The truth may help them....

We Africans, or more precisely Nigerians, have the cultural background where the strongness or strength of an individual is mostly measured by his capability to absorb all the eventual shocks, mishaps or natural disasters that may come across his way, without physical or mental consequences. You are simply laughed-at and mocked if the rate of your sensitivity is not as such to leave you psychologically unharmed when touched by one of those “downs” of life. Even in this third millennium, our unscrupulous society still considers it abnormal for one to get a simple counselling from a psychologist or psychiatrist in times of extreme difficulties. And who does, is automatically considered a “mad person” and consequently avoided, even by the closest friends and relations.
Our numerous churches and spiritual homes, over the years, have been playing this magnificent role of consoling these souls, ably giving them the necessary hopes to get along in life. They have tamed the shrew, revived the dying in spirit, converted the mind and the heart of the corrupt, disarmed the assassin and brought peace between persons and parties in dispute, consoled the widow, parented the lonely, etc. These marvellous achievements are never to be underrated. But there have also been exaggerations in some of them, in those that promises “MIRACLES” without thinking twice. Any modern Nigerian church without the word “miracle” in it's slogan simply does not want to exist or compete with the others. The misuse of this word in some of these churches has rendered some people slaves of their own problems, problems that might be alternatively solved.
I want to limit my reflection on the childless women who easily succumb to these long awaited “miracles” without doing enough to see if their problems could be scientifically treated. The head of any Nigerian woman desperately in search for a child is easily expropriated and used, she can even get to the level of trying her God. Some prematurely give the blame to someone in the family whom they believe hates them and has tied their womb with “juju”. In some cases, they only do the preliminary tests and give up, refusing to do the subsequent tests that could give remedy to their problems. In some other cases, the problem might be with their male partners who intotoly refuses to subject themselves to any kind of test, for personal pride. I have heard some men say to their partners: “If you are doubting my virility, then I will go to bed with another woman and let's bet if she doesn't give me a child within one year.” Very hard indeed for any woman to accept that!
Well, my point is that these “miracles” might be long awaiting in the studios and laboratories of some gynaecologist, urologist, sexologist o biologist, who by advising, rectifying or curing, with the right diagnosis, will be able to solve the problems. The process of bearing a child, especially for a woman, is time dependent and so need to be pursued within the possible biological cycle of that particular woman. Hence, time is not to be wasted, and who says God cannot also perform his miracles through medical doctors?
Our pastors and church leaders, in their noble duties, should try to help those affected with these problems in their churches, to realize that a black goat is better searched-for during the daytime! God once replied to a poor man who has been begging him for years to let him win the Italian lottery: “Ok, I am ready to let you win now, but my son you need to buy at least one ticket!”

May you all be blessed!

Blessing Sunday Osuchukwu
www.blessingchildren.org