Life Story of JOE PRAIZE
20 years today I moved to lagos in a pick up van own by the guardian newspaper Nigeria where my elder brother once worked .
I remember very well the experience for me that day, it was as though I was traveling overseas , it was a big move for me and I knew my life was headed on the right direction.
On the 5th of March 2001, I step foot in lagos as a migrant and the first place I went after dropping my small bag in that “empty house “ was church ( Christ Embassy Ikeja ) and that day was the last day of a program that year called prosperity convention with the man of God Pastor Chris and we had Apostle Gbenga Igbafen as the guest minister and I saw for the first time how people were being moved by God to go sow seeds on the altar of God , I gave the small money I had in my pocket that night but it was as if it wasn’t enough , I felt there was something more to do. ok , “ long story short “ , I pulled my shoes ( I remember that my black shoe ) it was my very best and the only shoe I brought from Benin City , my one and only outing shoes ( lol ) . I rushed to the altar and dropped as a seed , I was barefooted through the remaining part of the service and after the service , I waited behind and joined those moving things out of the church building ( I was just looking for something to do after everything , I became MR ANYWORK that night ).
The program ended and I walked out of the church and those I came with asked for my shoes and I said to them it’s on the altar and immediately they understood what that meant. I went back home from clay bus stop in Ikeja to owode-ajegunle close to ikorodu where I was living at that time barefooted jumping on available public that very late hour and eventually got to my bus stop … reaching the bus stop there was no okada to take us to the house very far inside , so we had to walk, and while doing that the OPC guys came out , harassed us and we collected one slap but got home .
SOWING THAT SHOE THAT NIGHT WAS AND IS TO BE REMEMBERED TILL THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
It is 20 years today and I am deeply grateful to God for GRACE.
Help me celebrate the grace of God at work in a man with a purpose and on a mission.
Cc: Philip Ojeaola