Brave Enough!

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

I am very thankful not to have lived BC (Before Christ). The bloodshed that happened in those days was nauseating. The things Joshua had to deal with would make many run so fast if they were called to serve the LORD.

However, as a Christ follower today, the Scripture above is still relevant. Unless you choose intentionally to be courageous and not afraid, sometimes you cannot even share the Word the LORD may give you. Most often than not, the LORD will instruct me to share a prophetic Word that some may term nonsensical. I remember when I was instructed to share that, people should stop speculating about Corona and instead praise God. After which I was instructed again to tell people to ask for mercy from the LORD. Majority of my Facebook followers deemed that as nothing. You have to be strong and courageous in your faith to be obedient.

Recently, I learned that it is not just being strong and courageous in sharing the Word, but sometime we may be called to be strong and brave, literally! This happened nearly two weeks ago when I heard our brooding Guinea fowl in the shrubs shrieking, definitely in danger. I did not even think about it! I just dashed out after 2am in the silent wee hours to rescue her. I did not have any physical weapon, but thankfully, I was with my LORD.

As I approached her temporary coop with my phone in hand for the torch, a large healthy Serval took off in the opposite direction. Our terrified Guinea fowl was in a corner having put up a great fight in which she lost lots of soft feathers. But I was in time to carry her to the coop. Ofcourse I also suffered scratches from her, not knowing I was rescuing her.

What relief! I would have been devastated if I had woken up to a dead or eaten up bird just meters from where I sleep. I remembered thanking God for giving me courage, strength and making me brave when HE moved me to the village. The former Adah would never have run out of the house in the dead of the night to rescue the bird. I would have had all sorts of imaginations, perhaps it’s an intruder, he may harm me. Perhaps it’s a large snake, it will attack me….

Yes! Be strong and courageous, sometime literally!

To God be all the glory!

What If?

If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Matthew 5:41

Walking on the dusty road in the posh Rongai homes, I would point out the gigantic bougainville bushes to my husband, as if he could not see them.

Well, my secret hope was that he may grasp my deepest desire of owning a home in this beautiful landscape of the rift valley in Kenya. He would respond with discouragement, “these bushes must be atleast thirty years old, it can take upto twenty years to grow a bougainville bush to that height,” he would say. Decades earlier the LORD had given me a dream in which my uncle took me to a space which was covered by young white blossoming bougainville bushes. By then I had not seen that kind of flower and so a field of them looked quite intimidating to me. I did not give thought to that dream again until decades later after the LORD gave us a piece of land in the village then reminded me of that vision.

When we arrived on the property, my husband was in shock! The shrubbery nature of plants that infested the property with thorny bushes prompted him to ask, “are there no trees here?” I was glad he noticed, because then he would understand why we were planting trees, or shall I say attempting to plant trees on this stony, dead field under the simmering heat of a typical August afternoon in Western Kenya.

I gladly answered, “that is why we are planting trees.” Ofcourse he happily took some pictures, his evidence for future use against me. Everything seemed impossible at that time, there was no sign of life in that field, not even chirping birds flying about.

What my husband did not know then, perhaps, was that, I am the kind who will go with you five miles instead of two, if you dare me…..I had craved for our own space, the Rongai prizes were too high for us, and GOD had gifted us this property, almost for free in comparison to what we would have spent in urban areas. I was going to keep planting bougainville bushes and many beautiful shrubs and bushes, trees, nuts, anything and everything, over and over until the LORD enabled them to grow! The termites competed against the stoney barren soil, the erosion too, because we’re on high elevation. I went the extra mile! And now we have beautiful bougainville bushes in many colours! Can you imagine “what if” I had not gone the extra mile, we would never have known the beauty we behold each morning as the birds, chickens and Guinea fowles awaken us to a bright brand new day.

Why leave room for what ifs?

In anything, desire to go the extra mile gladly, my spiritual journey has been similar. The closeness I enjoy with Jesus Christ is truly humbling, I am glad I decided intentionally, to keep going, keep seeking, keep knocking. And I will continue, because I must finish my race and receive the crown. I refuse to run aimlessly, but with focus, on my track, with the intention to do all am called to do, joyfully, and receive the crown. After all, I am the ONLY me, GOD created for this purpose, in this generation! May GOD enable me!

The Guinea fowl

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.
Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
2 Timothy 2:20-21

Just over a year ago we began keeping Guinea fowls in addition to our chicken family. This had been a desire of mine for decades, their polka dot pattern is one of my favorite for a dress. To say that they have brought both joy and drama at the peaceful Adornment Sanctuary is an understatement. Their style of walk is really unique, when they were new, the first couple we bought would be walking your way face down and immediately they saw you, they would turn round in slow motion and walk to the opposite direction. Really captivating.

Recently, after laying over thirty eggs, it was time for the first couple to lay on the eggs for hatching. She chose to do it in the shrubs. The partner was left alone and so the other four couples began to attack him out of jealousy I believe. One time they had him cornered and ended up beating him quite bad before we were able to rescue him. I decided I would be locking him in the coop until his partner hatches the eggs.

He made a completely different and must have been real difficult decision. Two days under lock he had had enough and so he flew out! Ofcourse I was so concerned about him and so later in the day when I heard their war cry, I immediately mobilized my daughter and helper for us to chase them down and rescue him. We did not have to! He flew up onto the acacia tree, which the rest were evidently afraid to land on, what with all it’s thorns. Two weeks later, he has made it a game. He will approach the united four couples timidly, they will chase after him to no avail, he opens his flight feathers like an airplane opening it’s wings which enables him to outrun the rest by far. In the end he flies and patches on an unusual tree, shrubs or part of a house where the others are unable to go.

God’s plan for us is very similar, no wonder scripture says that, “everything works for good to those who love God and are called according to HIS purpose.” Instead of becoming aggressive and rebellious, the “lonely” Guinea fowl has sharpened and improved the skills which are inside them and is now using them as defense and receiving admiration from the rest while at it. And now after five when the others are locked up in the coop for the night, we allow him to stroll with his partner, I guess sharing his daylong escapades as she updates him on the progress of their expected chicks. What a delightful turnaround!

I am getting deeper with the LORD to know the hidden lesson and promotion in every challenge I face now. Positive attitude.

I admire him greatly and he has really inspired me to seek God more and more that HE may raise me to a worthy vessel in HIS Kingdom! May HE enable me