our September Gift. December 2013 I carried my children and my boxes, said goodbye to my loved ones in Nigeria, and I was off to Pau, France.
I arrived at a city where it was imperative to know how to speak French to survive. The A I had in Junior WAEC French was not sufficient in the face of reality. That was not even my challenge. Nanny! By the time I learnt that there was nothing like live-in nanny, and I had to pay 18 euros per hour for nanny, I had to calibrate myself. But God ever so good made the settling in smooth, provided me with help just right on time, and gave me the best vacation thus far.

I am grateful for the time in Pau, even though there was no chance to even post "hi" on the blog. DIY place.
I am grateful for the lives that impacted me in Pau. My dear Pau sisters, I hope you get to read this post and realize how much you mean to me. Oh how I miss "my children" who gave me joy every time we were together. Gros Bisous.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be taken out of my myopic world, to see different cultures and learn not to judge.
I am grateful for the serenity that made me reflect on what I really want out of life.
And I am grateful for the lesson I learnt - there may be a language barrier, but a smile, a hug, a tear, "woof woof", "meow", and laughter do not need translation: they are universal and understood by everyone.
And if you love someone, there are so many other ways to express it other than speaking.

Glad to be back home though.