DON'T WAIT YOUR LIFE AWAY

The trending idiom in Kenya, and probably across the world is “When Corona Ends...” We are really looking forward to the end of COVID-19 pandemic and to the return of the normal life as we know it. 

Recently, in my random thinking, I remembered the story of a young boy who was gifted a magic wand by his grandma. This wand allowed him to skip the unpleasant things that he did not want in life. For instance, if he was in class and the teacher was boring he would pull the wand and the class would end. If he was in high school and didn’t like the food served or probably the preps, he could pull the wand and he would be done with high school. The boy pulled and pulled the wand and soon enough, his life was over.

As I sit here, equally waiting for the corona to pass, I just caught myself thinking, is it possible that I am waiting my life away? Could it be that I am longing for life to go back to normal yet life is what is currently happening? Am I so used to running the rat race that a little stop feels like the end of the world? Am I unconsciously hoping I had the boy’s wand?

The preacher says there is a time for everything. One of my cousins rightfully reminded me that this is the time for corona. The corona will pass, soon enough. As we look forward to its passing, we cannot afford to sit back, murmur and grumble about this and that. I believe that this is the time to listen to what this break has to tell us. 

A friend shared this with me:

This is a unique chance we have to determine how we will run after the pandemic. This is the time to fix the things in our lives that need fixing. Be it our families, our relationships, our houses, our spiritual lives. This is the time to refocus and strategize on what is truly worth chasing and what to drop when the storm is ever. Truth is, we cannot afford to wait our lives away waiting for the storm to pass. It is time to learn to dance in the rain while picking the lessons that the season has offer.

It is my sincere hope that we will not regret having wasted a season while waiting for another. Keep safe. Wash your hands and sanitize, but don’t wait your life away. Right this moment, life is happening.

THE VERY SAME GOD

How many battles have you ever fought? Or to ask it better, how many battles has the Lord fought for you? Can you even recall? Can you even count them? Or like David in Psalms 40:5, can you confidently say:

Many, Lord my God,are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us.None can compare with you;were I to speak and tell of your deeds,they would be too many to declare

As the COVID-19 rages on, I would encourage you to take a moment and remember the many times that you felt were the end of you, but God came through for you. Think of the many times that you were ill, when you lacked, when you needed wisdom to handle a situation. The times you were between a rock and a hard place and you felt like you had come to the end of the road. Fast forward, you are here today, alive and well.

With the daily updates, it is easy to get into a state of hopelessness and despair. It is normal to feel like it is all gloomy and like the sun might never shine again. Amidst all that is happening, remember that the Lord who fought for you before and who preserved the nation before is the very same God that we serve. He has not changed and He promised He will never change. His hand is no less powerful now than it was then. The very same God who fought for the Israelites is the very same one who is handling the corona situation right now.

Many storms have come and have passed. Corona has come and it too shall pass. I hear a victory song from a distance. We will emerge with victory songs that, if the Lord had not been by our side, the enemy would have destroyed us. Because God will preserve us, we shall tell the generations to come of His faithfulness. We shall tell them that we stayed home, washed our hands and sanitized. Most of all we shall tell them we put our trust in Him and He came through for us; because indeed He will come through for us.
Oh I cannot wait to sit at the fireplace with my children as I narrate to them of what the Lord did in 2020. 

JUST START

This last weekend was a great one not only because it was my birthday weekend but also because I got the time to spend time with loved ones and we spoke on and on. I am always thrilled by deep conversations and one particular conversation that got me thinking deep was around the saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

In one of the conversations, my friend asked me "Mwari do you know that if you start walking from Maua in the morning to Meru, you will arrive by evening?" The distance from Maua to Meru is 50km. My initial reaction was "Really?! that is too far". However, when I gave a second thought, I realised it is true. Before you begin, you will think it is impossible. When you begin, you will realise that it is possible. It is a long distance, yes, no debate. But if one begins with the determination to get there, they will get there eventually. It will take time, but, one will get there. The person who sits up and folds his hands will never get there.

As we spoke on and on, we remembered many instances that we initially thought were impossible but that we had accomplished eventually.We came up with numerous examples. I realised that the first step to any achievement is  make up your mind and start. Just start. With what you have, start. Probably you would like to own a business someday, but you do not have enough capital now. How about you begin with what you have. Probably you would like you to further your studies but you are worried about the workload. Just begin. When you begin with a made up mind, you will manage that workload,somehow.

It is okay to count your costs and calculate the risks. However, sometimes we count our fears so much, that we forget to add faith to it. You do need to wait until you have it all figured out because that day might never come.For today, just begin.

JUST BOWING?!

This last weekend I got a chance to go on a nature trail. The reward at the end of the trail was a panoramic view of the town. A sight to behold. Beautiful beyond beauty.

As I stood there breath-taken,I remembered the temptations of Jesus in Mathew 4:8-9

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

From the view at the mountain top, I could not even try to estimate the worth of the property I was seeing. The view from the mountain where Jesus was being shown must have been much more. And one would think,to get all these, Satan is not asking me for much,it's just to bow down and worship,it will only take a minute right? Then I can have all this wealth glory and fame.is that too much to ask for?

But Jesus' response in Verse 10 was 

“Away from me, Satan!For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."

Friends we cannot afford to be ignorant of the evil one's deceptiveness.We  can easily fall when tempted with the things we have given our hearts to. For Jesus,His heart was well aligned and He knew to worship the Lord only.Not the wealth.

My encouragement is let nothing separate you from the love of God.Not even wealth.Not fame.Not any fleeting pleasures of this life.Even when God blesses you with them,do not bow to any of them.Keep on bowing only to God the giver.

LIFE IS NOW

Whenever someone says life begins at fourty I feel like shouting 'so am I an ovum?'

This last week I have been reading a book titled Life is for living not waiting around.The title alone spoke volumes.
I realised that every so often we are waiting for something else to happen so that we can ideally start living.We wait to lose weight, get a good job, get married, get children, children grow up, to reach forty, to marry them our children to build big houses and what is left? No wonder the common expression I can't wait..

Friends life is happening today right now right where you are.It doesn't start when you have it all together.Even when its all falling apart it's part of the grander puzzle.Its falling into place.Dance in the rain right now if you must but most of all start living in the now.Plan for the future yes, but live in the today.

MY SMALL ALL

Have you ever been in a situation where all you got is a mere fraction for another person?Well, I was there a few weeks ago. I was in a round table with millionaires and the way they spoke about money you would think they just fetch it like water. I sat there thinking I am not even a thousandaire..With that came the feeling of poverty.

As I sat and listened on to the conversation, I wondered how many times we feel lost when we sit with people that have got multiples of our all? The truth is everything starts small. As I engaged one of the millionairess later on, he told me the story of how he was not always a millionaire. He started from the little but that little is what grew into the millions he has today.

I remembered of the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarepath. Her all was just the little flour that was left and that was to be her last meal.She offered that all to Elijah, and was ready for whatever would happen next. Yet, that little is what God blessed. Her jar of flour never ran out.

The story of the feeding of the five thousand was another that shows how our small all can be a great blessing to us and to others. The small boy only had two fish and five loaves of bread. He gave them to Jesus and small as they were, Jesus multiplied them and it was enough for that big crowd

Enough times, our all will seem small especially when we compare to what other people have. Yet that is what God will bless. Don't despise that little that you have at the moment. That is exactly what God intends to bless. It could be your ministry, your job, your talent, your belongings. Whatever it is that you have, remember that it may be small, it may be your all, but from it great things shall grow.

JESUS RELATES

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like no one understands you? When you share your deepest fears with friends and they say "I knooow" but the response in your head is  "friend, no you don't! You have no idea the mud I am stuck in".

Some are the situations we feel like we are alone in the wilderness of life. Like we are lost and lonely pilgrims, trudging on the long route of never ending trials and tribulations of life.Times when it feels like the only person who understands you is you alone.

Today I was randomly reminded of a verse I picked as a gift card at the beginning of the year from Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

 As I pondered over this verse, I was very encouraged to realize that Jesus relates and sympathizes with every situation that I go through. He has been through literally everything that is possible: 

• Rejection? He was rejected too, by the very people whose diseases He healed, whom He fed and whose captives He set free. 

• Betrayal? He was betrayed by one of His 12 closest men for just 30 pieces. The very man who promised He would never leave Him denied Him not once but three times right before His eyes

• Temptation? He was tempted by the devil in the desert 

• Overwhelmed? He was so overwhelmed that He requested His Father to take the cup of suffering from Him

• Pain? Jesus knows what physical pain is. Imagine the pain of the thorns, the piercing, bearing the cross 

It dawned on me that we never really walk alone. Jesus relates with every situation that we go through. We are not doing life on our own. Jesus is with us and He sympathizes. He cares for us.
That which we go through is not strange to Him. I like how Hebrews 2:16 (NLT) says

We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham

When no one seems to understand, we can approach boldly the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace in your situation.

Blessings,

Mwarray