mwafrika.com - A Beautifully Packaged Journey

A Beautifully Packaged Journey - Carol

I recall times when I would sit with a friend, a relative or possibly someone I met once a long time ago, and being me, I would ask, “How are you?” ”How have you been?” Yes, sounds ordinary, and it was. Until I realized that when asked such questions, I did not want it to be routine - not just something they did out of societal obligation.

So at some point in my life I decided that when I asked, I would really mean it and take time to just listen to the response, and sometimes even call back a wandering mind so that I did not get an ordinary “I am good”, or “I am fine”, as they rushed on to the next task in life, while I could see in their eyes that they were not.

Sometimes I don't want those questions asked of me, nor do I want to answer them. For some unexplainable reason, sometimes I just want to be left alone in my own world.

More often than we would like to admit, we get tired of it all. Sometimes we want to get away and just fly, free as a bird without a care in the world, and maybe not even be accountable to anyone for anything.

Very recently I went away on a long journey, an extra long journey. But the orders from above were that I take that journey. It was one of those assignments you would rather not take, but have to anyway. A journey every one of us should, at some point, take, one into refinement and re-defining. So I set about preparing, and before long was on board. At first it was murky, very grey and with no particular direction. I mean, I am a reader and not once in my lifetime have I come across a manual (well one that made sense) concerning such a task. All I had was me, my instructor (who only instructs when HIS time comes around) and my book of instructions. Sometimes it could feel like we are chasing after the wind.

While gone, a lot of extremities took place. At the beginning I just wanted to be left alone, to try figure things out. At some point I did not even know what needed to be figured out. There were times on the journey I was in the middle of a storm; not once and not twice. Sometimes I danced in the rain, sometimes I crumbled and cried in the rain. Sometimes I would trip and fall. Now where might I be going with all this? There is a song by one of my favourite bands that asks, “Do Robots ask for Electric sheets?” Do they? That question was filled with as much absurdity as I felt at that point in time.

Here’s the point - we were never meant to be left alone. Community is what life is all about. Looking out for one another. Looking up to and in turn mentoring those looking up to you. The minute we isolate ourselves we give opportunity and easier access to the negative. Solitude is sometimes required, but only with deliberate motives to build and impact positively, best done with guidance from our book of instruction (The Bible). How many times have you sat back and thought about how lucky you were to have survived an accident, or how close you were to loosing your life….but Mercy said no! Mercy says NO, because we are linked somewhere to something. A Purpose. Such that before your life can be yanked away, you would need to complete that set purpose. Like they say, it ain't over until the fat lady sings...well in our case, until God says so.

We need to be on this journey. Sometimes it all gets confusing and we really need to seek God (our instructor), to ask HIM what it is HE wants for us. Our purpose in all its clarity. With this knowledge we would be able to get up each morning with a song in our heart, and a skip to our step. With the knowledge that whatever HE places upon your heart is going to come to completion no matter what. Whether the times are rough or not, being in that purpose will always keep your heart smiling. He is the perfect father, the restorer of your soul. No matter how bad you think you have fallen, or how much you feel your heart has hardened because of what life has taken you through, HE calls out to you and causes Mercy to say No!

Sometime we replay events like a jury reviews evidence. We need to accept that the deliberation is pointless. We need to accept that things change.

In life it is much easier when we know why you have been set on this earth. What it is that we are here to accomplish. That way we do not have to spend every waking moment looking for what we call, 'Shilingi ya Kenya'. Instead we simply look for OUR set purpose from a Father who gives us more chances than we could ever deserve. A Father who loves us unconditionally.

The questions, the answers, the deliberations, the verdicts, the laughter, the tears. Our scrapped knees – whether it be from the many times we have fallen off course, or the countless times we have gone before our Father in prayer on those same knees, we need to remember that it never has anything to do with us. It has everything to do with our neighbour and above all our Father in heaven. This is His beautifully packaged journey to us – LIFE!

» Post Comment