Pst. Sam Adeyemi: The first Thing I learnt from Dr. David Oyedepo

            

The first day I went to Canaanland, Ota to see

Bishop David Oyedepo was a memorable one full of

lessons. I had met him at the National Ecumenical

Centre, Abuja where I first told him I wanted him to

mentor me in ministry; because I needed the same

grace of effortless accomplishments on his life and

ministry.

He had his PA give me his complimentary card,

then told me to come to his office at Canaanland,

Ota. I was so excited that I couldnt wait for the

Independence Day National Christain Service to end

at the Ecumenical Centre so I could dash home and

tell my wife about my encounter with the bishop.

On the appointed date, I went to Canaanland, Ota

with my wife Nike to see the bishop. We waited for

six hours and could not see him. There was a

crowd of people also waiting. He is a thoroughly

busy person, and he gives a good measure of time

to each person that enters the office.

I was totally disappointed that day. I thought he

would tell his orderlies and PA to bring me inside

immediately once they saw me; because I was

Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christain Center.

By 3pm, we were all told to go home and come at

another appointed day; without as much as any

explanation. Since I entered full time ministry, that

was my first time of having to wait for an audience

with someone; to wait for a full six hours!

I went home angry. I told myself I won’t go there

again. “What sort of thing is this?” “How can I stay

there and waste a whole day without seeing the

bishop?” “Dont I have other things to do?” I kept

fuming to myself at home. I couldnt calm down to

piece together all that happened at Canaanland that

day. For all I cared, the bishop knew I was coming

that day to see him.

But my wife kept telling me to be patient so as to get

what I want. Nike talked me into going back to

canaanland for another wait for the bishop. I finally

determined that I must see him, no matter the time

it would take.

On the new date of appointment, I went again with

my wife and waited another six hours before we

were sent home. I had cancelled a lot of meetings

and shifted a dozen appointments to go back to

Canaanland, Ota. I was so thoroughly washed down

by that second disappointment.

It then happened for the third time before my wife

stopped talking me into going again. She allowed me

to make my decision. I had had enough. I went

home and got busy. I neither called the bishop

during this my period of total hands-on-ministry,

nor went to see him again. I simply bought all his

books, and a thousand tapes of the bishop. I read

the books till they became a part of me. I listened to

the tapes at home, in the office, and when I’m

driving. I soaked myself in the work of the ministry.

We started many projects in our church, including

setting up schools, orphanages, and the Daystar

Leadership Academy. I didn’t bother to call nor try

fixing another appointment with his PAs.

Six months later, we met at the domestic wing of

the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in

Lagos, and you should have seen the look of

surprise and happiness at the same time on the

bishop’s face.

“This my son. Where on earth have you been?” Did

you travel to Mars?” He hugged me so tight as if his

life depended on it. He was all smiles. He started

asking me questions about how ministry has been

going, and I answered excitedly, with all the clarity

he wanted.

We found a seat in the lounge and talked for about

30 minutes; because the flight was delayed by 30

minutes. He kept asking questions and I kept

talking.

The next day, the bishop called me. He called me

again after three days. From then on, seeing him

became less cumbersome. That was how I became

a regular keynote speaker at the Covenant

University Special Programmes on Character

Development and National Transformation.

Today, the bishop pubicly refers to me as one of his

favourite sons in ministry, and our ministry has

grown in leaps and bounds because I sense the

same grace upon the bishop operating in our

ministry too.

TAKE HOME LESSON:

Deep calls unto deep. Men of destiny, men of

purpose, men who are busy and occupied with their

primary assignment on the earth can easily

recognise themselves across a hall when they

meet.

All things being equal, busy people love busy

people. Busy people rarely love to associate with, or

accomodate people who slow down their

momentum.

So whenever you find yourself complaining about an

apparent lack of attention from a busy person, the

solution is to just go and get busy with your life and

assignment. First of all, discover your specific

assignment, your niche, and grow in your influence.

Get busy!

This is because recognising each other when

you’re both at the top is far easier and effortless

than recognising each other at the crowded ground

level. The high decibel of noise and purposeless

activity of the crowd at the ground level, comprising

of people of all sort of character and orientation will

never allow that to happen.

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