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.

AT YOUR WORD

I have never tried fishing in my life. Actually I had never seen Omena until I was 17.. If the price of fish is something to go by, I bet fishing is difficult.By the way, I see some advert of fishermen  singing to fish so that they can catch the big fish.Wait, how did I start a post about fish?

Well it started when I thought about the disciples fishing. They cast their nets all night long without catching anything.  Then Jesus tells them to put out their nets into deep water and to let their nets for a catch.. 

 

Seriously, given that they had been fishing all night they could as well have given up and claimed it was not their night. However, at the command of their Master, these guys gather their nets again and cast them one more time, this time, deeper..Deeper than before.  And as Scripture records in Luke 5:6-7; they caught so much fish that their nets almost broke. So much so that  they had to ask for fishermen from another boat to help them. How now?

The very same sea that they had caught nothing the whole night is the very same sea that they caught such a huge number. So what changed?  Well the difference was Jesus.. A whole night without Jesus was futile but a few minutes with Him was so productive.. Friend I felt like reminding you of  the difference Jesus makes. You might have tried something for years on end but you can try it one more time, with Jesus in the picture. 

Today I challenge you to cast your net a little deeper.. You have toiled the whole night, I know. You have waited for your blessing for so long, yet Like Peter and his Cohort you can cast your net, one more time. You can trust the Master.. That though your weeping has lasted the whole night, your joy is on its way.Though futility and barenness have been your names, productivity will soon be your name.

THE REMNANT

The last one week has been a scandalous one punctuated with desperation from all corners. So much so that His Excellency could ask  "Sasa mnataka nifanye nini". 

 I will tell you that by the time a  commander in chief, a "His Excellency" asks the less than excellency what to do, things are hot and serious. By the time a primary school student answers that Kenya's gift to the world is corruption, then you concur that all is not well.

As the scandals  raged on and on,  I have been wondering whether there are people in Kenya that are not corrupt. I have heard phrases like 'Everyone is corrupt only that most are lacking the opportunity to be corrupt'. Is that true for you? I can tell from the stories I have been reading on the media that people generally have given up and do not see the need to hold onto integrity. For what? Some have even started asking, while others wait their turn to loot.

I am reminded of the story for Elijah, tempted to give up on his battle against the foreign gods. He felt so lonely in his quest to continue worshipping the One True God. Then in 1 Kings 19:18 God reminds him:

Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him."

I know the situation in Kenya feels hopeless. However, I remind you today that it will be more hopeful if you and I can purpose to be the remnants. We can decide that we shall not bow to the dragon. The dragon of corruption. 

Fellow christian, If God started counting His faithful remnants like in Elijah's time, would we be found among the 7,000. Truth is God is counting on us. Can we be counted on? Will we be that remnant?

HOPE SIDE

The month of October is slowly crawling to its end. It has been a good month. A cancer awareness month. .

I have had the opportunity to listen and read quite a number of accounts of survivors. One theme that I found in all of the accounts is the positivity. All of the survivors are so optimistic about life I was impressed.

On closer observation I noted that most people who have been through very rough patches in life are the most grateful. They all look at life through the glasses of hope and the frames of optimism. Those that have lost much are most often most grateful for what is left.

Friend, must life teach us to be grateful by breaking us?  Life is beautiful. Appreciate it. Let it not take a tough rough experience to appreciate the beauty and gift of life..

See you on the hope side of life.
Best Wishes.
Mwarray

MY GOLDEN CALF

What is the place of God in my life? What will be His position when I grow older, wiser and richer? When I finally "have it all"? These are questions that have lingered my mind for months on end. I pose the very same questions to you.

I ask these because sometimes when we read about Aaron and the Israelites making a golden calf and worshipping it, we shake our heads shrug our shoulders; wishing we could cast a stone right at Aaron's forehead and ask "Who does that?' "How could you?".

If for  a moment we took a keen, honest look into ourselves we'd realize that we are not worthy to cast a stone. We'd be surprised  that like the Israelites we bow to foreign gods.. We have carved and worshiped some calf.Maybe not made of golden earrings as theirs; but they are "golden calves" all the same.

It is tragic that we have tried to replace God with earthly things that cannot take His place. We have turned to our careers, families, monies, friends, media,drugs to try to fill the place of God to no avail. We have become so engrossed in our seemingly busy schedules that we have neglected the Maker of the very time.

Friend, what is that golden calf in your life? That kalittle god that has replaced your affection and attention for God. That kathing that has become so significant to you that it has choked God out of your life..You know it full well. I know mine too that is competing with His position.

My charge for us today is to crush that calf and cast its ashes in the sea. That we would make the conscious decision to let God be in His rightful place.To never be deceived by the achievements of this life. Never to be blinded by the fleeting pleasures of this life.Am I suggesting that everything we do is a calf? No it isn't. However, if it totally squeezes God out of your life, then it is certainly a calf. A big fattened calf. 
Truth is the calves that we bow to will one day pass away.I ask that we'd give God His place in our lives i.e. at its EPICENTER.

WORRY LESS;PRAY MORE

I love Sundays because they are an opportunity to rest,rejuvenate and refresh. And of course to reconnect with God and people.It is a day to renew after a long week, in readiness for another week.
 

So on this particular Sunday, a few weeks back, I go to church as usual. Then these tiny toddlers;children I mean, are asked to minister.They step on the pulpit and with all the vim and vigour, begin to sing at the top of their voices: 

"Why worry when you can pray". 

They dance on and on and on. You know how children sing as if demanding an answer? That is exactly how they sang and danced. Like they were actually waiting for the congregation to explain,with illustrations, their reasons for worrying.

You see, there are those verses that I have read so many times but never really heeded to Matthew 6:25-34 is one such:  
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

For some reason, when there is cause to worry I could worry quite a lot, about literally anything.Of course I had heard men of God thunder Phillipians 4:6 a thousand and one times but I think this once, God decided to use a younger and softer mouthpiece to remind me

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

After the little children had ministered I was ready to go home. I think the sermon was already half-preached for me. On this Sunday,the children had touched the right nerve. They had given me a better alternative.A way to redirect my energy.

Today, I encourage you too to re-channel your energy.Rather than being a professional worrier like I was, be a prayer warrior. Those many worries that are wearing you down, take them to the Lord instead.He is the only one who can give you peace for today and hope for tomorrow.