Dedicated to BobRyan874❤❤

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But now, O Lord , thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
--Isaiah 64:8 (KJV)

Tayo smiled as he dropped his phone. GP had just called to let him know that he had gotten back home. 

They had arrived in Lagos in the late afternoon on Tuesday. And GP had decided to take the next flight back home the next day. It was really great to have had his friend visit. He even missed him already. 

He turned his gaze to his ring. He had grown so used to playing with it. It now felt cold and heavy around his finger.

He remembered the day they had gone to select their rings. Doubra wasn't so fussy about selecting them like he thought. She told him she just wanted a ring they both liked and that it didn't even have to be expensive. They had wandered around the bridal shop till she walked towards a set of rings that seemed to match what she wanted.

If he closed his eyes, he was sure he could still see the gleam in her eyes as she turned to him and said, "This is the one." That was all it took to select the rings.

To any other person, the rings were just silver-coloured circular bands to signify a marital relationship. But to them, it was "the one" symbol that was meant to bound their hearts together forever. Now, it was just a piece of jewelry that laid cold and heavy.

Forever. Tayo sighed as he made a move to go into his room.

My yoke is easy. My burden is light. 

Tayo paused as he heard Him speak to him. What was He talking about? 

What are You talking about, Abba? 

My yoke is easy. My burden is light. 

Tayo understood immediately. He still carried that weight of letting his last tie with Doubra go. He wasn't ready. 

Not yet, Father. Just a little while more. Let me wear it. For now. 

Abba? 

Tayo sighed. He twirled the ring again and made a move to remove it. He shut his eyes and settled it back into his finger. 

Just a little while more. 

*******

"Good morning, God."

Posi spoke out as she peered at her ceiling like she wanted to see through it to the heavens where she believed God was seated. 

After turning her head this way and that way for some seconds, and it felt like she was going crazy, she shut her eyes and exhaled. 

What am I doing?

She picked up her Bible, a gift from her besties, and her devotional book. Today, the topic was The Potter and The Clay. 

She opened to the passage for the day and read Isaiah 64:8:

"But now, O Lord , thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."

Wow. I am clay in His hands? The work of His hands? She mused. 

She remembered the story of creation she had heard before. She even had to cram it for her Christian Religious Knowledge (C.R.K) exams while in secondary school. 

I think the story is in Genesis. She skimmed backwards to the book of Genesis and read through Genesis 1. She kept pausing each time she encountered the phrase "... and God saw that it was good" till she got to verse 31.

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." --Genesis 1:31 (KJV) 

He made me very good? That means I'm a very good work of His hand. 

Just the thought of this made her want to whoop like she saw and heard the other believers do on Sunday at church. There were always chants of whoo! Glory! during the word session and it had made her wonder if there was a rule that said to do so because everyone seemed to know when to chant it.

As she continued to read through the devotional, she felt a joy in knowing God made her good. Moulded perfectly. Without blemish. Very good handwork. 

Just like I am good, Masterpiece.  She heard. 

Posi jerked as she searched around her room. What was that? 

Was she hearing voices now? She didn't even know what was happening anymore.

When she saw no one and heard nothing, she shut her Bible and devotional. 

I'm supposed to pray now. Right? 

Closing her eyes, she began. "Dear God, thank You for bringing me to You. Gerald and Funmi say You have wanted me for a long time. I choose to believe it too. Thank You for the peace flooding my heart these days. Thank You for making me Your very good handwork; worthy of Your love and enough for You. In Jesus name. Amen."

Smiling to herself, she rose from her bed and moved to go on with her morning routine. Connecting her phone to her bluetooth speaker, she tapped on her new favourite song Lean Back by Maverick City Music. 

As she picked out her clothes, she hummed. "I thought I knew what love was… "

******

As the closing hour was drawing near, Tayo stood up to stretch and pour himself a glass of water. He stood in front of his floor-to-ceiling window as he took a sip of water. 

He couldn't explain it, but the city looked exceptionally beautiful in the afternoon light as the sun shone on the buildings in his view. 

God really made all things bright and beautiful. Chuckling, it felt great to be able to see the beauty in the people and things surrounding him.  

He turned at the knock on his door, to see Kazeem walk in. 

"Yes, Kazeem. Anything?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes, sir. About your photoshoot. Miss Faleye's office hasn't gotten to us about the date and everything needed for it, sir. It's been almost two weeks since your meeting. And today is Thursday, sir," Kazeem said with displeasure colouring his tone.

"Hold on. What did you say today was?" Tayo asked a befuddled Kazeem. 

"Thursday, sir." 

Tayo could almost hear what his P.A was thinking but he couldn't be bothered about that now. He checked his wristwatch and gasped. It was almost 6pm. Time for Midweek Service at his church. 

My church. I hope I can still call it that.

He began to pack his leather bag hurriedly, making Kazeem rotate on one spot like a barber's chair with his arms splayed out to help. 

"I have somewhere to be. See you tomorrow," Tayo managed to say. As he scurried out of his office, he glanced at the door leading to his sanctum and smiled again. 

Been a while I stepped in there. 

*******

"How was your day today?" Gerald asked as he drove towards church. It was Midweek Service and Posi had called him to pick her up on his way, since her studio was close to his. Funmi was going to join them there. 

"Oh, it was great. I was able to catch up with some work," she said in reply. 

They continued to converse about the weather and his work as a Physiotherapist. He even narrated how a patient of his had come in insisting on what modality should be used in his treatment and how he had handled it.

Gerald could be a clown and his comical narration sent her into bouts of laughter till they got to the parking lot of church. 

*******

As Tayo alighted from his car, he was so glad he had made it in time for service. He could hear the Worship Team about to start ministering. He had never liked missing any part of service. 

He walked briskly towards the entrance only to see someone who had an uncanny resemblance to Posi. The lady was walking with two other people, a man and a woman; and she had dreads similar to Posi's with the arrangement of bracelets. She was even wearing a kimono too. 

That doesn't mean she's the one. Don't be silly. 

While he was still thinking that, he heard a shout of rejoicing coming from within the auditorium. 

Oh, how I have missed this! 

Forgetting about the said lady, he rushed in and found a seat as he joined the other worshippers in the room. 

Kazeem was still standing in his boss' office, befuddled. Lately, his boss had been smiling more than necessary and even leaving work at the normal closing time. 

What was more? He had only picked his statement on how that day was Thursday out of all the things he had said. 

Ah ah. He doesn't even have any appointment left for today. Where is he meant to be? See the way he even rushed out. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was going on a date. 

Sighing, he straightened the files on his boss' table and walked out of his office. 

Now, I'm beginning to sound like a scorned girlfriend. That's not my business jare. What is my business is why this Miss Faleye hasn't called to schedule our-- his photoshoot. I will give her office a call. 

"But that will be tomorrow. There's a football match tonight. And I ain't gonna miss it." 

Whistling in victory for a match that hadn't even been played yet, Kazeem picked up his bag and strutted out of the office.