One evening in 2005, on my way home from teaching a prep school English class, I was trying to cross the Mobolaji Bank Anthony highway into Ikeja GRA. If you’re familiar with this highway, you know how busy it can get around late afternoon/evening, with people heading to the airport to catch night flights. This particular day, however, it was even busier than usual. Every time it seemed like there was lull, I’d start to cross and a car would come zooming down at full speed, forcing me to retreat. This happened on and off for about 15 minutes and I was getting really frustrated. It had been a long day of teaching and I just wanted to be home. As I stood there waiting for a break, I sent up a silent, frustrated prayer:

“Lord, please help me cross this road. Even if it means sending me an angel, just help me cross please, I’m tired!”

A few moments later, an old woman stood a few paces in front of me, to my left. I don’t remember exactly where she’d come from, but I assumed she’d alighted from one of the buses dropping off passengers – I was standing at a Bus Stop. She was short but not small and caramel in complexion; with a slightly wrinkled face and piercing eyes. She wore a brown and cream ankara print blouse and wrapper, complete with  a small head scarf. This woman turned to look at me with a smile in her eyes, turned back and then began crossing the road. She hadn’t said anything to me, but I instinctively followed her. 

As we crossed, I noted that, for some reason, cars on both sides of the highway were stopping for her. I chalked it up to her being elderly. When we reached the other side of the road, I turned around to thank her for her help but she was gone.

Reader, she was gone.

I looked left, right, up, down, on the ground…she was nowhere to be found. There was no bus or other vehicle around which she could’ve somehow gotten into within seconds, without my seeing. Immediately, I remembered the half-hearted prayer I’d offered up before she came on the scene and my body ran cold and hot at the same time.

How did she know I’d been trying to cross the road? Why did she look at me and smile? How did she know to help me? Where did she go? Covered in goosebumps, I ran all the way home and told my mum the story.

Till today, I can still vividly picture her face and the smile in her eyes.

Do you believe in miracles?

I don’t tell this story randomly, because these days, the labels "crazy" and "delusional" are slung around with such ease. But this week, God seemed insistent on reminding me (and you?) that He does the supernatural. Unexplainable things. Sometimes, especially when you’ve been in a valley for a while and many things seem not to go your way, it's easy to forget that He’s still that God. The 'Red Sea parting', 'water-wine turning', 'dead men walking' God. 

Regarding a particular matter, I felt like I had no strength left and was musing about how He would have to reach down with a miracle to get me out of the situation. Him reminding me all week that He’s still that God felt like He was saying, "okay girl, I've got you."

This song was written from a place of pain. Its writer, Chris Quilala, wrote it in response to the loss of his newborn son. It's one thing to write a song of affirmation when you're expecting a miracle, or after it's happened. But calling God a 'God of Miracles' when your baby has just passed on after you'd prayed, believed and done all you're told to do? Bruh.

I believe in You

I believe in You

You're the God of Miracles

I came across a clip of Lisa Bevere sharing about how God healed her son of a tumour. He was scheduled for surgery but on the day it was to happen, the tumour had disappeared without a trace. She said something that stuck with me:

[paraphrasing] God is a healer, period. Always has been, always will be. Sometimes He heals supernaturally [like in her son's case], sometimes He heals through medicine, and still some other times, He calls the person home and heals them. Whichever the case, God always heals.

If you haven’t yet watched The Chosen (even after I featured it in my very first letter to you), why??? Okay you don't have to watch the full thing; just watch the 4-minute trailer above and then decide. Please.

Seriously, this is the best thing you will watch all year. The way they depicted the miracle of the fish in episode 4 is one of my favourite scenes in Season 1 and I watched it again just before writing this section.

Even if you’ve watched before, I suggest you do so again and be reminded that God isn't just able, He is also willing. 

You can find the series on YouTube (click the image above), or download the free app, for an ad-free HD experience.

I hope that this week, you experience a touch of the supernatural in the big things and in the little things.

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