By God’s Grace

I was very angry today as I prepared for church service. It isn’t that Dayo does not know never to wear my shoes, he just doesn’t think I’m respectable enough to be obeyed. I looked at my neon sneakers and sighed. Mud all over the soles!

Mom said as she did her makeup, ‘That’s good for you. Next time you’ll keep your things well. And why are you even thinking of wearing canvas to church Ehn? You don’t know you’re a girl?’

‘I’m wearing the sneakers with a dress mom’ I said and rolled my eyes. 

I was thinking ‘By God’s grace, one day I’ll show Dayo that I’m his elder sister’

So, we got to church and Mrs Adebule dragged me to one corner. I was even thinking, ‘Is this woman mad?’ Then she said, ‘Please help me hook my bra strap. It just removed o.’ And then I was thinking, ‘ahahn, is this woman madder?’ But I helped her do it even though her whole back was sweaty and I had to slide my hand through her sweat. 

I was thinking ‘By God’s grace, next time I will be able to speak my mind’

In service the pastor preached about James 4:13-15. He said that too many people in the world boast about their future without saying ‘by God’s grace’ or ‘if God wills’ (that’s why I’ve been saying I was thinking ‘by God’s grace’. I was not really thinking like those times, to be honest.)

He said that we don’t know how fickle life is, and that it is easy to just think we can sleep and wake up whenever we want. He told many stories about people who just have headache or cough and collapse and die. Then he said we must always recognize God before we plan for tomorrow. 

The message really touched my heart and I don’t know why but I wanted to apologize to Mrs Adebule for thinking she was mad and madder. And I also wanted to apologize to Dayo but I don’t know why I was feeling sorry. Sunday sermons always do this to me.

I thought to myself, ‘By God’s grace I will be a better person’

When we got home after church, dad called Dayo and I to his room and said that he was hearing that we have been fighting and insulting ourselves in the house and that by God’s grace, if he hears that kind of rubbish again, he will beat us so bad that Dayo and I will be asking ourselves ‘Wait… Who am I? Are you older than me or younger than me? Where am I sef?’ 

Dayo now started to laugh. First it started as a silent chuckle, like when you type ‘lol’ in a chat. Then, he started laughing small small with his throat like ‘Hehehehe’. Then he went full blown ‘LMAO!!!’ 

Dad removed his leather shoes and started using the pair to slap Dayo’s face. When dad is mad, it’s bad. 

By God’s grace, I would not have anger issues like my dad. 

I thought of something funny this evening when I was trying to sleep. I try to sleep on Sunday evenings because 

1. It helps me to forget that the next day is Monday. 

2. I would escape cooking beans with my mom because she does not believe in waking people up. 

So when I was trying to sleep I just thought (because my English name is Grace), what if ‘by God’s grace’ means that God is telling me that anything I want to do I should do. Like, if it’s fine with me, I should do it. Does it make sense to you?

But God forbid misinterpretations of the Bible. By God’s grace I will never listen to the voice of Satan.
Ah.