Ebenezer eyy (Ebenezer eyyy!)

Ebenezer eyy (Ebenezer eyyy!)

My Stone of Help

Only You are my Helper!

On this Sunday morning, Shalom Temple was buzzing with jubilant energy.

The congregation filled the hall with cheers of joy, hands lifted high, handkerchiefs waving in the air as the choir led the song, Ebenezer by Nathaniel Bassey & Victoria Orenze.

In front of the church, Bishop Gordon, dressed in a yellow kaftan and with a glowing smile on his face, danced joyfully beside Akpene. Her radiant joy and bright yellow lace dress perfectly matched his as they moved in sync, their laughter and light steps declaring gratitude to God.

Their four children, all clad in matching yellow dresses like their parents, were not left out, as they joined in the celebratory dance.

The keyboardist picked up the tempo as the drummer’s beats intensified. The bass guitarist strummed a deeper groove, and tambourines jingled in the hands of worshippers. From the pulpit, the assistant pastor, nearly shouting over the music, encouraged the congregation: “We are witnessing God’s faithfulness! Eight years of His grace over their marriage! Dance like you mean it!”

It was a joyful moment, with the entire congregation joining their beloved bishop and his family to celebrate their eighth marriage anniversary. Everyone danced in their place, giving glory to God for being so good to them.

When the song finally came to an end, the praise continued as voices echoed, “Hallelujah!” and “Glory to God!”

Bishop Gordon, his forehead glistening with sweat, took the microphone from the assistant pastor. “People of God… people of God, listen to me. This dance is not for Akpene and me,” he declared. “It is for the God who brought us through every challenge, every storm, and every triumph over the past eight years. Shalom Temple, let’s give Him the highest praise!”

The congregation roared in agreement, the celebration continuing with applause and shouts of gratitude to the God who had been their Ebenezer.

Still holding the microphone close, he signaled for his family to gather closer. His smile softened as Akpene and their four children obliged, while the congregation quieted to hear what words their beloved bishop had to say about his family.

His heart could not be fuller at that moment.

“Church,” he began, his voice steady but rich with emotion, “before I say anything else, I want to give all the glory to God. For eight beautiful years of marriage, for the honor of being a husband and a father, and for the countless blessings He has poured out on my family and me. Ebenezer—indeed, He has been our help!”

The congregation erupted in a chorus of “Amen!” and applause.

Bishop Gordon then turned toward Akpene, smiling as he held her hand. “Now, people of God, let me tell you about this God-given treasure standing right here beside me,” he continued, his voice carrying a deep tenderness. “This woman, my sweet Akpi, is more than I could have ever prayed for. She is the most loving, the most supportive, and the most selfless partner I could have been blessed with. Every step of this journey, she has been by my side, lifting me up, covering me in prayer, and filling our home with laughter and peace. And I couldn’t be more blessed.”

Akpene smiled and held on to their son, her cheeks flushed as the congregation clapped and cheered.

“And people of God, isn’t she the epitome of beauty? My God! The most beautiful woman alive, if you ask me,” he continued, causing a ripple of laughter and applause in the audience. “As for classiness, oh, don’t go there kraaa. See grace, see elegance, see class. I tell her all the time that she makes me look good just by standing next to me! This my dadaba wife, no size oo!”

While Akpene playfully shook her head at that, his tone shifted, becoming even more reverent. “But, let me tell you what truly sets her apart. This woman, standing here today, is the strongest person I know. When we found out we were going to have triplets, the way my heart was beating eh. I won’t lie, I was scaareedddddd! The type of things that ran through my mind, eh, it wasn’t a joke.

“But Akpene? She didn’t flinch. She embraced it with a strength that can only come from God, carrying these three young ladies with such grace and poise that I can’t explain. And then she brought them into this world and kept on being the incredible wife and mother she’s always been. People of God, I mean this with all my heart: Akpene is the strongest woman alive.”

The congregation roared with applause and cheers, with many rising to their feet.

Bishop Gordon turned to Akpene once again, his voice lowering slightly as if these words were meant just for her, though everyone could hear. “Akpi, before God and man, I want you to know that I thank God for you every day. You are my partner, my encourager, my everything. These eight years with you and our beautiful children have been a gift, and I pray for many more. Thank you for loving me and for being the heart of our home. I love you, and I always will.”

The congregation rose to their feet, clapping, shouting, and praising God as he smiled, turned to them and held Akpene’s hand high in the air. “Church, let’s continue to give God all the glory for His faithfulness!”

***

“Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Tamakloe! The anniversary couple!” Quincy exclaimed, spreading his arms wide. “Happy anniversary ooo! We’ve got something special lined up for you tonight. Wait till you see your table.”

Bishop Gordon and Akpene smiled widely as they entered Cues Corner, with two waiters cheering and congratulating them as they walked through, before leading them to their table. Leaving the kids with Akpene’s mother, they were having their special time together to celebrate their anniversary.

They were led to a corner table, beautifully decorated with soft candlelight, red roses, and gold-trimmed plates. Akpene gasped. “Oh my God, this is beautiful!”

As they walked past a nearby table, familiar voices called out.

“Ouuuuurrrrrr bishop! Sister Akpene! Congrats ooo!”

The couple turned to see Bruce, Nana Asor, and Clarence seated at a table, raising their glasses in celebration at them.

“Eish, my people! Thank you ooo, thank you so much,” Bishop Gordon replied gratefully as they approached the table. “God has been so good to us.”

“No doubt about it. You guys look so glorious together. It’s just… mwah!” Bruce commented, punctuating the last word with a chef’s kiss.

“Oh yes, oh yes! Anointing plus GeyHey classiness,” Nana Asor added. “It’s too much.”

Clarence rolled his eyes. “Ughh, here we go again. As for El Taruta FC and their tap-in lifestyle…”

Hard looks from Nana Asor and Akpene immediately followed. “My dear, don’t mind him,” Akpene stated. “What you have said shows you’re in tune with the Spirit.”

“Ah, you know it ooo!”

Everyone laughed as Bishop Gordon and Akpene took their seats.

As the conversation flowed, with the topic mainly on love and relationships and the beauty of marriage, Akpene turned her attention to Clarence, her curious gaze softening. “So, Clarence, pardon me if I’m being inquisitive, but you’re not dating at the moment, right?”

Clarence chuckled nervously, shifting in his seat. The conversation had been focused on both sets of couples, so the attention switching to him was a bit of a surprise. And anyways, he wasn’t ready to open up about who he was dating to them, considering who it was. “Uhh, no ooo. I’m not. You know, just… just focusing on other stuff.”

Akpene nodded, then smirked. “Not bad. But you know, whenever you think you’re ready, let me know, wai. I could introduce you to someone from the choir. We have some wonderful ladies there. Beautiful, God-fearing ladies that I’m sure you’ll like.”

Now this was getting a bit angsty for Clarence. Where from this sudden interest in helping him with a girlfriend?

“Eiii, Akpi. You and this your matchmaking life,” Bishop Gordon joked. “Clay, don’t mind her. She likes that.”

Clarence laughed nervously, avoiding the hidden stares from Bruce and Nana Asor.

“Oh, but Ese, abi it’s just a suggestion. If he’s not interested, no problem. But wouldn’t it be nice if he was with one of them? Like Felicia, or Irene…”

What followed was an awkward silence between the three friends, as their smiles suddenly went forced and their eyes darted between each other. The silence stretched just long enough for Bishop Gordon and Akpene to notice.

Bishop Gordon raised an eyebrow. “Uhh, is something wrong?”

Akpene tilted her head, the curiosity on her face also evident. “Did I say something wrong? Or is there something we should know?”

Bruce and Nana Asor looked at each other, then at Clarence. Considering how the trajectory of the conversation had gone, with the unexpected accuracy of Akpene’s suggestion, covering up for Clarence in this situation was not possible.

Bruce cleared his throat. “Uhhh, I think Clarence will know how to answer that.”

Clarence glanced at them, then at the Tamakloes.

It took less than a minute for him to give in. No point in lying to them at that moment; God had probably whispered it in their ears at this point. Because the direction of this line of questioning seemed far too accurate to be just a coincidence.

“Uhhh, it’s funny how you mentioned Irene…”

***

The shrill ringtone of Bruce’s phone pierced the stillness of the early morning and snapped him out of a dream. Grumbling aloud, he stirred and fumbled for his phone, blinking groggily as the screen lit up.

It was Nana Asor.

He looked to his side. She wasn’t there.

As he sat up, he noticed the bathroom light was on.

“Ah. But why is she calling from the bathroom?” he mumbled, sliding out of bed with a half-hearted scowl. The clock on the wall glowed 4:03 AM in soft blue digits.

He shuffled toward the bathroom, his irritation mounting due to a mixture of drowsiness and confusion. “Nana,” he called out, “what’s up?”

He pushed the door open, and there she was, sitting on the closed toilet lid, her face streaked with tears. She looked up at him, her hands trembling as she held out a small white stick.

“Bruce,” she choked out, her voice thick with emotion.

He stopped in his tracks, looking confused. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked, his heart pounding.

Nana Asor shook her head vigorously, tossing the stick toward him.

His eyes fell on it. The two pink lines stared back at him.

For a moment, Bruce simply stood there, blinking at the stick. His sluggish brain struggled to process what his eyes were seeing.

Then, like the flick of a switch, realization dawned.

This was a pregnancy test!

And it was positive!

Their prayers had finally been answered!

“W-w-w-ait… Are-are-are you serious?” His voice rose with excitement, sleep banished entirely from his system. “Is this—are we—?”

Nana Asor nodded, fresh tears spilling over. “Yes, Bruce! It’s positive! After almost three years—it’s finally happening!”

Bruce could only stand there in shock. This was really happening!

“I realized my period was overdue last month, but I wasn’t sure. I thought my body was just missing one of those months, so I decided to wait and see what’s up for this month. It’s already three days in, and nothing. This is the third test I’ve taken this week. So Bruce, honey, this is real.”

“I can’t believe it,” he whispered, pulling back to look into her eyes, which glistened with so much relief and happiness. “We’re going to be parents! Finally!”

“Finally ooo,” she agreed, her voice trembling but full of warmth. “Finally. After all the struggles, the late-night prayers, the doctor’s visits… it’s finally here. Our first child is finally here.”

As Bruce kept his arms wrapped around Nana Asor, the bathroom was filled with a quiet, overwhelming sense of triumph. They both knew without a doubt that this was the beginning of a beautiful new chapter.

One they would cherish forever.

Yes, the Aforo couple is finally having the baby they’ve desired for so long. Awesome to see their prayers have been answered!