Wandi slept over at my place last night. We told my parents about the engagement. Plus, Wandi’s father has communicated a date for the lobola. My dad is cool about it. But my mom is upset. I’m not sure if she’s mad about the wedding or about me moving. Wandi and I found a duplex that we will be buying cash and moving into together after the wedding. 

We are at church now. I’m delivering the sermon today. I plan to also announce my engagement to my beautiful fiancé.

I’m sitting on stage with my parents. The choir is sitting a step below us, neatly tucked away behind Julia – their leader. 

I spot Wandi sitting in the second row of the congregation with Morafe and Morafe’s kids. Wandi is so beautiful! Priceless and timeless, I tell you. Wandi’s mother sits next to Wandi, doing something on her cellphone. The camera crew has started shooting and we get a heads up that our service is live… over 500 000 people from across the world have started streaming the service. 

No pressure! 

The choir sings to open the service, led by their soloist and leader, Julia. 

Now that Wandisa will be sitting up here with me as my wife, I wonder how Julia will treat her. I actually even want Wandi to be in charge of the song selection for my sermons. That way, Julia will stay away from me, going through my wife to get to me. But Julia is unruly. She will find a way to piss off my wife and get close to me. I need to chat to my boys to hook her up. 

As the song ends, my dad goes to the pulpit to welcome the church and introduce today’s sermon. My mom keeps stealing looks at me. I’m marrying Wandisa whether she likes it or not. It would be very beneficial to her to be supportive. She doesn’t know how bad this can get if she is determined to make this difficult and uncomfortable for the woman that I love.

As soon as my dad is done, the choir sings again. I start praying as they sing, asking for God’s anointing and guidance as I speak before people today… speaking about him. I take ministry very seriously. I believe it’s a calling. It’s not something that is a gamble. It’s a calling to do the work of God. It’s a calling to be at your most humble as a human being… to be of service to people because we believe that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Wandi is not big on the Bible. But her spirit is what makes me love her so much. Wandi lives service. Her love language is service. Without even seeing it or realizing it, she lives the word of the Lord and ministry just by being herself. She sees people and nothing else. Wandi is the type of person who would give you her entire food for the week and she rather fast… than to see you go hungry because there is injustice in the price of bare necessities. I value that far much more than a Julia or my mother who live at church from Monday to Sunday, but have a hard heart that can never see the beauty in humility or service. 

Now, I make my way to the pulpit. God’s spirit has me where I need to be to do what I need to do today. 

“Good morning my brothers and sisters”, I begin. 

“Good morning senior pastor”, the congregation engages. 

“By God’s grace, how are we doing today?” 

Some say they are great, some are good and some are fine. 

I step away from the pulpit and make my way to chatting to the congregation while standing in front of them, and off the stage with the authorities of the church! 

“I want us to have a conversation today about our authority and why we have such powerful authority. Can we talk about that today?” Me.

“Amen!” 

Some keep saying “oh yes!” 

“Okay. We have quite a lot of authority in this life, over our lives and in the roles that we play each and every day. We have authority to do a lot of things and to make decisions over things and sometimes people. But I always wonder if we remember where that authority comes from and if we understand why it is important to never forget where that authority comes from.”

I hear amens and people agreeing with me.

“You see, we should never forget where our authority comes from. When we forget where our authority comes from, ego and arrogance take over!” 

I hear a “come on” from somewhere in the congregation. 

“We are so used to praying powerful prayers and laying hands on ourselves or other people, making declarations. And that’s not a bad thing. It’s not. We have authority to do that! We are supposed to do that! But we must never forget where that authority comes from!” 

Now people are clapping their hands. I catch Wandi smiling at me. She’s going to distract me because wow, that’s my woman man. 

People calm down then I continue, “We have to operate in our authority. God wants us to operate in our authority. If we don’t operate in our authority, we minimize the extent of His power in our lives”, I say. 

I’m cheered on again. I see my parents on stage standing up and cheering me on as well. Of course, those authoritative figures would resonate with exercising authority. But I get the feeling that they missed the part about acknowledging where the authority comes from – especially my mother. But anyway…

“I want us to talk about ways to exercise authority in our lives consistently while acknowledging that our authority comes from God. Can we do that my brothers and sisters?” 

“Oh yes!” They shout.

Some say “amen!” 

“Can we take out our notebooks and bibles so we can talk about exercising authority without being arrogant?” Me.

They take out their bibles and notebooks. 

“I have noted three ways to exercise authority in my life consistently – at work, in the church and in my personal relationship with the woman that I love. I see it working for me and I wish to share that strategy with you! And if you learn new ways to exercise your authority consistently, please share it with me and I’ll share it on your behalf with everyone else.” 

I get amens from the congregation. 

“The first step is to have an offensive prayer life! I’ll repeat that… we must have an offensive and NOT a defensive prayer life! 

Now what does that mean? 

It means that we do not only pray when something happens, when somebody is sick or when you get demoted on the job. You need to pray ALL THE TIME! You need to have an offensive prayer life. You need to understand that there is a war going on whether you are willing to participate in it or not! The enemy walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom it can destroy. The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy! We know this! The enemy is constantly working and he is not married to any strategy or method to make his plan work!” 

“COME ON!” 

“AMEN!” 

“SPEAK THE TRUTH AND SHAME THE DEVIL!” 

Clearly people are touched right now. I’m speaking to people, clearly. 

I continue, “We cannot sleep on the job! We cannot come late to the fight! We cannot! We need to wake up every day and wear the full Armour of God. We need to speak life into whatever our situations are and we need to speak the word of God.”

Now people stand up and cheer! I take this opportunity to have a sip of water from my glass. My PA has the glass ready for me. I thank her after I have taken a gulp of it. If it weren’t for her, Julia would place herself in charge of my water and I just don’t trust her hands. 

“Let’s look at the second step to exercising our authority consistently. I spoke of three steps… and we’ve just covered step one. I want us to now talk about step two… and that is to safeguard your surrender!

What do we mean by that? 

Well, you have to surrender over and over and over and over and over and over again… and consistently. We live in a flesh whose desire is to operate in a way that God does not want us to operate. You cannot go about this journey in a passive manner. When you surrender, protect and safeguard your surrender. Separate yourself from people, places and things that distort biblical principles.”

I hear people agreeing with me. I hope they are not getting the wrong end of this sermon. 

“You see, my brothers and sisters, the enemy knows the word of God very well. Matthew 4: 1 – 11 tells us that the enemy tempted Jesus. So, this is not just any enemy. This enemy is reading instructions to us from God, so he knows what he’s doing and he is not committed to any strategy or method to see his plan through. WE NEED TO KNOW THE WORD OF GOD!We do not have authority without knowing the word of God. We need to focus on God. We need to tunnel vision on the plans that God has for us.” 

Cheers go on again. I take another gulp of water. People are praising God as well… which I’m grateful for. I don’t want them to praise me. I want them to praise God. 

“And finally, my brothers and sisters… the third step to exercising your authority consistently is to know and be able to identify the symptoms of misalignment.”

“Oh yes!” They shout. I haven’t even started. Lol!

“The importance of being in alignment is critical. Frustration will make you make mistakes that will blow it for you. Allow God to pour back into you. The more you grow, the more is at stake. I don’t think we understand that. The more blessings we get and the higher our positions of authority are, the more is at stake and therefore, the more you need to be able to identify the symptoms of misalignment because you have more to lose!”

Now they are clapping again.

“We idolize the next step so much that we miss the lessons and the tools that we need to get as well as the strength that we need for the season that we are in right now. We cannot make the mistakes at the next level that we made at the previous level”. 

Now there is cheering, people going down on their knees and praising God… I wrap up the sermon, asking them to read John 10:11, Romans 5:8  and Matthew 4: 1-11. We do so together then wrap up the sermon in prayer. 

Before the choir takes over with their concluding song for my sermon, I begin… nerves becoming me and all…

“My brothers and sisters in Christ, I need you to lend me a minute of your time for one announcement that’s very close to my heart. I’d have left this for general announcements, but this one is from my heart”, I am staring at my wife to be. She looks like she’s about to faint. She doesn’t want me to do this. But I’m doing it and I want the whole world to see it. 

“Go ahead, senior pastor!” I hear from the congregation… and Julia. Julia stares at me with that smile of hers that scares me. 

“As we all know, the good Lord blessed me with the love of my life about five years ago. Miss Wandisa Xolile Buthelezi has been by my side as so much more than just my girlfriend. She’s been my partner and the definition of love itself in my life as instructed to us by 1 Corinthians 13. I can only hope that I have been the equivalent of that to her.” 

The church applauds. Wandi keeps shaking her head at me. Julia’s face is now scary!

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have asked Miss Wandisa Xolile Buthelezi to be my wife. And she has said yes!” I proudly say. 

People cheer. 

Wandi looks a bit… 

“Please my love, come join me up on this pulpit as the first lady that you are in my life”, I say.

I see Morafe convincing her to go up. She’s so nervous. 

I start singing a song… I start singing Bebe Winans’ With All My Heart as my fiancé makes her way to me.

The pianist starts playing the piano to my solo tune. Then I see the choir stand up. By the time I get to the chorus, they sing with me: 

“I will always love you

With all of my heart

Cause I knew you love me

Right from the start

And you made a promise

To never part

That’s why I love you

With all of my heart.” 

Wandi is now next to me. 

The choir is now humming the tune of the song as the pianist continues the melody of the song.

I look at Wandi. 

She’s so nervous. 

I go down on one knee.

She’s crying. 

“I’m not a perfect man, Wandi. And I know the pressure that will come with being my wife. I’m still choosing you. I’m choosing you to serve this church with me. I’m choosing you to adhere to that pressure with me and for me. And this is not just because you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever known… it’s also because you are my peace. When all is said and done… and we’ve been soldiers of the Lord all day, I look forward to resting next to you each night and being the blessing to you that you have been to me. Only God could have brought me in your life… for a purpose we are living and for a purpose we are still to live. And I will honour the Lord by being the husband I intend to be. I love you Wandisa Xolile Buthelezi. With all that’s within me. Thank you for choosing me, my love.”

She is shaking! 

She is crying! 

I stand up and she pulls me towards her, hugging me. I instantly feel at home. 

I start singing the second verse of this song now… singing for her. 

“Now in every complication

I know just where to go

And in every situation

You care always so

You always there to guide me

And there to lend a hand

Your love has never failed me

And you understand

Ohh…” 

The choir joins me at the chorus once again. This time, I dance with my fiancé on this very stage.

Church is now over and I’m mingling with the congregation. My mother is pissed off that I made that announcement myself. Her words were, “you put on a whole Broadway play just to tell us you’ve been fornicating with the daughter of an ex-convict and now she’s expected to be respected as the next first lady of this church. Do you know how big my shoes are to fill?” 

I just walked away.

The whole world is congratulating me and calling me the most romantic man ever. I think I’d rather bask in that. 

I finally find my Wandi. She’s with her mother, father, brothers and Morafe. I didn’t realise that all the Buthelezis were here. 

Wandi hugs me first before I can even say hello to everyone. 

“You really had quite the sermon in there! And performance! I didn’t know you could sing like that!” The mom. 

“Thank you. I love your daughter, mah… and baba. I’ll do right by her. I promise.” I say. 

They nod at me. 

“My mom is inviting us for lunch at her place to celebrate with you guys. Can I confirm that we are coming?” Khanya says. 

Wandi looks at me and I say, “Sure.”