How did your love story begin?
I was ministering at a concert in Jos, Plateau State, and my wife was a participant. She was blessed by the ministration and after the event, she dropped a message on my Facebook fan page to express how much she was blessed. I didn’t get to see the message until one year later in 2014. This was because at the time, I handled the page myself and there were lots of messages in my inbox.
When I saw the message and her picture, I was wowed. I wasn’t in a relationship at the time, so I contacted her by saying, “Thank you so much for being a blessing to me, if you don’t mind, you can give me your number, I will like to call you.”
First, she responded that she didn’t believe it was the real Solomon Lange that was speaking with her because she knew him as being too busy. I was persistent in my request and it took months before she agreed. She didn’t give me her number until one Christmas morning when she asked me to drop my number so that she could call me. That was the best Christmas gift I got that year.
It took months before she agreed to go out on a date with me and after we met, it took one year for me to appeal to her to spend the rest of her life with me and then she did (laughs).
What were your first impressions of your spouse when you met?
I already knew she was beautiful from the pictures I saw on social media but when I saw her, those pictures didn’t do justice to her at all. I was also intrigued by her intelligence and behaviour.
One of the few things I noticed that endeared her to me was how she handled herself when I took her out for breakfast. During our conversation, I noticed that her phone was ringing but out of honour for me, she ignored every call. The only time she picked up was when her mum called and she informed her mum that she was a bit busy at the time and would return the call later. She gave me her total attention and that for me was awesome!
Also, I am a spiritual person and attracted to peace, so the atmosphere of peace around her was real and tangible and I couldn’t afford to miss that in my life.
What event made your wedding day memorable?
We were preparing so much more for the marriage than the wedding itself. The day of the traditional wedding was the day I felt married and excited about it. Something happened to me on that day that made me realise my life had changed. Getting married to her was a memorable event!
I wasn’t allowed to kiss her before the white wedding. So, when the pastor declared, “I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride,” I was like, okay, she is now finally mine and I can practise everything I wanted to practise with her now and from this moment (laughs). It was an awesome wedding with a lot of people in attendance but the memorable thing for me was when we were declared husband and wife.
How has the marital journey been?
It has been awesome. I’m glad I married my friend. It is eight years but it doesn’t look like it. It felt like we just met and got married yesterday. We have had challenges, arguments, things we’ve overcome and nights when she doesn’t want to talk to me but in all of that, we’ve remained friends and a team that cannot be broken.
How have you been able to balance your marriage and career?
When it is family time, it is family time. Whenever I am around, we go to drop the kids and pick them up together. That way, we get to spend more time together and later with the children. We create time for work, career, ministry and family.
What is the greatest motivation in your career?
It is purposeful living; knowing that I am living in God’s will and purpose for my life.
What has been the best part of your marriage so far?
We have had memorable moments travelling around the world and doing God’s work together. But the most memorable one was at the birth of our children. Raising them together has also been rewarding.
What’s your advice to young people planning to marry?
First, have a vision and purpose for your life. Marriage is not just for romance or feeling good. It was created for two people to come together to fulfil God’s purpose and vision for their lives. You are supposed to marry for your vision and not where you are coming from. Two, know who you are and what you want to do so that when you meet someone else, they will be those who align and fit into who you are, what you can take and where you are going.
