Saved by the Bell

By Temitope Babaoye

In the tender pages of this book, come with Temitope as she fearlessly unveils her path from heartache to wholeness. In a world often overshadowed by pain and past trauma, she opens up her heart to share the raw, unfiltered story of her journey towards healing and self-discovery.

With bold honesty and unwavering faith, Temitope recounts her struggles in love. But she also shows how she discovered a path to healing, guided by the love of God. Through her own trials, Temitope offers a guiding light for women everywhere who long to break free from the chains of their past, to rediscover their worth, and to embrace Christ’s love that knows no bounds.

Through her own experiences, she offers hope to others who may be in tough relationships and shares practical advice on knowing your worth and finding healing after heartache. This isn’t just a story—it’s a message of hope for anyone who’s ever felt lost or unloved. So, if you’re looking for inspiration and guidance, let Temitope’s story light your way from hurt to healing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Commune Writers Int'l
• Release date: May 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224928064

Book preview

Copyright

SAVED BY THE BELL

WRITTEN BY

TEMITOPE BABAOYE

[e-mail]

COPYRIGHT © 2024

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author or publisher.

Published by:

COMMUNE WRITERS INT’L

www.communewriters.com

[e-mail]

[phone]

6, Amusa Street, Agodo-Egbe, Lagos

Published in the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Introduction

SAVED BY THE BELL

(In boxing and other sports) be saved from being counted out by the ringing of the bell at the end of a round.

This expression alludes to the bell rung at the end of a boxing round, which lets a boxer get up and continue fighting in the next round if it rings before his knocked-down opponent has been counted out. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

Escape from a difficult situation narrowly or by an unexpected intervention.

Something that you say when a difficult situation ends suddenly before you have to do or say something that you do not want to – Cambridge Dictionary.

"(of any person) spared from anticipated trouble by some extraneous event" – Collins Dictionary.

When I close my eyes, my childhood memory begins with me wiping tears from my stepmother’s eyes while we both cried. My dad had just beaten her to a pulp and stormed out of the house to go to another bar or club, depending on whatever tickled his fancy that evening. These beatings had become quite a norm in the household; my dad would slam the doors and storm in or out angrily in the wee hours of the morning, drunk and making one impossible request or the other.

On that particular day, I do not recall what led to the beating. All I remember was that I was wrapped in her arms on their bed while she lovingly stroked my forehead and I wiped her tears, begging her to stop crying. I can still see the cream-coloured walls of the room and the flowery multi-coloured sheets we lay on, and I remember just how soft and supple her yellow skin was.

As young as I was, I often wondered how my stepmum had ended up with a man like my father. She was too good for him, I always thought.

Even then, I swore never to end up with a man like my father but there I was at about 2 am on this fateful day in August, huddled up against the wall, head on my knees, arms folded across each other, heart racing and pounding like it would burst and teardrops slowly hitting my elbow, wondering how I had gotten myself in this mess.

The man I was about to marry in three months had just tried to run me over with a car.

If this wasn’t an irony at its peak, I wonder what else could be. . .

Lesson 1

LOVE YOURSELF

Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration – what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. - Psalms 139: 13-14 MSG

In today’s world, self-love is probably one of the most used and misused words of all time. We have equated self-love to mean the fancy things we do for ourselves, taking a break when tired, going to the gym, giving yourself a treat after accomplishing a task, or just enjoying a night out with friends and family. Now, while all these are actions to express self-love, they are not in themselves the true meaning of self-love.

Self-love is truly much bigger than that. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines self-love as:

An appreciation of one's own worth or virtue.

It also goes on to add this special quote;

Self-love begins when we observe our actions and words with compassion as if we were our own best friend – Sara M Bosworth.

Over time, I have come to realise that self-love is more of a mental concept than physical. Self-love is a state of appreciating oneself, which grows from actions that support one’s physical, psychological, and spiritual growth. For many of us who have found ourselves in unhappy relationships, friendships, jobs, or situations that end up