Conquering Growing Pains

If you are like me most likely when you were young, you admired grown up’s. In your eyes or should I say mine they just seemed to have it ALL. Uh I can’t tell you how many times now that I am a grown up I have looked at little children and wished I was them. Having been there before and being this side now I am convinced without a shadow of doubt that they have the better side of the coin. Even the Lord Jesus Christ said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

A child is always a child to their parents in and in many ways especially at my most vulnerable, I have refused to grow up and have run to mum dearest with my worries still believing she will wave that magic wand and it will all be well. Well not this time, an excruciating pain had I been ignoring and hoping would go away necessitated that I visit the Emergency Room late one Monday night. There I was alone and frightened but determined to get rid of the pain and find out what was wrong with me at whatever cost. What I thought would be a 2 hour wait rolled right through the night and into the morning. I went through procedures that I had only previously only seen on TV shows and as I put on a brave face with every new one, hiding my fears, I couldn’t help but reflect on how blessed I was.

I fussed when I had the intravenous catheter put in and the nurse was shocked that at my age I had never had one. This was the better of the procedures especially as when the results from everything were compiled and delivered, it was not good news. As I bowled my eyes out, the doctor kept saying not to worry as it wasn’t cancerous. For her, having seen  I guess most of what it is out there my situation wasn’t so alarming and yet for me it felt like my world had come crashing as I pondered on why me and what was next for me.

I went through a lot of emotions that day, including being angry at the All Knowing one, but  try as I might I felt deep within me this wasn’t news to share with my mother, at least not yet. The old me would have run to her without a thought, regardless of whether it was sensible or not, so as I went through the day I realized the fact that I was holding up from sharing with her meant that finally I was emerging from being a chicken to an eagle. After all nothing was clear about the next step and what good was sharing with her going to do  but worry her over something  she had no control over.  

By the end of the day I knew that to rise above this situation the only way was up and not down if I was to overcome. I calmed down and I remember what really sustained me was changing my train of thought; Instead of asking God why out of the many people that would be in my position this burden had fallen on me, I decided to instead thank God.  The doctor had implied there were people out there with more dire situations, worse still there are people who have my one night in the ER as a daily occurrence. Thinking this way has not only  helped me  truly appreciate how blessed I am but has showed me that growing up  is not being selfish but is instead looking at things square in the face , with an I can do it attitude.

I am still on this journey of proclaiming healing and restorations and I Know God uses different ways to heal us, I don’t know yet if it is miraculously going to go away or if am going to need surgery , but I am carrying on as normal, taking each day at a time , growing and believing for the very best from Jehovah Rapha.

 

KEEP CALM & CARRY ON...

In late 2012, for the very first time I came across the slogan, “Keep Calm & Carry On.” Hence forth I started seeing more products produced with the slogan; cups, cards, t-shirts, bags…just about anything.

Intrigued at what the buzz was all about I took time to find out the origin of this slogan and learnt that in the  2^nd world war, in the year 1939 while preparing for the worst attack from   Nazi Germany, the political leaders in Britain thought to motivate the people by printing posters with the words, “Keep Calm Carry on.” The posters where actually never distributed  for reasons not clear to me but well after over  70 years here they  are ringing on in even bigger ways . The phrase seems to live on, relevantly too and if you ask me the timing wouldn’t be more perfect to resurrect this slogan.

Naturally I jumped on the band wagon and for most of my birthday wishes since I discovered the slogan, I have duly borrowed the phrase Keep Calm it’s blah blah’s birthday or as the case may be. However writing the phrase out and acting it out are 2 different things, no wonder initially in the 2^nd world war when it was first printed it was never distributed, I imagine instead of calming the people it would have made them panic realizing how close the war had gotten to the safety of their homes.

 

The last couple of months have been crunch months for me with decision making and lots of crossroads to maneuver. To avoid getting caught in several mazes I had to adopt the Keep calm and carry on phrase in my personal life.

It has not been in the least bit easy especially with a person like me who disguises my impatience as pro-activeness; but oh my I have learnt you go places by keeping calm. It is not a cliché when people say take it one day at a time, I think that is one way of keeping calm while carrying on. I have done that and looking back now I can’t believe the far I have gotten and  how what seemed blurred  before is not only clear but sits right in my life.

Of course it has not been in the least bit easy and once again and again here goes my  song again ,   I wouldn’t have done it without my Lord and savior Jesus and of course the different people He daily blesses me to do life with. That is the truth that I can’t hide from and so I will sing on Ebenezer.

1 Samuel 7-12

Then Samuel took a stone and set it u between Mizpah and Shab and called its name Ebenezer, for he, “Thus far, the Lord has helped us.”

 

In a place which I detested even before seeing, getting here I didn’t know whether I was coming or going  but all I had to do was keep calm and see what place had to offer me and boy have I been pleasantly surprised. I am not yet at a place where I can call it home but am chiving on and enjoying the course.

 

Smelling the Roses

I have been feeling pretty uninspired of late, call it having nothing to write home about . Then bang this week from far and near I kept getting reports of people who had lost loved ones. In particular a young man, Umar Ssengendo Ssebagala(RIP) that I didn't now of till his death stirred my heart. This young guy only 25 reported to be healthy by all standards and having it all working , MBA in tow,loving and going in the right direction met his end after collapsing while playing a casual game of tennis. As I empathize with his family during this time I can't help but think how as human beings we are so busy chasing life while the simplest things are not only free but are right there with us. We strive to have so much only to get it and lose ourselves.

This is not to pour water on our dreams and ambitions cause I can say I am truly one of those people who will give it my best shot as long as I have breath but from now on will also take time to smell the roses. I will have a selah moment and look at the far I have come and anticipate the best that is yet to come. However while at it I will endeavor to just take in the small things that God has given me and not only appreciate them but love, love and love.

 

The poem below sums it up;

To realise the value of a brother /sister, ask someone who doesn't have one.

To realise the value of 10 years ask a newly divorced couple.

To realise the value of 4 years ask a graduate.

To realise the value of one year, ask a student who has failed an exam.

To realise the value of 9 months ask a mother who gave birth to a still born.

To realise the value of one month, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby

To realise the value of value of 1 hour , ask the couple who turned backs and slept without a word.

To realise the value of one minute , ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realise the value of one second , ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realise the value of a friend , lose one and see

Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have .

LIFE; Embrace, Enjoy , Appreciate.

Birthdays just like the New Year are a time when am anxiously excited. It is always along the lines of bitter sweet, excited that it is naturally a time to celebrate yet privately I reflect mostly about where I should be as opposed to how far I have come.

My birthday is here again and I am happy that I am not only still here but I am healthy too, better still I am not beating myself up about the where I should be, instead I am content that as I look at the far I have come , am trusting that the best is yet to come. I know I have said that a lot in the past mainly as a consolation to keep upbeat but this time I notice that I am saying it with a certain level of maturity.

 

Suddenly, it is like the specks have fallen out of my eyes and I can see more clearly. You can't change what you refuse to confront and let's say in a bid to become wiser with age, I pondered some questions and got some answers. I like to joke that like the Israelites it’s taking me longer to get to the Promised Land. Luckily for me, after some divine revelation, it won't be the long 40 years as I am on track now and over the landscapes I smell the milk and honey..

 

Life is in the details and on this my special day, I choose to replace the mirror with a microscope. As I look back and through, I realize I am blessed, unlovely at some times but never unloved. First by a God who is not only everything by nature but has given me the special bonus of the most wonderful family and friends. This year He has especially gifted me with a birthday mate that I couldn't be more glad to share this day with, so grateful.

 

Today my mum, bless her, prayed for me to get a double portion for all my heart's desires and as I receive that and look forward to walking on from glory to glory, I pray for a brave heart to do what is required and an open mind to cope with whatever may come my way. Life after all, I have learnt is not about getting to certain places, but being celebrated.

 

 

Life is all about LOVE

UH read this and just felt so challenged to share, call it showing  my love...

“Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it.

You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you will never get back.

Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.

It is not enough just to say relationships are important, we must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless.

Relationships take time and effort and the best way to spell love is T-I-M-E.

The essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others but how much we give of ourselves .

Men in particular often don’t understand this. Many have said .. “ I don’t understand my wife and kids. I provide everything they need. What more could they want?” They want you. Your eyes, your ears, your time ,your attention, your presence, your focus-your time. Nothing can take the place of that.

The most desired gift of love is not diamonds or roses or chocolate. It is focused attention. Love concentrates so intently on another that you forget yourself at that moment .Attention says I value you enough to give you my most precious asset-my time. Whenever you give your time you are making a sacrifice and sacrifice is the essence of love. Jesus modelled this.

You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.

Love means giving up-yielding my preferences. ,comfort, goals, security, money, energy, or time for the benefit of someone else.

The best time to love is now.

Sometimes procrastination is a legitimate response to a trivial task. But because love is what matters most, it takes top priority

Why is now the best time to express love? Because you don’t know how long you will have the opportunity. Circumstances change. People die. Children grow up. You have no guarantee of tomorrow .If you want to express love, you had better do it now.

Knowing that one day you will stand before God here are some questions you need to consider.

How will you explain those times when projects or things were more important to you than people?

Who do you need to start spending more time with ?

What do you need to cut out of your schedule to make that possible?

What sacrifices do you need to make?

The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.

This was extracted from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

It had a bearing with me and I thought why not start by sharing the message with you.

Be blessed.

MAY

For most of last year and a good part into this year, I challenged myself to use social media to bless the people in my world through sharing inspirational stuff that has touched me. One of the things I did was take advantage of the phone app whats-app and send a positive declaration at the start of every month. It became such a ritual that even when I did forget, I would have some faithfuls remind me and ask when that new month message was coming.

This month though, one of them caught me by surprise by sending me one that not only blessed me but gave me a lot to think about. It read,

Welcome to May

May you find Grace

May you find Peace

May you be blessed

May you be Happy

May you never Weep

May you Succeed

May you excel

Why?

Because its May and Miracles await you.

It was so timely that I just copied it and shared it with all those in my contact list. As I did I couldn't help but wish that indeed I would be able to touch those Miracles that May promises. Not only did the sequence and flow of this prose catch me but the fact that it is May and yes, we are nearly half way into the year. This is a time when I usually look back and sort of start to panic and reflect on my well laid plans and how far or near I am about to see them realised.

This particular May, my life seems to be in pause /mute mode in things I hoped would be a done deal by now and getting this message in my waiting window took me back to a time when the word May was first emphasized to me most when used in connection with Can. In the English grammar lessons May was used as a politer way of asking permission whereas Can was used in more of a capability way, I often had to be corrected when I asked for something to say May I as opposed to Can I. I think it is safe to say that I now know the variations of the two and can use them accordingly.

Thus May comes into play now as am asking and willing for the possibility to touch for some things I thought I would have before we are half way through the year. Sometimes you do need stuff and its up to you to put in the hard work and get there, well not this time. I have laid the hatch, put my bait and have nothing to do but wish that the fish gets here soon.

So I am going back to that wish/prayer that I read as I started the month of May and using my politest , most pleading, humble voice with all that I have within me asking the Lord that May things fall in place and May I soon be on my way to seeing these blessings manifest in my life. Living the dream.

Psalm 23

 

If you are like me, most likely as a child you were taught the 23rd Psalm and have at least bits of it to memory. I grew up reciting this Psalm but it is not only until recently that I saw it in a new light.

The Lord is my Shepherd

That’s Relationship!

I shall not want

That’s Supply!

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

That’s Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters

That’s Refreshment!

I shall not want

That’s Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.

That’s Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters

That’s Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul

That’s Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness

That’s Guidance!

For His name sake

That’s Purpose!

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

That’s Testing!

I will fear no evil

That’s Protection!

For Thou art with me

That’s Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy Staff they comfort me

That’s Discipline

Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies

That’s Hope

Thou annointest my head with oil

That’s Consecration!

My cup runneth over

That’s Abundance

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life

That’s Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

That’s Security!

Forever

That’s Eternity!

To think that relationship, supply, rest, refreshment, healing, guidance, purpose, testing, protection, hope, faithfulness, discipline, consecration, abundance, blessing, security and  Eternity are all in one Psalm just shows how great God is; It is not for nothing that He is called Omniscient, not only sovereign and all-knowing but crazy in love  over all His creation.