Humility

It was lunch time we were lining up to get served, I was stealing glances at the food being served "Oh dear! I am going to starve today" (the food did not even cover half the plate). The lunch lady then went to the back of the line and told one of the "big dogs" of the organization to move to the front of the line and get served instead of lining up behind students. The guy then responded and said he was fine he will wait because everyone in the line wants to eat it does not matter if they are students. Wow! I was impressed with the humility this guy has....
The class was being set up for the lesson to start, the students were excited to learn Swahili for the first time. Their lecturer was 'James Bond' in the context of teaching he had traveled to every continent teaching linguistics,  his stories had made me always find an excuse to walk beside him every time we were out for a field trip. The set-up guys were bringing in the white board and he would run to them and give them a hand, the tea lady  needed help with the table so that she would set the table with some snacks. he was there to help her out. It was impressive to see such a learned and well traveled guy like him would act as a servant to others.

These are just some of the scenarios that have given me a lesson on humility. True humility is usually seen by how we treat the people around us that we consider to be of a lower social class than us, who we think are not as good looking as us, not as well educated as us or not as well traveled as us. I think these guys realize that none of what the 'world' considers to be important is really important, what matters is how you treat people because when you are gone what will really matter is what you made people feel and not your education, your wealth or the number of stamps you have on your passport.

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”
 -C.S Lewis


Humility is a character we learn as we grow in wisdom and grace. I know am still learning, am getting there.

What if....

What if you woke up one day and realized God's love for you is the one thing in your life that can never been taken away, What if you woke up one day and realize that God is the giver and taker of life but He chose to open your eyes, What if you woke up one day and understand what it means for you to lay your burdens at the feet of Christ, What if you woke up one day and understand what it means to have a friend that will never leave your side, What if you woke up one day and realize that He always has everything under control, What if you woke up one day and realize you are the apple of His eye, What if you woke up one day and realized He is jealous for you and wants you to put Him first, What if you woke up one day and realize that He has great and mighty plans for you, What if you woke up one day and realize that He will heal you and  mend your broken heart that He will put it back together piece by piece.
We would then worry less, have overflowing joy, be more confident in ourselves. We would then know that whatever challenges we face the end will be amazing!, we would know that the only opinion that counts is God's, we would finally stop fighting our own battles and leave them to Him, we would put aside everything that stands between us and Him, we would take on challenges head on knowing that He has our back.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.


John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

 1 Samuel 2:30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Mathew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

 We would then surrender our lives to Him and let Him reign. Try it, life becomes less complicated!

Friendship

It had been a hectic week with exams, those were the days the library was my best friend and my study buddies and I had a permanent seating area and at times bully anyone who sat on "our" seats. We would always talk of what we would eat and do after the exams when walking back to the hostel. We had two more papers left to seat for, so we bought what we would have for supper and after our usual arguments of who would wash the utensils, we prepared supper and now we were bonding. There were days we would talk till everyone fell asleep (my roommate being the 1st to sleep after claiming she was not sleeping but meditating) and some days we had supper and everyone would say their goodbyes.some days we would hang out and watch a movie where I would end up crying at the end of the movie and they would make fun Aah! those were the days...
I have made a lot of friends in my life some we have lost touch and some we have known each other since my primary school days but all in all they have all impacted my life and have taught me a thing or two about friendship( I learnt the act of giving and sharing from my friends). In the words of William Shakespeare  "Love all, trust a few do wrong to none" These words may have been my foundation for friendship for a long time in my life where if I don't know you I will not hate, I only trust a few of my friends with my personal information and I do my best not to step on anyone's toes.
Over the years I have fallen out with some friends made new friends but one thing I have learnt is a friend is someone who is not afraid to tell you when you are wrong, they'd rather have you be mad at them than see you walk right into a ditch. The ones who always pamper me with sweet words I now call them Hindrances, Hindrances to my God planned destiny.

Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Show me your friends and I will show you who you are, choose your friends wisely and remember not everyone who says they wish well for you, really means it.

Trials

"HOLD MY HAND!"  She shouted, I could not hear her with the sirens we were at the back of an ambulance rushing her to the hospital. She had been hit my a car just outside my campus and everything was happening so fast, I was trying to reach her to know where she was so we could meet up we have lunch then take her around campus. When I called a man's voice was on the other side telling me to make my way to the health center that my friend has had an accident. She wanted me to hold her hand because the bumps on the road made her leg move (It was broken) and she was in pain! I kept whispering a prayer for her every time I would turn to look at the road with the driver passing through traffic like the NFS vehicles.
 We finally arrived at the hospital and things seemed to calm down now her family was already there. We went through the hospital procedures of getting her to be seen by the doctor. We split up and we were done after a few minutes. It was worse than we thought her leg had to undergo surgery,....what a day it was! Am happy to report that now she is in tip-top shape and full of life.
She will never forget that day and neither will I. Tragedy strikes without any warning and we are forced to face them and do our best to fight. To fight to see another day, to fight for our loved ones to see another day, to fight not to let our emotions to get the best of us, to fight to not let our bodies give up on us.

Job 2:10 Job replied "Don't talk like a fool! If we accept blessings from God we must accept trouble as well" In all that happened Job never once said anything against God.

It may be a broken heart, sickness, disappointments from loved ones, it may be that you have been praying for a breakthrough from God but it seems He has forgotten about you because years have passed and you do not see results. Whatever it may be, let us be like Job lets not turn away from God when we are going through all these. For it is in that darkest and loneliest moment that we truly experience God's love.

Actions

The whole class roared with laughter after the trainer made his usual sarcastic remarks when one of us would get lost when he was demonstrating on the board. We were learning how to operate a geographic information system software, something  our lecturer would talk about in a three hour class. At times I felt I was in a theology class trying to learn Greek... to my relief  (I believe to everyone's relief) we now had the chance to see it and use it. I looked forward to these practical classes maybe because it would be the last chance I get to hang out with my college buddies or because  I sat next to 'him' or it was because I was getting good at operating the software Oh well! I think all these reasons made me look forward to the classes.
So that day we were learning on how to create buffers, to estimate how far a national park would be expanded for it not to interfere with the road construction. The end result shows a three-ring structure(looks like the waves that appear on water when you throw something in) cutting off the roads on the map, it showed that if the park was to be extended 6 Kilometers it would mess up the road structure. But if it was extended 4 Kilometers it would be safe enough.
Hoping I have drawn an almost clear picture of what we were up to that day, you should understand when i say that we all create buffers where we are meaning our actions affect the people around us either positively or negatively. If I choose to post negative things on the social media depending with the number of friends I have, I will impact either a huge number of people or a small number of people.To make it simpler if I choose to fart in a crowded elevator...not that I would but what do you think will happen?

Galatians 6:10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

How many  opportunities to be a helping hand, to be an encouragement to someone, to be a shoulder to lean on have passed us? We are to ask God to show us this opportunities where we would be a blessing to someone where the buffers we create will build and not destroy.

Thanksgiving

Kite runner, I have not been able to put this book down. I get a nudge on my arm and I look up it was the nurse signaling me to go in. I was at my second doctor's appointment, finally the doctor decided to show up. So I go in and we get into the casual talk with the doctor, I would say now we are buddies but this friendship costs me a lot. So after the normal check up he dribbles down a prescription for me and am gone. Immediately I walk out and meet a guy limping towards the orthopedist's office he looked like he was in so much pain , behind him I saw an elderly woman who has been escorted with what seemed his daughter and son-in-law she was heading to the  same office.
Outside near the emergency room seemed far much worse with the ambulance dropping off someone who was in a pool of blood I tripped while staring. I looked away and found my way into a bus to take me back to the CBD, i was now making my way to the chemist to get the prescribed medicine. As usual I get a long line in there most of the people holding a couple of thousands waiting for their names to be called out so that they would pay for their medicine.
After all that I went and lined up for the bus to take me home, and as I stand their thinking  how tired I am, the images I saw at the hospital flash in my mind and I cannot help but be grateful that i can stand here and complain that my feet hurt and that my back can be able to withstand the strain.

1Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks to the Lord for He is good; for His loving kindness is everlasting

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus



How many times in our lives do we go by taking what we have for granted, going by each day without realizing even by the mere fact that we can raise a finger is a blessing?. We should take time everyday and thank God for the "obvious" blessings we have but we often overlook for His loving kindness is everlasting.

Change

"Hi wanna go out sometime?" This is what my first crush told me after we bumped into each other after three years. I remember us somersaulting in the estate I was a bit of a tom boy...I used to beat up the neighborhood bullies (I have a scar to prove it). I would play football with the boys at home while the girls skipped ropes. I remembered mum saying how she was worried when i was 3 years old, I would fight with pillows re-enacting WWE moves I used to call it "nyesling" for wrestling when I would summon my brother we watch it together.
I remember one time our neighbor chasing after us after we had pushed some old car to the wall, I was  the driver while my younger friends were the "mikono guys" acting as the engine pushing the car. He still caught up with us despite me going over a wall to escape and I was the sacrificial lamb being the tallest in the gang, then some kid snitched that lived around after lying am from another place later that kid got a beating from yours truly...
 I was now 13 years wearing my first hipster when I bumped into him, now I looked more feminine after ditching the baggy t-shirts and jeans I used to wear,(this was my first realization that guys are truly visual beings) he now saw me differently. Lets say I had blossomed and now I knew how to dress like a girl  I had left the wall climbing, the picking up fights and somersaulting. But now my interest in him had gone, hey! I now had a couple of admirers so a girl had options so I turned his offer down..and furthermore mum had told me now I should be careful with boys because I was no longer a girl.

Some changes are inevitable, like getting into puberty but some we have to choose for ourselves.

Romans 12:2 Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him

Yes, we all have our weaknesses that we wish to get rid of but most of the times we try to do it on our own  instead of surrendering it to God and allow Him to transform the way we think like He says in His word that only then will you know whats pleasing to Him. If only we allow Him to change us we will never see true change in ourselves.

Physical fitness

"Cough! Cough!" I was trying to light the jiko this was the third i was doing this, and this time I was proud because i only used one match! (OK two but it was better because the last time i used up the whole box). So all this because my mum and I are getting into  this healthy living regime so we boil sweet potatoes and have them for breakfast. It reminds of a time when we would drink hot water after every meal so as to "choma tu mafuta" (Burn some fat) only to be en lighted later at a convention that by the time that water gets the the digestive system it has already cooled down so its equivalent to us drinking cold water.
Now we decided to this thing seriously so we have now cut off soft drinks, we drink a lot of water and walk as much as we can. I have taken it a notch higher I now You Tube simple exercises i can do indoors and am yet to get someone who has noticed my more fit physic...so till then i want to believe its working.
So i believe we should take good care of our bodies eat right, exercise its important that we take care of our bodies, mind and soul.
God wishes for us to have good health

3John 1-2... Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well”

 For the body eat well, exercise. For the mind make sure you have peace of mind and for the Soul read the bible and pray form a relationship with God. But i believe without us taking care of the physical body we will fail to take care of the soul and mind, because if the body is tired you wont be able to take time and read the word and for the mind there will be no peace. So rest, exercise and eat well!

Daddy

"That is too much sugar" mum would always tell me then i would look to daddy and he would wink at me and tell mum to go easy on me but would still make me do what mum said. Back then me and mum we never used to get along. Dad was my best friend we had our own special greeting (where we would shake hands then let our thumbs rub against each other) i was daddy's little girl.
It was like i had him wrapped up in my fingers the first time he saw me, that is what he always said.I remember the days he would take time and take us out as a family and i would always insist on getting cheese even though i never finished it.
I would follow him to every visit he paid to his friends but i dreaded the white porridge i would be given when there so he used to buy me a chocolate bar on our way back home. I remember he would take me all the way back to Kitui for every dentist appointment and as a reward for being so brave i would get a soda.
The few times we disagreed was when i would come second in class, and what a disciplinary he was! (and yet my mum is the teacher by profession), when i hit our neighbor's teenage son with a stone because he made fun of me and when i would disobey mum. I remember the hard sweet chapatis he would make when mum was away.

The last time i saw him he was getting me toughees from bata and later that day he bought me every kid's favorite meal chips and chicken!! and fanta. 22nd December 2000, was the date daddy went to be with the Lord. He was far from perfect but i choose to remember and cherish the happy memories.

Mathew 7:11 As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children.  But your Heavenly father is even more ready to give good gifts to people who ask.

Many are the times when we get caught up with ourselves trying to figure things out on our own forgetting that OUR DADDY in heaven is ready to give us good gifts as long as we ask. If your earthly father is willing to go miles and beyond for you, how much more would our Heavenly Father do for us? Rest in His care He got you! 

The beggining

"Like sand through the hour glass so are the days of our lives" This statement used to signify the beginning of one of the shows i would wait all day to watch not  because i understood it them i was just happy to be involved in the neighborhood analysis of the programme. Wow! life was simple back then when all i could worry about was if dad would notice the one shilling  missing from his change after i gave into the temptation of having some eclair sweets (yes back then when they used to cost one shilling) or if my best friend's mum would allow her to get out so we could play, or if she will share with me her sweets, if my brother would allow me to tag along when he would go steal mangoes from our neighbors. Nothing was ever that serious you could get angry one minute and the next you acting all goofy and laughing.
I remember one of my biggest problem was going to Sunday school and not hear a word because we were taught in Kamba..so i would laugh when we needed to and  sigh when the other kids did, but i got by. I grew up in a Kamba community and my best friend was Luo. I would dream about changing the world one day with sharing the stories we would make up with her. Life seemed to be a playground, everyday was full of adventures well my adventures included bird hunting, running from our angry neighbor with paper bags full of mangoes.
Enough about that i will save it for the next blog, its amazing how as kids we are easy to forgive, full of dreams, we take each day as it is and make the best out of it despite how yesterday was. Then as we grow older things change we give up on some of the dreams, we begin to fill our heads with all kinds of thoughts, we start picking friends by how they look on the outside, the tribe, their social class.

Mathew 19:14...But Jesus said let the children come to me and don't try to stop them! people who are like these children belong to God's kingdom.

So why don't we go back to the beginning be like a child and lay all your burdens to Christ and leave without worries, forgive easily, look at a person's heart and not their status or looks so as to associate with them. Because remember LIKE SAND THROUGH THE HOUR GLASS SO ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Make your life count as long as you are alive, go back to the beginning and remember how easy it was.