The issue was between two female leaders of a Christian ministry. And it started when the older lady had her birthday celebration, which was well attended by famous faces in the entertainment industry.
Apparently, the younger lady saw all that transpired at the event as a ‘worldly’ setting and criticised the celebrant (through her sermon) heavily. She was probably angered by the reactions of the celebrant’s fans on social media because the younger ‘prophetess’ fired back by revealing that her fellow ‘woman of God’ has been married three times.
People who knew both ladies claimed the duo were mentor and mentee, who fell out with each other, for some undisclosed reasons.
What came to mind as I reflected on this matter is the fact that the disclosure about the older lady’s marriage history did not come from a ‘call-out’ from any of her former partners or a known enemy somewhere, but from someone with whom she once wined and dined.
When a popular social media ‘relationship expert’ found love in the arms of a man who relocated her and her children (from a previous marriage) overseas, part of what greeted that reality were the details of her intimate involvement with certain men in the past.
Such is the nature of the people of your yesterday!
What tarnishes your image hardly comes from strangers but from someone who was once close. Their penchant for throwing up a past that you no longer live in is a pointer to the fact that they can’t handle not being a part of your reality.
When you pray for success, don’t forget to ask for the wisdom to handle the people of your yesterday. Because nothing makes them feel so left behind like your happiness.
In fact, your happiness is a big sin against them! I have seen this play out in failed marriages, friendships, career spaces and business partnerships.
Lately, I am seeing the ugly play in our entertainment industry, where some people are quick to allege ‘juju’ against colleagues whose only offence was catching up to them and finally dominating a setting they have operated in for donkey years and still didn’t make reasonable strides, besides the title of ‘artist’ on Instagram.
Tales from the people of your yesterday can be a nightmare because nobody weaves a believable but untrue story like a bitter mind who once crossed your path. And God help you if their audience is small-minded!
I observed a marital space where a wife was accused of ‘poisoning’ the husband. The story spread like wildfire because the man was actually grappling with health challenges.
But when the woman told her own side of the story, it turned out that the man who claimed she poisoned him was a husband she had long divorced due to his lazy and fetish way of life.
She also spoke about his long battles with a particular organ disease and how he would rather seek fetish means for a cure than go for comprehensive medical attention.
According to her, he was “an educated man who never behaved like one.” Their home became a hub of all manner of native doctors. And it was not the kind of life she wanted to expose their children to.
She wondered why her husband didn’t know how to work hard for the money he liked to spend (which came from her business, by the way) with the same fervour he patronised native doctors.
She said that at a point, sharing the same space with him felt like operating in darkness to her. So, she separated from him. And divorced a few years later.
She talked about certain nights she woke up to use the bathroom, only to see a grown man prancing about naked and making incantations.
During the day, he would be sleeping, instead of looking for how he could bring bread to the table of his family. But when she left the marriage, he began to cook up malicious tales about her, including infidelity.
These days, it does not take me long to figure out where stories about someone are coming from.
The easiest way to tell when stories about someone are tales from the people of their yesterday is when the past is being made to overshadow their present reality.
There is something about the people of your yesterday that makes them feel compelled to drag you back to where you left them.
Always ask the Almighty to give you the strength of character to show grace to them. Your only offence against them is finding the courage to move on with your life, and doing better than they wished for you.
It’s demeaning to join issues with them. Let them roll in that mud alone.