ONCE I HAD NO SHOES
Is God really real? Does He answer prayers? How can I be sure? If you have ever pondered any of these questions then maybe my testimony will help answer. Here it goes…
In the late 80s, fresh out of university, I was posted to the bustling city of Lagos for my National Youth Service. Far away from the relatively quiet city of Port Harcourt where I grew up and where my parents lived, I stayed with my sister and her husband.
When I completed the compulsory Youth Corps programme, I joined the job market. One day, tomy joy, I received an offer letter from an airline and I was to begin work the following week. Itwould be my first real job and I was excited. I was particularly looking forward to this job because it came with lots of travel opportunity. But there was one problem - I did not have appropriate shoes for work!
During my service year I had taught at a government secondary school and we were not required to dress that formally so I did not have much formal wear and I certainly did not have shoes to wear to work. I desired low-heeled, comfortable, leather, court shoes, preferable black. At that time I could not afford to buy the sort of shoes I needed because I had not earned a real income and even if I had, I would have needed to save over several months to get the shoes. I did what I do when I am in a fix: I prayed. “Lord,” I said, “I need a pair of court shoes to wear to work on Monday”.
At the time I was part of a home Bible study group that met every Thursday at 27 Ekololu Street, Surulere. The Thursday before the Monday that I was to report at the new job, I went for Bible study as usual. After the meeting, a lady named Korede, who was also part of this home fellowship, came up to me with a shop bag in her hands and said “Koko, the Lord asked me to give you this pair of shoes!” I was shocked. I did expect God to answer my prayers but not in this way. I had thought perhaps I would receive the surprise pocket money that my parents sent me from time to time and with that I would get myself the shoes. I also felt that my caring big sister (with whom I lived) would figure out my need and hand me down a pair of her shoes. I thought of several possibilities but it never crossed my mind that God would respond in such a dramatic way.
With a mixture of joy and awe, I received the bag from Korede. I was to be even more dazed when l saw its content. Inside it was a black pair of court shoes made by the luxury Suisse footwear brand – Bally. What made that incident even more amazing was the fact that I had always loved Bally shoes but at the time I could not afford them. Whenever I went to London’s West End, I would pass by the Bally shops and gaze longingly at their lovely leather shoes. Sometimes I would even venture into the shop, pick up their footwear and raise them to my nose to take in the aroma of the rich leather. Then I would try them on. But that was as far as it went. Now here was the Lord not just answering my prayers for a pair of shoes, but giving me the brand I loved but could not afford.
I would find out much later that Korede and I wore the same size of shoes. She had bought these particular pair for herself but somehow never worn them. According to her, as she prepared to attend Bible study that Thursday she sensed the Lord telling her to give the shoes to me and she obeyed. The answer to my prayers was in Korede’s closet!
Someone once said such testimonies are just coincidence. I will not argue with them. All I would say is that from my experience, these ‘coincidences’ occur when I pray so I would gladly respond to the Lord’s invitation to prayer in the book of Matthew chapter 7 verse 7 to “Ask”.
During my service year I had taught at a government secondary school and we were not required to dress that formally so I did not have much formal wear and I certainly did not have shoes to wear to work. I desired low-heeled, comfortable, leather, court shoes, preferable black.
p.s. I have put together a book of amazing stories of God at work in people’s lives today which I would recommend. It contains testimonies of healings, deliverances, provision and much more. You may get copies from Laterna Book Shop or from the Rainbow Book shop on Jumia.
Koko Kalango is author, Colours of Life devotional. She may be reached at contact@coloursoflife.org or on Instagram @koko.kalango