Episode 3 – The Church Encounter
Sunday mornings in Lagos required strategy. If you did not leave the house early, you would repent in traffic.
Valerie stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room in Surulere, adjusting the cuff of her sleeve. The dress was hers- a muted sage midi with structured shoulders and delicate pleats that fell obediently down her frame. Soft and Elegant. Tammy was dragging her to church today. She finally decided to go to church after being an online member for three years.
Tammy was already halfway out the door.
“Val! If I miss praise and worship because of you and your eyeliner ehhhh, I will not forgive you!”
Valerie rolled her eyes. “I’m coming.” But her stomach felt… unsettled.
Catch up on episode 1 here
Episode 2 here
All week, the airport encounter had refused to disappear completely. It didn’t dominate her thoughts. It didn’t distract her from work. But it lingered. Like a song you almost remembered. She picked up her Bible and stepped out.
“Today is just church,” she told herself as they entered the Uber. “Just worship and word. Calm down.”
Tammy side-eyed her. “Why are you looking like somebody going for proposal?”
Valerie frowned. “What?”
“I don’t know. You look… expectant.”
Valerie faced the window immediately. “ For a Minister, you talk too much.”
The church auditorium buzzed with energy. Young professionals. Students. Couples. Media team members adjusting cables. The worship team rehearsing harmonies softly on stage.
The LED screens glowed with the service theme: “Rooted.”
Valerie stepped inside and inhaled. Church always felt like oxygen. There was no need to perform, no pressure to fit in. It just felt like HOME.. She missed this…
She preferred sitting mid-hall. Not too forward. Not too backward. A place where she could disappear and still engage. As she lowered into her seat, she exhaled.
Okay. Peace.
The service began. And somewhere behind the cameras near the stage, Purity adjusted a tripod.
“Bro, angle small to the left,” Daniel muttered, tuning his keyboard at the same time. Joel ran vocal scales softly. Purity nodded, repositioning the camera with steady hands.
He liked serving before worship. It centered him. Reminded him faith was not spectator sport. He glanced briefly over the audience - standard habit when framing shots.
And then he froze. She was there. Three rows from the middle. Sage dress. Same quiet composure. He blinked once. He blinked twice. He couldn’t belive it. What are the odds?? This is not coincidence.
Valerie shifted slightly in her seat.
Why do I feel watched?
She lifted her gaze toward the stage - and her breath caught. He was holding a camera. Media team tag around his neck. Focused.
Omo ehh.
Her pulse picked up. She didn’t know why that detail affected her.
He adjusted the lens and for half a second, their eyes met again. This time there was no confusion or surprise it was pure recognition. He looked away first. But something inside him warmed.
God… what are You doing?
Praise and worship began. Hands were lifted in surrender, the crowd lifted their worship to God. Valerie closed her eyes. Focus. But her spirit felt… hyperaware. Very al lert.
The worship leader sang, “You are the anchor in the storm…”
And unexpectedly, emotion brushed against her chest. Anchor. Stability.
The thing she had always wanted. The thing she feared losing if she ever married someone swallowed by ministry. Her throat tightened.
She opened her eyes. And somehow, without intending to, she found him again. He wasn’t looking at her now. His eyes were closed. One hand raised slightly while the other rested on the camera stand. And something about that undid her slightly. He’s not performing.
She swallowed. Stop observing him. This is church. Focus.
The pastor stepped forward after the worship team. Bible in hand, voice steady.
“Church,” he began, “being rooted in Christ is not about convenience. It is about depth. A tree that is shallow in roots will fall when storms come. But a tree planted by the water will stand.”
He opened to Psalm 1:3.
‘He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.’
The pastor continued.
“Roots are invisible, but they determine strength. Your relationship with God may not always look spectacular. It may not always feel emotional. But if it is rooted, it will bear fruit.”
He paused, scanning the congregation.
“Many of us attend church but are not rooted. We consume messages but do not allow the Word to shape us. We appear connected but are spiritually distant. God calls us deeper.”
He quoted Colossians 2:6-7.
‘As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith.’
“Rooted means consistency. Prayer when you feel like it and when you don’t. Worship when life is good and when it is hard. Community when you are strong and when you are broken. Because roots grow in the unseen places.”
His voice softened.
“Some of you have been hurt by church. Some of you walked away. I want you to know: God’s house is still a place of healing. Not perfect people. But a perfect God.”
He closed his Bible.
“Come back to the roots.”
The words struck Valerie in a way she did not expect.
Rooted.
She thought about her absence from physical church. Online services had been convenient. She told herself it was enough.
But hearing the sermon in person stirred something inside her. A Llonging For community and belonging.
For the warmth of worship that could not be replicated through a screen. She wiped a tear quickly, embarrassed, but no one seemed to notice. The message about roots resonated deeply. Her faith had once been vibrant, shaped by childhood experiences in church. But pain and distance had caused her to drift.
She realized she missed it. Not just the service. The sense of being part of something larger. The quiet reassurance that she was not alone.
The pastor’s words echoed: God’s house is still a place of healing.
Her heart softened.
Church had broken her family in the past, but that did not mean every community would repeat the same mistakes.
She felt a small nudge inside. Come back.
Around her, members nodded in agreement. Some whispered “Amen.” Others wiped tears. The sermon touched a collective nerve..
After service, members greeted one another warmly.
“First time?” she asked kindly. Valerie hesitated.
“Not exactly… I used to attend, but I stopped coming in person.”
The woman smiled. “You are welcome here. Always.” Valerie exhaled.
She realized church was not just a building. It was community. People imperfect but striving to grow. Just like her.
****
The foyer filled quickly. Conversations overlapped. Laughter bounced off the walls. Someone announced upcoming volunteer sign-ups.
Tami grabbed Valerie’s wrist. “Come, let’s greet people.” Valerie nodded distractedly. She tried not to scan for him but she failed.
He was near the media desk, discussing something with Daniel. Daniel laughed loudly at something he said.
Joel spotted Valerie first. “Purity,” he murmured quietly, nudging him. Purity followed Joel’s subtle chin motion. There she was, Closer now. They were no longer separated by airport terminals or airplane aisles.
His heart beat once, firm and slow. Should I speak?
Before he could decide, Tammy dragged Valerie toward the volunteer sign-up booth. “I’m joining media,” Tammy declared dramatically.
Valerie blinked. “Since when? Are you not in the choir?
“Since today. I need new environment. I can’t keep up with choir uniforms ejorrrrr”
The volunteer coordinator smiled. “We actually need more hands in media.”
Valerie froze slightly. Media.
Tammy grinned mischievously. “Valerie is very organized. She can help too.” Valerie shot her a look.
“Excuse me?”
The coordinator handed her a form anyway. “You can serve with editing, content, behind-the-scenes support…” Before Valerie could overthink it, a calm voice spoke behind her.
“She’d fit well with creative direction.”
Her body recognized the voice before her brain did. She turned slowly and he stood there, closer than ever before.
Up close, she noticed details she hadn’t at the airport. Faint scar near his eyebrow, Warm brown eyes, Composed expression.
“Hi,” he said gently. Her throat felt dry.
“Hi.” Silence hovered.
Tammy looked between them like she had just discovered premium gist. “You people know yourselves?” Tammy asked bluntly.
Valerie opened her mouth, then closed it. “We’ve… seen each other,” Purity answered smoothly.
“At the airport,” Valerie added quietly.
Recognition passed through his eyes. “You noticed too.” She nodded once.
Tammy’s eyebrows rose dramatically. “Ehennnn!” Valerie nudged her slightly.
Purity extended his hand. “I’m Purity.” She hesitated for half a second, out of caution.
Then she placed her hand in his.
“Valerie.” His handshake was firm but gentle.
And the moment their palms touched, something in both of them shifted from curiosity to awareness.
“I serve on the media team,” he continued. “If you join, I can help you settle in.”
Valerie felt her walls instinctively rising.
Careful. But her spirit felt calm.
“I’ll think about it,” she said softly.
“That’s fine.” No pressure.
And that, more than anything, disarmed her slightly. Daniel approached them suddenly. “Purity, we need to pack the—” He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Valerie.
“Oh.” Joel appeared beside him.
Tammy’s eyes sparkled. The air felt… charged.
Valerie broke eye contact first. “I should go.” Purity nodded. “Yeah.”
They stood there for half a second longer than necessary. Neither moving. Neither sure why it felt significant. Finally, she stepped back. Tammy dragged her away immediately.
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As they walked toward the exit, Tammy whispered loudly, “Valerieee.”
“What?”
“That one is calm calm but deep. I can see it.”
“You can see what?”
“Story.”
Valerie exhaled sharply. “Don’t start.”
But her chest felt warm. Behind her, Purity watched her leave. Daniel elbowed him lightly.
“Airport girl?” He didn’t respond immediately. Joel smiled knowingly. “Coincidence?”
Purity looked toward the exit doors where she had disappeared.
“No,” he said quietly.
“It’s not.”
And for the first time since the airport, neither of them questioned whether this was random. They just didn’t know what it meant yet. But something had moved from silent recognition… To undeniable alignment.
To be continued…
Authors note: You guysssssss. Should we start shipping this ship??? What name do we give them?? We need hashtags😂😂. The chemistry is chemistryinggg.
Btwww who else loves Tammy??
PV 2026😹😹
I love it already 😂❤️