UNGRATEFUL MAN OF GOD

Deborah's voice was laced with urgency as she spoke over the phone. "Hello, how's the market today?" The voice on the other end replied, "Boss, these Fintech banks have taken over everywhere oo! The market women prefer Monetary Point and Mpay, citing numerous benefits over us." Indeed the wave of Fintech banks had swept everywhere and snatched alot of customers from the proper banks. Deborah's grip on the phone tightened. As the head of Sure Trust Bank's marketing team, she couldn't accept defeat. Summoning her team, she declared, "Our customer intake policies are obsolete. We need to remove all requirements. Let's focus on getting customers, not paperwork." A team member hesitated. "But those are Central Bank requirements." Deborah's response was calculated. "We can sort those out later. Let's get them to use our services first." Inspired by Pastor Gboyega's church growth strategy, Deborah pushed her team to implement the new approach. Exhausted, she trudged home, her mind still racing with ideas. Deborah recalled Pastor Gboyega's remarkable church growth strategy, which involved removing membership requirements and inviting people to "come as they are no matter who they are and where they are from." She was convinced that applying a similar approach to Sure Trust Bank's customer intake policies would yield similar results, attracting more customers and boosting the bank's growth. By streamlining the process and focusing on serving customers rather than strict adherence to regulations, Deborah hoped to replicate Pastor Gboyega's success in the banking sector. As she entered her living room, her teenage son Joshua approached her with excitement. "Mom, Mom! The teen church shared a new mission idea, and I—" Deborah cut him off, her exhaustion evident. "Not now, Joshua. I'm tired." Joshua's face fell, and he retreated, sensing his mother's mood. Deborah didn't notice, too drained to engage. Little did she know, this moment would be the calm before the storm. The next day, a Muslim holiday, Deborah checked Joshua's room, but he was nowhere to be found. She rummaged through his bag, looking for his homework, and that's when she saw it - a pack of pampers. Her eyes widened in confusion. What could Joshua be doing with pampers? A wave of worry washed over her, and her mind began to wander to worst-case scenarios. As she saw the pampers, her deacon persona resurfaced, and disappointment mixed with anger. When Joshua entered the room, she couldn't contain herself. "What the hell are you doing with pampers, boy? You're a disgrace! Why did you choose to rub our face in the mud like this?" Joshua stood frozen, unsure how to respond. Should he defend himself or explain that his mom's absence had hurt him more than her words? His father's frequent foreign trips had left him feeling abandoned, and now his mom's reaction only added to his pain. The tension between them was palpable, and the air was thick with unspoken words. Deborah's anger and disappointment hung in the air, but beneath it, Joshua yearned for understanding and connection."After all we did for you," Deborah's voice cracked with emotion, "we put you in a costly school, gave you the life we never had... and now this?" Joshua tried to interject, "Mom, it's not like that, I don't understand." But Deborah's anger had taken over. "I knew it, when I saw you with that person, I knew it." Her words cut deep, and Joshua felt his world crumbling. Overwhelmed, Joshua ran out of the house, heading towards the river. But fate intervened – a uniformed man caught him just in time. Before Joshua could process what was happening, bloggers had already spread the news, capturing his anguish and desperation for the world to see. The speed at which the news traveled was dizzying, leaving Joshua's family, friends, and even strangers grappling with the story. As the narrative unfolded online, Deborah's world began to unravel, forcing her to confront the consequences of her actions and the pain her words had inflicted on her son.Pastor Gboyega entered the room, taking in the tense atmosphere. Joshua was panting, while Ms. Deborah sat in a corner, fanning herself, her expression a mix of disappointment and concern. "Good day, Pastor," she greeted, her tone laced with disapproval. "Please, spare me the hypocrisy." Pastor Gboyega ignored her tone and approached Joshua. "Please, son, what happened?" Joshua explained, his voice shaking. "The teen church thought of gifting Ms. Ijeoma, our church member who just gave birth. We contributed money to buy pampers for her newborn." As Joshua spoke, the truth dawned on Ms. Deborah. She realized the pampers were size 2, meant for babies. Her expression changed from anger to shame. Pastor Gboyega's eyes welled up with tears as he saw the genuine care and thoughtfulness in Joshua's actions. In that moment, Pastor Gboyega saw a true leader in Joshua and felt a pang of regret for not knowing his members' needs. "Let's go see Ms. Ijeoma together," he said, his voice filled with newfound purpose.