TGD RELATIONSHIP CORNER
Good day ladies. How are you doing? I have a fictional
account of some true life stories I'll like us to deliberate on.
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Nkem was getting close to 30 years, that magical age
after which marital prospects are thought to just taper off. She had 3 suitors
vying for her attention. There was James, the business executive whom she had
met during a business meeting and was relentless in his pursuit.
There was also Nnamdi, the best man at her cousin's
wedding whom she met last year. She was the Chief Bridesmaid and she caught the
bouquet. Nnamdi had teased her endlessly and they exchanged numbers. They had
been seeing each other casually and he had asked her last month if they could
take the relationship to a deeper level.
Then, there was Stanley, her long time shove buddy. They
had known each other since forever. They were in the same youth groups, sang
together in the choir, gone for the same meetings and could essentially
complete each other's sentences. Stanley had surprised her last month by asking
if they could take their friendship to another level. She wouldn't have guessed
that he felt that way but he claimed that he had always loved her but was too
shy to step up to her.
Her mum had been using every means possible to let her
know that it was time to "settle down". She had used every trick in
the book - "Chinwe just had her third baby. Didn't you both graduate at
the same time?" She had left magazines and books that just happened to
focus on marriage etc. Her friends, colleagues and other family members were
not so subtle. "When are we coming to eat rice?" "Who is the
lucky man?" were some of the questions she had to answer almost on a daily
basis.
Nkem confided in her friend who advised her to take the
names of her suitors to a powerful man of God to tell her which of the suitors
is the one to move on with. Nkem is not used to divining but the pressure to
"settle down" is getting unbearable.
Can we address the following questions?
1. As believers, is it acceptable to take names to a man
of God to tell us who our future partner out to be?
2. As ministers, how should we respond to requests by
people to tell them who to marry?
3. What happens if the person the man of God determined
to be "The One" turns out to be not as fantastic as divined? Is that
a reason for annulment? What can the person who went to divine do?
4. What other options are available to Nkem if she
chooses not to proceed with the idea of divination?
