How God Used Kind Strangers to Help Me
Hello guys! I hope you are doing great. I think I am getting more comfortable blogging on Thursdays. Mondays came with so much pressure, but I am glad that I am slowly easing my way into being somewhat consistent. First, thanks to everyone who read last week’s post, and took time out to leave their comments or send me messages. You have encouraged me to keep going. And to my new subscribers, welcome! I hope you enjoy being here. If you haven’t read last week’s story, you can click this link: A Pleasant Surprise.
I was reading an old blogpost I wrote some years ago and realized that I have been in this place before. Managing a full-time job and trying to publish articles consistently. The same excuses I gave back then for my breaks, is the same I have been giving without even realizing it – life is interesting. I think it was even more difficult back in 2019 because my job was on the mainland – very close to the international airport, while I lived after Ajah. Those who are familiar with Lagos, are probably already thinking – were you out of your mind?!? No, I was not.
I initially wanted to turn down the opportunity, but in an era where jobs were scarce, I gave myself brain and decided to take up the challenge. That was when I realized that driving in Lagos should be an extreme sport, because what my eyes saw on those days spent in traffic! Let me just say that the mainland drivers are on another level. I suffered countless insults, encounters with police and road safety, which ended in fines, and bashings so much so that my car which was purchased barely two years prior, became nothing to write home about.
I usually left the office at 4pm, and on a good day, I got back home at about 9pm, and on the bad days, 11pm and beyond, only to wake up and go again the next day. My feet will sometimes swell, and I found myself on the bad days crying in traffic (pretty dramatic!).
So, on one of those bad days, just right before approaching the Abraham Adesanya traffic light (or was it the fish roundabout? I can’t remember). But just as I was approaching Abraham Adesanya, I happened upon stand still traffic, which continued way beyond the traffic light. This led to one of my meltdowns. It was almost 10pm, I had to go to work the next day! Which kind wahala be this?
I typed my address into Google maps, and my ETA was past midnight. That was not an option. It then showed me an alternative route that was supposed to get me home faster. This scenario was happening around June, during the rainy season, and it had rained that day, compounding the traffic issues.
As such, I trusted in Google maps and followed its leading towards the alternative route. This road was lonely, and something out of the typical American horror movies where a deer jumps out of the woods and terrifies the driver, okay, I digress. I continued on, and it then prompted me to pass through a residential area where I began to see pools of water – my heart slowly sank.
Google maps kept telling me to go forward, as even turning back wasn’t an option for me. I obeyed and landed at a dead end – a large body of water. I knew that to obey Google maps any further would lead to me drowning in that body of water. So, I reversed, and turned around, forcing Google maps to redirect me, but it kept saying I should go back there. That was when more tears began flow; who sent me message? Who can I call for help? By this time, it was almost 10:30pm, and I was unfamiliar with the area where I was.
I began praying to God to help me find my way because not only were the roads horrible to return to, but it was also too lonely for me to go back the way I came. I parked my car at the side of the road, contemplating what I could do. It had just begun to drizzle, when I sighted a woman, who was carrying a white box. As she approached where I was, I wound down my window to get her attention. I greeted her and asked if she lived around the area. She said yes and explained that she went to pick up her daughter’s cake for her birthday the next day. She also wondered where I was going.
I explained my ordeal and told her where I was trying to get to. She said, “Ah! The roads are terrible here and the people with cars have parked their cars and have used their legs to walk. You can’t even find a bike at this time, so it is better for you to go and sleep where you are coming from.” By this time, it was 11pm. I began regretting my decision to follow the alternative route. If I had stayed in the traffic, shey I would had made some progress by now, I thought.
Then I explained that going back to where I came from was not an option for me, and she had no more suggestions. At that point, she went ahead asked me for a ride. The rains had picked up some momentum. Desperately, I let her in, just in case we found help along the way.
As she directed me to where her house was, we saw a group of men gisting outside, it seemed like they were having a passionate conversation, and she asked me to stop right where they were. My heart raced, make these people no kidnap me this night o! Then she said to one of them “Pastor!” To get his attention, my heart settled, I was amongst brethren. She explained what happened with me, and how I desperately needed to get home.
Then they began describing where I could go through. You know that junction, when you reach there, turn left, then make a sharp right, then go forward... I knew nothing of what they were saying. When he sensed my confusion, the pastor said, “let me just go with you.” I usually would not let a stranger into my car, who was a man and at that time of the night, but for some reason, I was not afraid.
So, the woman stepped down while pastor hopped in, taking over from where she left off. Turn this way, turn that way – he said. Don’t go that way, stay on this path; I clung to every word which came out of his mouth. As we approached an area with water, he said, “Put your tire there, don’t be afraid.” And he was right, my car did not sink, he knew the roads well.
Finally, we got to a familiar area, which was no longer flooded, and he ensured I knew where I was, before stepping out of the car. I had no cash on me to show my gratitude, but still asked how he was going to get back home especially because bikes in the area had stopped operation, and he said, “don’t worry, I’d walk.” This was about 12:45 AM, and I finally got home at 1AM. I wished I could just sleep in the next day, but that my Oga didn’t do well with excuses (haha).
I was so grateful to God that he heard my cries and sent those people my way. Without them, I don’t know how I would have made it home. I also remember a woman I worked for when I was in one of my lowest points; broke, without money to pay my bills. I had racked up a phone bill of over $300 because I failed to make previous payments. When it got to $300, the phone company cut off my service. I did not know how I was going to pay it off. I refused to call home and burden my family with the issues I created for myself, so I decided to deal with my struggles alone.
I remember thinking about how I was going to tell her that my phone line was down because I had not paid my bill. She needed my phone to work for the services she employed me for. One day while frying plantain in my kitchen, and pondering my circumstance, I thought, “what if I tell her I haven’t paid my bill, and then she goes ahead to pay it?” I laughed at myself for dreaming! Ah, I used to have wild dreams those days! Then I mustered up the courage and sent her a message saying, my phone line was suspended, but while at work, she could communicate with me via iMessage, since there was Wi-Fi in the office.
Then she replied, “should I give you a phone to use until you can pay the bill?” I was glad, and replied, yes. And then she asked, “how much is the phone bill?” I was embarrassed. I toyed with lying, but what if she decided to pay it off? What was the reason I was going to give her, if she tried reaching me after she paid the fake amount? So, I went with the truth and suddenly, I received an alert—she had sent me not just the $300 for my phone bill, but also my full salary. Either amount alone would have been a relief. Covering just my phone bill would have helped, and paying only my salary would have allowed me to clear some debt, though I still had other expenses that would have left me short. But she went above and beyond.
Through countless experiences, I’ve learned that God truly cares for His children, and this was no exception. He used my boss to bless me in a time of need. I was, and still am, deeply grateful to her—especially because, even during weeks when she didn’t require my services, she continued to pay me. In that season of drought, she was God’s instrument of provision, and I will never forget it.
What are your thoughts on this week’s article? I hope it encourages us to show kindness to others and reminds us that God cares for us. If you enjoyed this article, kindly resist the temptation to savor it alone; share it with others instead. As always, I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the topics I write about. Feel free to leave your comments below or respond to this email.
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