CHRIST PANTHER

I remember how it all started............

Four years ago, I lost both of my parents in an auto crash that restricted my other sibling to the wheelchair. I remember few months after, I started having recurrent fever coupled with dizziness. I had visited a chemist then who if gave me some drugs before I started experiencing serious pains in my joints that forced me to book an appointment with the family Doctor who referred me to Doctor Adarabioyo Olaitan. At that point, it dawned on me he could be right. He wrote down some drugs, cleared his throat and told me I could've stood a chance of survival if I had attended to it earlier, stating Leukaemia don't always get chronic like in my case. He felt pity for me, I could see it in his eyes and feel it in his voice. He advised me to book a counselling session with the Counselor. I was already crying as I managed to help myself out of the Doctor's office through the hallway where I got different sober comments from people also waiting their turn. I couldn't answer. I had enough to face already, listening to sympathy from people yet to determine their own fate as well wasn't something I'd love to sit and have again.Despite so much weakness, physically and emotionally, helped myself home.

That night, I sat on my bed, lost in thought, wondering if this was truly how people get diagnosed and without any prior notice get a death date. "God!", I groaned heavily as fresh set of tears tricked down my eyes. Ever since I watched both my parents go cold in my palm and moved to the morgue 4years ago,my bitterness towards Church and fellowship activities soared. My Mum was a devoted deaconess and my dad was an ardent tither. In his words, "that's how to renew your blessing subscription". As I watched them both die, I couldn't but question God's existence and now again, here I am, three months to go. I don't even know how or what to think. "God, help me!", I muttered under my breath hoping He'd prove his existence at least now. Somehow, I believe he could heal me, I remember watching one of Katharine Kuhlman's old clip in our house then and I saw a woman get healed of Cervical Cancer instantly. Before sleeping, I tried praying, hoping for a miracle. Maybe was selfish, but after four years, here I am again, hoping for a miracle from God.

The next day, I decided to make the best of my last few days. Not many people had this kind of opportunity to say 'bye' or tell their loved one how much they mean to them. Some died still holding grudges, some died, hoping to see the next day, but unlike many others, this is an opportunity, to choose the last dress, the last place(s) to visit and probably the kind of coffin to be buried in, Death lost it's pain when I faced it without fear. I had been given an opportunity most people would give their all for. I decided to go for a revival program one of my course mates had invited me for. Today's the third day, I decided to go, not absolutely hoping for a miracle (I wouldn't want to do so much on hopes anymore). Just wanting to have that church atmosphere again. That evening, as the minister was preaching, he mentioned that God was set to heal many diseases and set captives free. During the choir ministration, I got really engrossed as I fell to my knee weeping. It was the popular 'Good Loved by Travis Greene and Stephanie Gretzinger. Few minutes into the sermon, people started confirming testimonies of their healing before the minster specifically mentioned that there was someone in the building who recently got diagnosed of blood cancer and has been told she has just three month to live. "God said He just healed you. If you're that person, kindly go for another diagnosis and come back for your testimony". Those words felt like the best words in my 25 years of existence.

The next day, I went back to the Doctor, full of hopes and assurance. As he conducted the tests, I found myself grinning and chuckling at intervals. Immediately he was done, he looked at me, this time in a questioning manner. 'Tara, what happened? You were here two days ago and you're here again for another confirmatory test. Have you registered with the counseling unit?', he asked.

'Doctor, what's wrong? Can I have the result for the test!', I barked.

'Hey, ms Tara, relax, i'm afraid your health is deteriorating really fast. I really can't explain why, as the drugs you were given were meant to maintain your immune system for some time. I'm sorry, you might have less than two months at this pace' the Doctor concluded..........

To be continued

Daniel T. Elisha

Publicity/Media Director 2021