‘I helped a ‘sister’ into my home, she took over my husband’

‘I helped a ‘sister’ into my home, she took over my husband’

 

Is it wrong to give shelter to a female church member? I was once a happily married woman but today I am a single mother because of ‘sister’ Patience whom we all thought was a true born again Christian and actually needed a roof over her head.

If I had only listened to my husband, Anthony, and stuck to his initial suggestion, I know my marriage would have still been intact despite my childlessness then. My name is Jasmine and this is my story.
It was one fateful Wednesday afternoon at about 2:30 pm that I received a phone call from my pastor, Pastor Emmanuel; he requested to see me and my husband after church service that evening. Amazed, I said, “Pastor, I hope there is no problem because you have not called us for some time now.” He assured me that everything was alright.

Immediately after the service, Anthony and I went to the pastor’s office. He told us that there was a ‘sister’ who needs assistance and he believes we were the only ones who could help her. “Sister Patience has been in the church for just a few months however, she is on fire for the Lord. She is a member of the prayer warrior, sanctuary cleaners and choir,” he said. He further stated that, “The sister she is putting up with brought two of her younger siblings to stay with her and since it’s a one-room apartment, the place has become too small and uncomfortable for them so she is looking for another place to stay. When she mentioned it to me, my mind went to you and your husband,” Pastor Emmanuel revealed. At the end, he pleaded with us to be our brother’s keeper. My husband, Anthony promised him that we would think about it and get back to him in three days before leaving his office.

When Anthony and I talked about the issue, he bluntly told me he does not like the idea of a full grown woman living with us; nevertheless he is willing to get a small apartment for her. “Darling, she cannot live in this house with us. But I am willing to get a small apartment for her if Pastor Emmanuel will not mind,” he suggested. “But darling, we live alone in this duplex. There is enough room, aside that, the boy’s quarters is also there. Why not allow sister Patience stay with us even if it is in the boy’s quarters,” I suggested. I knew Anthony would eventually agree because he loves me so much and would do anything that would make me happy even though we have been married for almost 10 years without a child. Despite all the pressure from his mother he neither thought of marrying another wife nor chasing me away from our matrimonial home.
Anyway, I succeeded in convincing him and he agreed that she would stay in the boy’s quarters. On the morning of the third day which coincidentally was a Saturday, Pastor Emmanuel came to visit us at home believing that we would have made up our mind. “Welcome pastor, we wanted to come and see you later in the day but since you are already here, we will just give you our answer,” said Anthony. “Well, pastor sister Patience can stay with us, however, she will stay at the boy’s quarters,” he stressed. “O thank you brother Anthony, I know I can always count on you and your wife. I will inform her immediately. But when she can move in?” he asked. “Whenever she likes,” I answered. He thanked us and happily left.

The next day, sister Patience showed up at our house and I took her to the boy’s quarters. “This is where you will be staying. You are welcome and please my dear I want you to feel at home,” I said. “Thank you sister Jasmine, I really appreciate this kind gesture from you and your husband,” she stated. I became challenged as a Christian when I hear sister Patience praying every night, especially between 12 and 2:00 am. Then at exactly 6:00 am again, you would hear her praising God and praying for at least another hour or thereabout. I felt that was the kind of Christian I should be. I felt I was not praying enough about our childless situation and so I decided that I would be a good friend with her so that we could be praying together concerning my childlessness. If possible hold vigils together at least twice a week if necessary.
As weeks went by, I told her I wanted us to be prayer partners and she accepted. She asked me what the matter was and advised that I open up so that she would know how best to handle the prayer. Since I felt she was a true born again, I told her certain things about myself and my husband because I wanted quick result. We held prayers inside my sitting room once my husband leaves for the office because I am a full time house wife. I never allowed her go beyond my sitting room. However, a few months later, I took ill when Anthony travelled so I pleaded with sister Patience to come and stay with me until he returned and she agreed.

For those four days, I noticed that I didn’t hear her praise God nor pray like she used to. Even when we scheduled to hold one hour vigil, she told me that she was too tired and I became a bit worried. Anyway when Anthony came back from his trip, I told him how helpful sister Patience was in his absence and he thanked her.

About two weeks later, I realized that Anthony keeps going to the boys quarters to see sister Patience and when I asked him, he said they were praying concerning ‘our situation’. “Anthony, if you want to pray concerning our situation, I should be there too and the prayer should be done in our apartment and not inside sister Patience’s room,” I emphasized. From that day, Anthony’s attitude towards me changed. She snaps at me at the slightest provocation, he calls me a witch who has eaten up all her children and advises that I become a true child of God like sister Patience. At this point, I knew that the devil had taken over my home and marriage.

When I confronted sister Patience about what was going on between her and my husband, she said she had no idea about what I was talking about. Anthony started making our home uncomfortable for me; so one day, I asked him, “What has taken over your soul? You are no longer the loving husband I married. Darling please tell me what my offence is and I will apologize to you,” I begged. “You are a barren woman and I need children so I have decided to take another wife,” he revealed. “Did you just say another wife? Who is this woman? Where is your faith? God is the giver of children,” I wept. He told me it was over as God has just revealed his God given wife to him.

I rushed to the church to inform the pastor Emmanuel and he told me he was sure I didn’t hear Anthony well hence he would follow me home to talk to him. To our shock, when Pastor Emmanuel and I got to our house, we saw ‘sister’ Patience sitting on my husband’s lap and they were both drinking whisky while the bible was on the chair.
“Sister Patience, what do you think you are doing with Brother Anthony? Is this how you intend to thank the woman who accepted into her house? You should be ashamed of yourself,” Pastor Emma said. “I want you to go to your room, pack your things and leave my compound this minute,” I said.

“Well, sister Patience is not leaving this house, and my dear wife you are the one leaving. As we speak she is pregnant for me, something you could not do in almost 10 years. We are getting married at the registry in three days. As for you Pastor Emmanuel, thanks for making me meet my God giving wife. However, I don’t want to see you in my house again. Now both of you leave my house,” he screamed. “Well, my mission is accomplished. My mission was to get a husband and I said to myself, the easiest place to achieve this was in the church. And thank God it worked. I only pretended to be born again so that I could win the heart of Pastor Emmanuel and some church members. My God, I am a good actress”, Patience revealed.
With teary eyes, I said, “Sister Patience, I accepted you into my house and you had the effrontery to destroy my marriage? I assure you that you will never enjoy your marriage. Now you are all smiles but believe me tomorrow you will be all tears.”

Even Pastor Emmanuel shed tears because of the deception from ‘sister’ Patience who he thought was a true child of God and he was trying to help. Since Anthony asked me to leave his house, I went to my bedroom, packed some of my belongings and important documents and left for my brother’s house. A month later, I discovered that I was pregnant and nine months later, I gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. Meanwhile I heard that ‘sister’ Patience lost the pregnancy some months later.

Anthony and ‘sister’ Patience I learnt live like cat and mouse at home and they are very unhappy. I always remember them in my prayers. I have moved on with my life and God has been so faithful to me. My son is my world and I don’t intend to remarry.

The only advice I have for readers is that it is good to help people but please you should be sensitive in your spirit because we have a lot of fake born again people in the house of God