HE KISSED THAT STINKING SON

A story is told of a father who had two sons. One of the sons asked for his share of inheritance and left home.He went to a far away place where he squandered his inheritance and soon enough it was finished. Things got thicker. This son decided to look for something to do to at least silence his rumbling stomach.Fortunately, he got a job to feed pigs. A smelly job but it was better than nothing.Thicker Thickened and he got so hungry that he started not only feeding the pigs but also feeding with the pigs.

One thing I am always confident about is that I will always be my parents daughter no matter what happens. Even when I have wronged, I am still a child to mommy and daddy. This our son seems to have held a similar opinion. So on this particular day he came to his senses and decided to go back home to his father and ask for forgiveness.One more request was that the father would at least take him as one of the servants.

The son went back home.His father saw him from a far off and ran to him.He embraced him, hugged him and kissed him. He then ordered that the son be cleaned up and a fattened calf be slaughtered in celebration.

One thing that I had never noticed in the story is the order of events. The father kissed the son while he was still stinking. He did ask that the son be cleaned up first.

It is that period of Easter again when we remember the the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He stretched His arms wide on Calvary as an invitation to the world. He didn't ask that we go and clean up first. To date He says Come as you are.

You may have done stuff in the first that makes you feel like you have too much baggage for the Lord to accept. The good news is that you are not too far that the grace of God cannot reach you. You are not beyond grace. You are not beyond forgiveness. Don't let this Easter pass you by. This is the right time to make it right with God.Today is the day.

DON'T WORRY, BE PRAYERFUL

We walked into church and this courteous usher handed us the service leaflets. He showed us where to sit but this particular Sunday we had purposed  to sit on the upper deck.So up we went. Normally I look at the leaflet during announcements but this time I looked at it sooner; reason being I did not know the hymn.

The theme inscribed on the leaflet was Cure for Worry and being a patient of the disease in question, I could not wait for the sermon. You would expect that deep worship songs are what were running through my mind but funnily, the song in mind was one I loved years back. Don't worry be happy. Especially the part that says ..The landlord says your rent is late he may have to litigate ... Don't worry be happy. I knew you would check the date.Haha

Anyway, soon enough the pastor took to the pulpit and he began by reading a common verse.You know those verses that you easily complete for the pastor.

Phillipians 4:6-7

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 Like you would guess we were hearing the verse for the umpteenth time. However for some reason it sounded so different this time.It sounded so fresh. It did not say that I should be happy.It said that instead of worrying pray.It said that I should not be worried about ANYTHING. 

For any professional worriers like me out there, you would agree that nothing is ever too small to worry about. So this time I felt like a burden was being lifted off me. I was getting a new alternative. That instead of wasting my energy in worry, I could invest it in prayer. Worry begets worry. But Prayer begets peace. Incomprehensible peace.

Next time I am worried about anything no matter how petty, I will present my request to God in prayer and petition with thanksgiving. Before I call a best friend, I will call on the father. I will cast my cares and burdens unto Him before I cast it on men. I know He cares about me. So I will not be worried about today, nor about tomorrow. I will not be worried about what to wear what to eat, what job where, how, when..No I will not. If He can take care of the sparrows, If He cannot left them fall, how much more does He care for you and me.

Don't worry,be happy, Pray

QUIT THE MATATU SYNDROME

I use matatus every morning and evening. As you would rightfully guess I was going to write about them sooner or later. In my observation, you will hardly find a matatu with wheels aligned straight on the road, especially in heavy traffic. The wheels always face the next lane.  They change lanes at an annoying frequency.I don't mean to complain; after all, I appreciate that they are a faster means compared to private means due to their ability to dodge traffic. However, the level of competition,impatience and occasional rudeness is something to write home about.

Sometimes our lives are so much like the matatus on our roads. We want to get to our destinations fast enough yet we are not willing to make the sacrifice of leaving earlier; neither do we have the patience to bear with the consequences of our lateness. At times we are the least bit concerned about other people on the way, as long as we get our way.So we treat our fellow pilgrims with disregard and disdain.

Grass is greener on the other side; they say.So we struggle to change lanes; once we get to the other lane, we want to go back to the one we came from.We want to be on both at the same time. Just in case this one moves faster. We want to step on the greener grass but not take the time to manure and water our own.

Our christian lives are also like that, sometimes. We are double minded. We want to be in the world but we also want to be in salvation. We want to trust God for answers but we have a lane B just in case His answer delays.While we wait on God we say He helps those who help themselves. So we try to help God to help us.After all we 'should prepare for a rainy day'.

Friend, it is time to quit that matatu syndrome. That competition and lane hopping. You need not compete with that other friend and that cousin of the brother of your neighbors friend. It is not worth it. In God's own time, purpose and will, your desires shall come to pass.  In the meantime delight yourself in the Lord,stick to your lane and be diligent. The Lord shall bless the work of your hands.

Quit the double mindedness and choose for yourself today whom to follow. Choose a temperature, either hot or cold.If and when you have chosen to trust God, trust and obey Him fully. FULLY.

Have a blessed week. Let me get onto the next matatu.

WHATEVER..AS UNTO THE LORD

Its a new year.I know it has started ageing slowly.. But is it too late to say Happy New Year? It isn't. Right? So before the year gets any older, here goes my best wishes to you for this year.May the year treat you kind. 

A New Year means different things to different people. For most it signifies new beginnings  and new realities. New levels, new horizons, new challenges. New expectations. For some it means new responsibilities.What is common for all is that it signifies a new hope for better days. A greening of pastures.

As the opportunities begin to knock and the doors begin to swing open on your path this year, I would like to encourage you with Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

You see friend, you will not always be where you want to be, doing what you want to do, with the people you want to do it with, yet there remains a call to diligence. No wonder the word used is 'Whatever' as in  Lolote mfanyalo.. Do it well. 

Anytime we are excellent we are unto the Lord. Whenever we are mediocre, we are unto the Lord.

One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Martin Luther who said:

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."

As the year kicks off, may it kick away any mediocrity in us and may we be found doing that faithfully as unto the Lord. I know there will be many things that will pass through our hands this year; a lot we will be entrusted to do.

Whatever we will do this year, let us work at it with all our hearts, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.Let us do everything with a heavenly touch as worship unto the Lord. 

ABOUT 2017

I ain't a Prophetess and I may never be one in my lifetime. However, I know something about the year that just started. Of course I would love to tell you it will be the best year of your life when no ill will betide. When all days will be sunshine and rainbows. 

For a fact, there will be good days and bad days. There will be mountains and valleys. There will be battles you will need to fight. 

Yet whatever your lot be this year be encouraged that you can and will handle it. That the battles that befall you will be sized to your ability and you will overcome them in Jesus name.You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.

 So here goes my wishes that you  have a blessed and prosperous year ahead.

You are loved and Blessed of the Lord. 

So cheer up child. 

Go forth and do exploits because God's favor will be upon you. 

All that comes your way will work together for your good.

ABOUT CHRISTMAS

I grew up knowing that Christmas is a time to get new 'ngoroba' dresses, to visit the neighbors who visited us last year and play hide and seek. Christmas was the time when there would be a variety of food to choose from. For quite some years this was it for me. of course we looked forward to Christmas for the obvious reason of new clothes.

Years later I learnt what  Christmas truly meant. That Christmas was the celebration of  the birth of Jesus Christ; the saviour who would die a shameful death on the wooden cross to save us from our sins. Now this felt even better. The story of the birth in the manger was extremely intriguing for my little mind.. Now that I fully understand I am grateful for the reminder at Christmas.

As we celebrate the birth of the saviour this year I pray this will be a different Christmas. More than the food and drink, family get together and ngoroba dress like me, I pray that we will recognize  the immense love that God had for us to send us His ONLY begotten son.

So here goes my Merry Christmas. Remember  God loves you that much. Care to love Him back?

EIGHT YEAR OLD ME

I am seated near this large window staring outside, remembering with nostalgia, the eight year old I used to be. Very bold and confident. So courageous I could recite a poem on AIDS at a wedding. I would say my three names to whom it did not concern. My voice was so loud. A microphone? What for? You can say I was kiherehere or is it kimbelembele but I would call it Super confidence. Those who met me as a child would bear good witness.

Then I grew up and became more aware of my surroundings. I learnt to tone down a bit; to speak softly. To never recite poems in public. The more I grew the more I shrank. I was taught there is a way of doing things. There is the generally acceptable standard to conform to. 

In her book Without Rival, Lisa Bevere says:

  "It is hard to escape the messages and messengers that tell us we are not good enough, young enough, smart enough,fast enough, and rich enough.We are bombarded in the hopethat we will shrink to their expectations. It is only human nature that we would want to deflect this incessant bullying that implies we are never enough."

True to her word, I did not escape.  I succumbed to the very trap.I was fed with the same message that the world feeds us all with " You are not enough" I unlearned the confidence I once had.The eight year old me would be surprised if she read this post.

So last week I came across this book by Joyce Meyer called The Confident Woman and I decided to read it through. Then as if for demonstration purpose, I met this woman who oozed with such confidence I was impressed. I saw in her the girl I once was; the woman I am now struggling to become.

Friend, does this resonate with you? Have you found yourself wondering if you are enough? Have you listened to stories that you should have shut your ears to? Have you taken heed of the deception? To insecurities?.

Join me as I journey towards taking heed of the truth. Listening to the right voice; The voice of the one who made us. Forget the lies you have heard.You are enough. Your true identity is only found in God who knit you together in your mother's womb.