THE DAY OF THE LORD

HOW WILL THE RAPTURE BE FOR YOU

It was another bright Sunday morning, For Sarah, Sunday mornings were usually eagerly awaited. a smile light up her face as she remembered her song that has been rehearsed the previous day.

she had been assigned to do the lead singing - an opportunity many members of the choir craved, especially on thanksgiving Sundays.

the chiming of the grandfather's clock in their state-of-the-art living room broke her reveriee. It was alsmost late for the pre-service prayer meeting for workers. She had a hurried bath and a quick bite. the service would be longer than usual today but far more interesting too. She quickly inspected herself in the mirror and smiled in satisfaction.

leaving instructions for the housekeeper, she left the house. Thank God she didn't have to walk. Daddy was out of town so she could go to church in his car. the idea of driving straight to the VIP parking lot was ery appealing to her. Daddy, as a one of the Deacons, had a special reservation in the VIP parking lot. she got to church in time for he pre-service prayer. Everything seemed solem that day. Members soon started arriving with various materials for thankgiving. The sanctuary was fuller than ever, as typica of Thanksgiving Sundays

the choir was soon invited to the stage to minister and as always, the end of the song threw the congregation into moments of wild excitements, accompaied by thunderous applauds and screams from the worshippers.

Sarah smiled within herself she always did better than any other person in the choir. they descended the stage and tool their seats as the sermon began.

the pastor intrduced the sermon for the day - SACREFICE OF PRAISE. He talked endlessly or so it seemed to Sarah and her like - on the essence and importance f praising God and pleasing Him. He emphasised that beyond bringing money and other materials for Thanksgiving believers were supposed to live God-honouring lives everyday.

The sermon soon ended and it was time to pray. As the prayer seesion progressed, Sarah and other back-up singers released soft tunes of worship songs from their seats. She was so enthralled by the melodious harmony of their voices. Almost immediately, there was this chaotic murmur of voices in the congregation. Sarah opened her eyes nd found a few people still in the praying mood. but the majority were busy looking in different directions. She could see something in their eyes. Uncertianty, Confusion or was it panic? And where was the pastor in all of this commotion?

Swiftly, she turned to the pulpit area. He was not there! where on earth could he have gone leaving his congregation in such disarray? A brief scan through the choir seat revealed that sme of them were also mising. Even Matilda wasn't there but her crutched were in sight. Where could she have gone without her crutched?

by this time the whole congregation had been thrown into utter confusion. Some of them were seen in small groups, conversing in frantic whispers. Many dd not understand what was going on, Sarah ran wildly toward the back of the sanctuary . she had to find mama. Seeing the swivel chair her mother sat on made her heart skip a bit. It couldn't be! Mama was not in her chair, only the bag she had come to church with was  there.

Next  she made for the church nursery and found all the cradles empty. she saw an old lady, obviously one of the nannies, crying uncontrollably. She tried to find out from her where other nannies had gone and why the cradles were empty. But the nanny couldn't utter a word -  only heartbreaking ssobs. She dashed back towards the main auditorium. She bumped into Sam, one of her friends whom her mother had consistently warned her against moving around with. He breathlessly confirmed that people were missing and there seemed to be no trace of them.

She decided then to go home. As she made for the gae, she saw Freda. Freda wasn't a member of their church. In fact, mama had tried severally to invite her for service, but she never agreed.

what was she doing at the church gate crying so disconsolately? Sarah tried to calm her down and ask her friend what the matter was. And the only thing she could muster were 'That thing your mother always talked to me about has happened.' Sarah was dazed. hat was she talking about? No, it couldn't be!

As quickly as her legs could carry her, she ran, almost blindly to the house forgetting the car she came to church in. "maybe mama is there, maybe Daddy has returned from his trip, maybe Pat and Jane where there too, maybe, just maybe." The deafening silence that greeted her as she walked into the living room which was busy only few hours ago paralysed her. She picked up her handset. She could put a call through to mama. After a few trials, she remembered seeing mama's bad in her Swivel chair behind the church. Calling Daddy was her surest bet. Since he was out of town, there probably weren't such disappearances where he was. Ah! Daddy's number won't even connect! As if drawn by some magnetic force, she made her way to where the radio set was she could probably get some information from the news. she turned on the radio tuned. Just as she was about giving up, she had a male voice announcing the sudden disappearance of people in every part of the nation and maybe the world. he noted that most of them were Christians.

How will the day of the rapture be for you? will you be missing or be looking for saints who are already gone????

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STAY BLESS