A Lesson For Itinerant Ministers
I started ministry as a medical doctor after 11 years as a medical director of my private practice at Aba, Abia State.
When I sold the hospital and moved to Ughelli, I did not deceive myself. My wife and I quickly realized that life was not going to be the same again. We quickly readjusted everything about our lives to our new level.
We changed our appetites to match our resources and our responsibilities and future.
We humbled ourselves to the new realities. My wife never sat on the podium or altar when I was a guest preacher. She always sat with my books and cassettes then. She would always say that sitting on the altar does not pay children’s school fees. The books and cassettes helped us financially a great deal even till date.
We never rated ourselves with the treatment the host churches gave to us. We appreciated their love, care, and generosity; but we knew where we were from, who we were, and what we had then. We knew the big hotel rooms, ushers, and convoys were not a reflection of our true status.
There were times they carried us with sirens. My wife would always tell me that after our departure, they could drive past us the next day.
I experienced it several times when you have many guest preachers; when you finish your time for preaching, all the attention would shift to the next speaker especially if he is a “big” man of God.
My wife always said we should build a base and have what we do for ourselves outside honorariums and love offerings, so that if they don’t invite us to their churches again, we will still be comfortable and have something to fall back on.
Don’t put yourself where you have not reached. This lesson helped us to live frugally, save, and invest.
We do so many little things to sustain our lives even till today. Nothing is too small or far below our status.
Doctor when dey sell sugarcane and plantain suckers.
Dr Apoki Charles! Na wa for you sef.
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