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

THE FAITHFUL RAVEN

I have read the passage in 1 Kings 17:1-6 time and again but without  much curiosity.From verse 4-6 reads:

You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

One day I decided to look up what ravens are and what their diet is.One of the articles said  "They are scavengers with a huge diet that includes fish, meat, seeds, fruit, carrion, and garbage"

Now I got fascinated.The ravens eat meat, but faithfully, they took the meat to Elijah every morning and evening.You see, they had the option of eating the meat instead.However, for the sake of His servant , Elijah, God commanded the ravens to take meat to him, and  caused them to be faithful enough to deliver the meat.

I found this very interesting.That your blessings will never be eaten up by your rival.God will cause them to deliver the blessing to you.He may use whichever available means but the end result is, it will get to you; whether through enemy,frenemy or foe.

Therefore,do not be worried that your blessings could be stolen.It could be a job that you are trusting God for but you are scared people may bribe their way to it.
If Elijah's food was never eaten by the ravens,so will your blessing not be hijacked by the enemy or by those whose pockets seem deep.

Be encouraged in the Lord.Your blessings are in safe hands.In their appointed time, God will deliver them to you.

THE VOICE IN MY HEAD

Given 60 seconds,how many times can you jump on one foot?Just tell me a number.

Asked this question two weeks ago,I said 36 times.Not that I had tried the exercise before but in my imagination,36 was as precise as I could get.One of us said 120 I gave them this 'really?! so you think you can beat us all' look.

So the clock was set and we all started the exercise. On and on we jumped. Then the moderator shouted stop!She then asked how many we had done. I was at 74. Others  were at 80 even 90.

As you would bet, we were all shocked that we had managed to do twice of what we had expected. Then came in the real shocker.The moderator had tricked us.She had actually stopped the clock at 30 seconds instead of 60.To mean, if we had gone the full minute,assuming I was jumping at the same pace, I would have done 148 jumps!!!

We all stood there shocked or lets say pleasantly surprised; but with a life lesson.That so often, we limit ourselves.We think we can only do so little, yet in us is great potential to do beyond.There is a kavoice within that says; 'Mwarray that's the furthest you can go.No further'.

Today, as I sat to reflect back on that lesson, it dawned on me that we are sometimes our worst jeerers.
I  thought of encouraging you to go beyond the negating voice within or even without that tells you, 'you cannot make it' you cannot win' 'you can only go upto a given level' This day I urge you to rise above the voice in your head. Go forth and be all that God created you to be; believing that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.