THE ROAD TO MAMLAKA

THE ROAD TO MAMLAKA…...

30th January, Sunday Morning.

“F****!! Its 7.00 am!”

Those were the first words I heard on Sunday morning and that set the pace for a rather interesting day.

I promised Collins, my dearest friend (and brother) that I would go to Church more this year, something I have hardly done in most of my Post- baby life. Apart from 3 or so weddings in which I was bride’s maid, I have confided myself to Sunday school with Imani on an on and off basis, but this year, I decided to do it different.

I want to find God again.

So, the road to Mamlaka now begins.

10.00 AM and I dash out of the house, late, but the cold shower was a great idea, stung me back to life. Last night’s overwhelming events were clouding my thoughts and it wasn’t easy to stay on the track.

As I glided down procession road and up Mamlaka road, I thought about this new relationship I want to have with God. I have been here before, and then it was deep and meaningful, it was a relationship based on pure love.

But things changed, when shit hits the fan, then relationships crack away, and the once loving partners get hurt, so approaching a relationship with the same partner once again is not easy.

But I pride myself in this one thing: I did not go grey, when I knew I wasn’t on the path that pleased God, I packed up and left, crossed over to the other side, and told my Christian friends about it. I did not want to pretend, at least that’s one thing I could live with.

I am not un-godly; I just have a broken relationship with God, and that is what I intend to mend.

Worship team was already on stage, singing modern Christian music most of which I could not sing along to, perhaps I should tune in to hope and family fm more often. I thought to myself.

The rest was normal church stuff…why does the service leader always call other people to make announcements while they might as well do it? There were like 5 announcements (little exaggeration) where every time a different person came to do it! But that’s besides the story.

I struggled through the first moments of the service, realizing that I am not as patient as I used to be, and that I prefer listening to things I don’t already know.

By the time the preacher came on, I was almost bored, but he jerked me back to life with his vigor, and most of all the practicality of his message. He got me hooked, even if I can’t remember his name.

He spoke about Christians taking their place in creating a nation we want to see.

He spoke about Joseph’s appointment into leadership in Pharaoh’s Palace. He was 30 years old, morally upright and ready to lead.

I despise the leadership we have in Kenya today, even if my voter’s card was active during the elections. I voted in someone I believed in, but that was then and evidently, we are headed south. Instead of complaining and pointing fingers, we the young people of this country must take our place in leadership, and be the change we want to see.

How many of us are in a position of Influence? What are we doing about it?

I am going to go against the current, I will be the change I want to see in this country, I will lobby, I will take part, I will encourage, I will pray, and yes I will be part of the next leadership.

That is my pledge.

As I left church, I wondered about this broken relationship, and why I really went to Church in the first place. I wasn’t expecting to be challenged into something I have thought about for a long time, but that’s exactly what I found. If there was an altar call, would I go to the pulpit, definitely not, but God speaks in different ways, and I think this time around, he is speaking with me in the way he knows best.

Join me here for Part 2 of the road to Mamlaka , Monday, 9th of Feb 2009.