BONE OF MY BONE IV
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Beauty is the first thing you notice about Sister S. Natural beauty. Before long you will notice her zest, vivaciousness and that charming smile. It will not take you a long time to notice who she really is within-compassionate, loving, warm and down to earth. As soon as she graduated from the University, she started her own fish farm-(industrious!)
In church she is one of the star attractions because of her commitment; her melodious voice that brings down the heavens is the icing on the cake. Not to mention the fact that she is the Pastor’s daughter. You cannot help but notice Sister S.
Although from a relatively well to do family, she has no qualms sitting with a market woman, hugging a beggar, crying when the mother of one of her toddlers in the church died even though she doesn’t really know her, calling you in the middle of the night to join her in prayer for a total stranger, eating in the same plate with a brother regardless of her status or what people will think. A virgin with a heart of pure gold. An absolute asset in the ministry. An ideal pastor’s wife.
She also longs to marry a pastor. Her resourcefulness, charisma, humane nature and ability to remember and appreciate people will be wasted in any other profession. Why then is she not married at twenty eight? Because of her father’s office, she has access to many pastors who are single and eligible for marriage, she is spirit filled and has a strong relationship with God. If there is a Christian I can encourage young ladies to emulate, it is Sister S.
Why are you not married? I asked her one day. She looked at me and smiled ‘Are you proposing’ she replied laughing. I would have probed further but she tactically stirred the conversation to other things. Sometime later, she confided in me that she is afraid of going into a relationship. Why? I asked puzzled that a young lady with such a great potential would be scared of what every lady I had met so far, start experimenting with as soon as they are thirteen. ‘I have sickle cell anaemia, a tropical sickness that affects the blood cells. Two people who have AS blood group are discouraged from marrying each other nowadays, how then do you expect an SS to get a husband!’ ‘Have you ever had any close male friends in your life?’ I asked. ‘No! I am afraid of rejection’. She replied. ‘So you deny every available suitor a chance to make up their mind about you by playing God’. I accused her and she started crying, shaking her head and mumbling that I don’t understand. ‘What have you got to lose?’ I asked her. ‘You’ve already accepted the fact that no one wants you. if you are wrong and someone wants you, fine! If you’re right and no one wants you. Fine! You can’t lose for winning. Fear has denied you divine healing; fear is now denying you a husband. It won’t stop until it takes over your life. You have to learn to live by faith’. Faith can only be effective when you allow the love of God to dominate your life’. I insisted. She agreed with me and chose to give God a chance.

A man of faith can never understand fear. Nothing is allowed to stand between you and God’s plan for your life unless you permit it.