When ‘Yes, I Do’ Compels Inspiration

Yes I do! This is what every spectator at wedding events wishes to hear. The spectator also anxiously expects to see the couple exchange their wedding rings. And finally, he or she wants to see the couple kiss themselves before the congregation. These are key ingredients of a successful wedding.
But when they are delayed for some reasons, most spectators, guests and relatives become apprehensive, and begin to lose patience. They are in a hurry to see the most dramatic aspects of the marriage: ‘The joining of the couple’, and ‘the kissing of the bride.’
This was the mood at the wedding between Judith Chioma Edwin, a 26 year old lady, and David ThankGod Enogho, a 36 year old man. Judith, a staff of one of the popular petroleum marketing companies in Port Harcourt – Harrison Oil, and David, popularly called De-Tee by his U99 Mathematics/Statistics course mates in University of Port Harcourt, were obviously meant for each other. Judith is a beautiful, well-structured and tall girl of inestimable value, while David is a creative genius, brilliant and fearless, but physically-challenged exhibited the rare traits of real love, and exuded that confidence at the wedding to the admiration of many. And this was why the tension was palpable!
The church wedding took place on Saturday, October 17, 2015, at The Pierced Lord Christian Assembly in Port Harcourt. Of course, this is where the Lord had purposed for the couple to be solemnly united spiritually in Holy Matrimony.
The service lasted over three hours; it was one of the longest weddings I have ever attended. One of the  officiating ministers, Pastor Dede Promise, took his time to take the couple, and indeed, the guests, relatives and friends on the journey of life after marriage, explaining God’s reason for joining the man and woman as one. He took the sermon from Genesis 2:15-24. The Topic: “Commitment To One Another.” And believe or it or not, there couldn’t have been a better focus of such a unique wedding than the need to show exceptional commitment to one another.
The representative of Apostle Eugene Ogu, Pastors Promise Dede, said the degree of love a man shows his wife determines the degree of submission. He took his sermon from Genesis 2:15-24 and Ephesians 5:21. He further said that there will always be challenges, but the couple should always put God at the centre of their affairs because the same God that brought them together will always sustain them in any circumstances. He said they should also try to settle their differences amicably without any third party.
According to him, marriage is not bed of roses, urging them to always spice their union with the same love that brought them together, through tolerance, patience, endurance and trust.
Pastor Promise, said the couple, in obedience to what is written in Genesis 2:24: “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they shall become one flesh,” has responded to God’s admonition to leave their parents and be joined in Holy Matrimony as one. He stressed that the significance of that understanding was the fact that they must make their marriage vows before the congregation with the symbol of love for each other: The wedding ring.
The clergyman further emphasized that it was the favour of God that made the day possible in their lives, because according to him, only God’s divine intervention made it possible for David to locate his heart-throb, Judith. He further noted that the marriage was a very special and unique one because of the two classes of people involved: A physically challenged and lovely man and a able-bodied girl, who is determined to brace up to the vicissitudes of life. Promise explained that it was only God’s love that brought them together, and advised the couple to continue to show love and understanding towards one another, no matter the situation. The Pastor further admonished the couple to pursue a singular goal of achieving oneness of heart, saying that both need to commit themselves to one another in love so that they could surmount any challenges that may confront them in life.
The pastor said that the uniqueness of the marriage would turn out to be an inspiration to many, who may have been discouraged to take the bold step due to one factor or the other, especially the perception of disability. He stressed that any physical state one finds himself or herself was, indeed, an advantage that should be exploited to advance the cause of humanity. He pointed out that disability does not amount to inability or incapability. The Man of God said that every human being has innate capacities and advantages over the other, and noted that what makes the difference is the ability to shrug-off every challenge through determination and commitment to excellence by never accepting defeat.
Pastor Promise advised all those searching for life partners to: “Emulate this couple, the love bond between them, the extraordinariness of this unique wedding is a lesson for those of you searching and selecting those that have arrived in life. Accept any man or woman that comes with a good intention of marriage proposals despite his background or condition.” He stressed that despite the disability of the person, love sees beyond every disability and that there is no disability in the physically challenged, since there is nothing they cannot do, if they are determine to. “You never can tell if that person was destined for you to marry as a wife or husband, and if you miss such person because of discrimination, you may remain unmarried throughout your life time,” he added.
The General Overseer, The Pierced Lord Christian Assembly, Senior Pastor Paul E. Obadun, earlier while joining the couple, said it was a very special day for the couple as they become husband and wife, and so, should always tread the path of love which they found in each other, that has brought them together.
After the church sermon and wedding formalities, came the climax of the entire event at the reception for the couple. The venue was the Air Force Base Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
Trust Nigerians: Before the church session could be completed, many invited guests, who could not make it to the church, had already taken their seats at the reception hall. And as relatives, guests, friends and church officials converged for the reception; the hilarious Master of Ceremony, Sunny Ikeagwu, ensured that all guests were treated to the best of humour, fun and laughter.
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Inemo Ikama, noted that there are so many expectations from marriage, and charged the couple to uphold their marital vows to ensure successful marriage that would be worthy of emulation.
On his part, the former CTC Chairman of AKULGA, Hon Odimabo Torukwein, thanked God for a successful wedding, and urged the couple to see themselves as one, to ensure their marriage withstands the test of time.
Another significant aspect of this unique wedding was the cutting of the cake. The couple was called out to show, in practical terms, their love for each other. It was definitely a demonstration of how they plan to complement each other to make a model, exemplary family.
The reception was entirely another theatre of drama. The couple gently moved to the stage, holding each other firmly. As they gazed at the cake, with their hands holding the knife tightly, while waiting anxiously at the count of the last letter in the word ‘JESUS’ to cut the cake, the entire hall was filled with shout of “he is the best”, “she is the best”, “he won”, “she won”, as if it was a competition, with a prize tag.
That tension was sustained until the cake was cut. And honestly, they proved that their love for each other was unique. The perfect synchronisation and rhythm held the promise of couple billed for greater love.
With the scintillating and awesome music provided by the DJ, the couple danced to the admiration of all. You hardly could tell that one of them is physically challenged.
It was also time for the couple to do their first assignment: feeding the groom. The way and manner the loving wife gently knelt down to feed her husband, showed the sincere love and humility that the family should enjoy. The man also showed that he was in-charge, as he fed his wife in his unique way, amid clap offering that was as thunderous as anything else. The wedding celebration blew the minds of all that were present as they watched the newest and youngest unique couple in town take care of each other in the presence of the large crowd of spectators, relatives, friends, and church officials.
The groom, D.T. Enogho, described his wedding as a dream come true, an arrangement that has been realized and perfected in a divine platform by God.
His words: “My wife is a special gift from God that is specially made for me. So, I am filled with joy that, finally, I have crossed another phase of life. I thank God for His grace and mercies.”
The bride, when asked why she accepted to marry David, out of all the suitors that came to ask her hand in marriage, had this to say: “He is just the will of God for me, and so I have no objection to God’s will. My husband is very hardworking, very caring, and honest.”
In attendance were dignitaries from all walks of life, including Chief Andy Nweye (former CTC chairman, Ahoada East), Prof & Dr (Mrs) W.J. Okowa, Dr (Mrs) Dorothy A. Okoh (chief medical director, Rivers State Hospitals Management Board), Ehumabe Sydah (Rivers State chairman, Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities), Elder Promise Ogbakiri (former chairman, Rivers State Scholarships Board), Engr Samuel Omobimi, Odimabo Torukwein (former CTC chairman, AKULGA), Dr Okowa I. Okowa, Engr E.R. Paul, Mr Collins Dibia Uchechukwu (deputy director, Rivers State Hospitals Management Board), Mr A.T.O Imbu (director of administration, Rivers State Hospitals Management Board), Pastor Paul Obadun, Chief I.T. Ikama, among others.