“Mmmm, so that’s what he said to you?”

“Yeah, to me and my sisters. That we will marry good men who won’t do what he did.”

“Mmmmm, wow. Well, that’s the least he could do, I guess. Because with what you’ve shared with me, I’m just… stumped, chale. I’m at a loss for words, honestly.”

A few days had passed since the visit to the Owusu-Bempong house, and Becky was back in her apartment. Having taken a couple of days off due to her bereavement, she was at home trying to cheer herself up. While watching videos on YouTube, she remembered the prophecy Bishop Gordon had given her on the day of her father’s death and decided to call him.

What followed was a breakdown of the entire story of her family’s history: from Mr. Owusu-Bempong’s first cancer diagnosis right down to his last day on earth. It was safe to say that Bishop Gordon had gone through a roller coaster listening to this story.

“Hmmm, Bishop. It’s been a wild, wild ride,” she murmured as she lay on the couch. “It really has.”

“I can only imagine. Honestly, I… chale, I’m still at a loss for words. Ei! Running away from your sick wife and children just to go and enjoy life? Hmmm. That’s a level of selfishness I can’t even begin to fathom.”

“Hmmm, yeah. Bishop, it was crazy. But… well, at the end, he saw how wrong he was. And I guess… I guess that’s why he blessed us.”

“Mmmm. Well, as far as his final blessings are concerned, I believe that’s what the Lord wanted you to go there for. I mean, he was a terrible father, no doubt, but considering the weight of those words and all, it’s still a father’s blessing, and a father’s blessing is not one to joke around with. I’m sure Elohim wanted you to receive it.”

Becky went silent for a while, a couple of questions running through her mind.

Then she asked. “So… so God just wanted him to bless us, then he’d die afterwards?”

“Well… with how things panned out, I guess that was His will.”

Becky sat up. “But… but couldn’t He have just rescued my father from death? I dunno, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while and… I just don’t understand, Bishop. Couldn’t God have saved him? He could’ve… He could’ve created a miracle. He’s done it for other people, hasn’t He?”

A sigh followed from the other end of the phone. She could tell this was one of those difficult questions. But still, she needed to ask.

“I mean, we saw that he had changed. He apologized for all he did. So obviously, he asked God for forgiveness as well. Couldn’t God have just… given him another chance? Anaa He didn’t care about that?”

Bishop Gordon sighed once again. “Becky, this is a tough one, and… I wish I could give you an answer that would take the pain away and bring proper clarity. I truly do. The reality is… God does care. Far more than we can imagine. But His ways… they aren’t our ways. His plans, more often than not, don’t align with our desires, no matter how deeply we wish they would.”

“So what, we’re just supposed to accept it? That He’s “sovereign” and we’re powerless to do anything?”

Another deep sigh followed over the phone. Not one of impatience, but empathy.

“Becky, trust me, I understand how it might feel that way right now. When we pray, we often hope for a specific answer. One that aligns with what we think is best. And when we don’t get that answer, it’s easy to feel as though our prayers were ignored. But that’s not what’s happening. You see, God does answer prayers, just not always in the way we expect or want. And the reality is that He sees the bigger picture, and we don’t.”

Becky shook her head and sighed. This was hard to digest. Extremely hard to digest.

“God’s sovereignty means He has the ultimate authority and understanding. It means His decisions are rooted in wisdom and knowledge far beyond anything we can comprehend. If He could be understood completely, like, if His actions always aligned with our expectations, then He wouldn’t be God. He’d be… just like us. Limited. And that’s not the God that we serve. He is limitless. His greatness comes from the fact that His ways are higher, even when they don’t make sense to us.”

Becky was quiet for a moment, then commented softly, “That doesn’t make things any easier, Bishop. It’s so hard to accept this. Especially when you’ve prayed and yet, things don’t go the way you prayed for. It just feels like God is… distant. Like He’s not even listening bi like that…”

“I know that feeling, Becky. I know it so well. Believe me, there are times in this life when it’s hard …so, so hard… to reconcile the God you believe in with the pain you experience. Trust me, the amount of pain I’ve had to endure in this life, sometimes I still have those moments of pain visiting me every now and then. But… it’s important to remember this: God’s sovereignty isn’t separate from His love. He’s not some cold, distant ruler who acts without care for us. Sometimes, what looks like silence or absence is actually God working in ways we can’t see yet.”

Becky sighed. “Hmmmm. This is… this is not easy. But, by the way, you go through times of pain?”

Bishop Gordon laughed lightly over the phone. “Of course, Becky. Anaa you think I’m some superman?”

“Nahhh, just… I’m sure after seeing you in action on that Sunday I visited, I probably thought that you diɛɛ, you’re on some other realm.”

A muffled laugh was followed by a sigh. “My dear, I’m just a vessel of Adonai. On my own, the things I’ve been through, the mistakes I’ve made, the regrets I live with… hmmm, the regrets…”

Becky’s brow furrowed. That last statement sounded quite… heartfelt.

Whatever regret that was, it sounded like it was a major source of torment to the man.

“Anyways, that’s besides the point. My dear, I understand how you feel. This life of faith is hard. Anyone who tells you being a Christian is easy is one serious liar. It’s hard. It’s not about never doubting or never struggling. It’s about clinging to the truth of who God is even when everything around you feels chaotic. It’s about trusting that His love and kindness are real, even in the pain. It’s not easy, and it’s not instant. But Becky, God doesn’t expect you to figure it all out today. He just asks you to bring your hurt, your questions, your tears—to Him. He can handle it all.”

She sighed, the wonder of Bishop Gordon’s regrets already fading away. “Hmmmm. I don’t get it yet, but… I’ll try.”

“That’s all He asks, Becky,” he said gently. “Just try. And He’ll meet you right where you are.”

“Alright, thank you, Bishop.”

“Anytime, Becky. I’m always available whenever you want to talk, okay?”

“Sure, sure. Okay, bye.”

***

Bishop Gordon placed the phone back on the table, his hand lingering on it as his gaze drifted toward the window. Sighing deeply, he leaned back in his chair as his mind wandered.

Wandered off to memories he rarely allowed himself to revisit.

Painful memories…

“What at all is wrong with you? Ah! You always think you’re right! You never listen!”

“You too, why are you like this? Why? So impatient and uncaring! Ah! Are you a real man of God at all? What is this?”

“What do you mean by ‘am I a real man of God’? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘AM I A REAL MAN OF GOD’?”

He could hear it all again. That awful, nasty argument…

… then came the sound of tires screeching, the jarring blare of an ambulance siren piercing the air…

… bright, sterile lights and the overwhelming scent of antiseptic in the hospital…

“No, Lord, no! Please, no! God, don’t take her! Not her!”

Bishop Gordon snapped out of his reverie, breathing heavily. He shook his head. “Good gracious. I shouldn’t have mentioned it,” he muttered to himself. “They always come rushing in like a flood when I give them the chance.”

He inhaled deeply, holding the breath for a moment before exhaling slowly, deliberately. “Eselali, stop beating yourself up. God has forgiven and restored you,” he whispered to himself. “You are not bound by your past. You are not… bound by your past…”

***

As Becky continued to mull over all she had heard from the bishop, her phone began to vibrate.

She peered at the screen. It was Deladem.

She picked it up and answered. “Yeah, Didayy.”

“Chale, baby girl, wossop? How are you doing today?”

“Chale, just trying to take it one day at a time ooo.”

“Hmmm, yeah, I understand. Normal things. So any news yet with the funeral arrangements?”

“Not just yet. Right now, it’s Amankwaah who’s at the center of that. Firstborn things.”

“Yeah, chale. I can imagine. No be easy. Chale, Maayaa, will you be busy this coming Saturday?”

Becky squinted, then shook her head. “Uhh, no. It’s Sunday that we’ll have a family meeting. Why, what’s up?”

“Okay, great, great. I dey need your help with something small. I know right now, issa dark period in your life, so if you go allow make I bring some small light into it…”

I wonder what Didayy’s up to. And for our dear bishop… what is it that is haunting him so much?