Pastor E. A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, addressed his congregation during the “Elshaddai” – July 2023 Thanksgiving Service on the 2nd of July 2023.
During his sermon, he discussed the issue of loneliness among elderly individuals and shared a story illustrating this concern. In the story, he recounted an incident where a woman sought refuge in a house from a madman who was pursuing her, and how this event helped alleviate his mother’s loneliness.
Then he proceeded to share the tale of an incident where a deranged individual pursued a woman into our residence, which ultimately resolved the issue of my mother’s loneliness.
He said, “After my sisters had all passed away and my mother had grown old, they fulfilled their marital obligations and relocated to their husbands’ homes. As the beloved son, I too have matured and must heed my path. Consequently, God provided a modest dwelling for her on the outskirts of Ilesha. At that time, only a handful of houses existed, nestled deep within the wilderness. Each time I visit her, her joy knows no bounds, and we engage in conversations about events from bygone years.”
“When I come next time, she will repeat the same thing. So I know she just wanted somebody to talk to. When it is time to leave, I can feel her agony and pain but what can I do? I can’t sit down with her. So I cried to God, “Please Lord, help me solve this problem.”
Solving the problem (let me tell you the truth) is not getting house help. There are certain things that you can’t discuss with a house help. When you want to talk, you want to talk to somebody even if you are not the same age at least there is a little bit of semblance. Then God miraculously answered my prayer.
What happened? In the area, one man simply snapped and started frightening others. So, at one point, this man was pursuing a female. A baby was on the woman’s back, and another child was in her hand. The woman dropped the one she was holding and ran off with the one she was carrying when she turned around and saw the insane man closing in. To demonstrate his level of rage when he reached the young boy, the madman fractured his hand. How insane is that?
The madman then turned and started chasing after a somewhat aged woman who wasn’t particularly old. That one fled, leaving my house as the lone nearby residence. The insane man paused as she fled into the house where my mother was home alone. The insane man opted not to enter the house after noticing anything about it.
That elderly woman said, “Okay, this is a house where a madman will not enter. She said to my mum, “Please can I come and live here?” That’s how my problem was solved. In God’s miraculous way, every problem of those of you who are elderly will be solved today.