"Hello Pete its been long time, lets do coffee this weekend, all bills on me", "Hey Bessie, kwani uliangukia Jackpot na sijui hahhaa (Hey Bessie, did you by any case win a jackpot, without an alert?)" "Aki Pete, kwani mi sikai mtu wa kukaa na doo?" "Noo ni vile ni kitambo sana, ulikuwa this generous" "Sawa boss, nimewin jackpot, let's meet for coffee, tukimaliza coffee, tununue hiyo hoteli"...HahahahIts Saturday afternoon, I am lying on my couch, on this day I am not reporting to work as it is my day off, so I woke up so early to do some cleaning. Here I am, as tired as you can imagine and wondering why I have not yet settled down, at least the Miss of the house would have helped me out or better still handled it herself.
So I am almost falling asleep on the couch before I hear someone walk in, "You can't be serious Pete, don't tell me you are asleep and not ready..." So I wake up and seat upright, almost asking her "ready for what..." but I looked up at her face when I stretched my hand to greet her, the look on her face told me "Peter think fast before someone explodes", I remembered that we had a coffee date (which I had forgotten), so I had to think and think fast, I am almost opening my mouth to feed her some of my best excuses, but before I could, she says with a smile, "Pete, hold it, I know you forgot, go get ready we chuck off," while at it get me some cold water.
Readers of this blog, know Bessie, as this best of friends who is very witty and a person you would always want to hang out with. After a quick shower, we walk out and take a cab to an out of town joint, where we could get some good coffee and talk.
We are now at this restaurant, I am having my cappuccino while Bessie is having her favorite white coffee. Hey Pete, by the way, I got the admission, Bessie all of suddenly said, smiling, she was very casual as if it was no big deal. You see, Bessie is this lady who has undergone so much in life, from a humble background, struggling to pay her college fee, and finally lack of employment that had forced to hit the road hustling.
It was only a few months back that we had a chat about some admissions she needed to pursue upgrade her studies, and we had set aside specific days to just pray over it. This was one charming lady, whom life had decided that she had to struggle all through. Despite her striking beauty and a double dimpled face, she severally encountered men who definitely were stricken by her beauty and offered to get her employment if she agreed to their sexual demands. She didn't, and that's why we are here.
She stayed steadfast in church, depending on the little coins her village based mom could send her. One day I asked her, Bessie how do you manage to do it? What? she asked, " Drive away those sex thirst driven men who keep on bothering you allover? This was after some guy had offered to pay for her shopping in the supermarket, to which she politely told him off.
"Pete, I don't wanna gain the whole world and lose my soul" Of what benefit will it be? she asked, "Besides, one day if my God truly lives, I will be able to effortless pay for my shopping with my own money" Amen, I said in agreement, she laughed saying Pete, one day I will pay for all the coffees you have always brought me, I will do it comfortably, yes I will, because my God who is my Redeemer lives."
Pete, there was a time I believed I could do it on my own, but I learned to trust in the Lord, not to lean on my own understanding. I decided, I will trust in the name of the Lord, I learned not to put my trust on things that will fail, to trust in the Lord for he is faithful and truthful, for the name of the lord is a mighty strong tower the righteous run into it and they are saved.
"The Cattle on a thousand hills Pete" Bessie waking me up from my stupor; In my lost consciousness, I was here, listening to this beautiful lady, full of life, take me down the lane of hopefulness through the scripture. The cattle on a thousand hills has always been Bessie favorite bible verse, which she always quotes whenever we are discussing on difficult challenges we could be going through, especially financial challenges.
"I have no need of a bull from your stall, or goat from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains and the insects in the field are mine" she finishes reciting Psalms 50: 9-11 and says, I know my father owns the cattle on a thousand hills, so I have no need of "a bull" from some sponsor in exchange for sex, yet my body is the temple of God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
Remember who you are Pete, always remember that you are the child of the most high God, that's where your value and your worth comes from doesn't he says that "I will bless your basket and your store? that you will be blessed when you come in and when you go out? that he will make sure the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you and as they come from one direction, they will flee from you in seven different directions?" Yes, Bessie, that is in Deuteronomy 28;
Yeap, that's why, I am not bothered by men who are after sex in exchange for favours, instead, I pray using Deuteronomy each time this occurs. I remind God, he promised not to let my basket and store to be empty, he promised to bless me and defeat my enemies before my eyes. And each time I make this prayer, I know that what he has promised, he will bring it to pass at the right time. So if I don't have it now, I would understand, it is not yet time, for me to own.
"Bessie you know you speaking some powerful words right?' I say to her, to which she responds "Words are like seeds, They have creative power, we will eat the fruit of our words (Again quoting Isaiah), I got to speak positively Pete, least I eat negativity. Yes, Miss, preach, I say jokingly. Enough for today, Mshirika, she responds jokingly. The remaining few minutes are spent in silence as both of us are lost in our own thoughts.
Hey, the admission, congratulations, tell me more about it. A few months back, we had a chat and she was so down, she wanted to upgrade her studies but had a myriad of challenges and for the first time, I had seen her so down and lacked the enthusiasm she is known of. I knew this meant a lot to her. I remember one evening she called and her voice was filled with the "I am tired, this is so much for me, I just want the admission" kind of desire. I recall telling her "The cattle on a thousand hill Bessie" Who owns them? And who has promised good plans for you? Plans to give you a future and hope? to prosper you? To which she said, God. Then let him do his "thing" yours is to wait and see. We will all laugh and remember this phone call one day when all this is behind us.
First, thank you, Pete, that phone call was of great and immense help, but here we are, I got the admission, my life is now on track once again and I am super happy. I am so happy for you Bessie, trust me, I am so happy this is happening to you. Yes, Pete reminds me of the cattle .... "on a thousand hills" I say incompletion.
But, imagine, the anxiety and enthusiasm are over, I guess it is because my eyes are now focused beyond the admission, into getting out of the institution successfully. Yeah, that's a big deal, I say, 'you gotta go in and emerge successfully' We finish up the coffee and I pick the receipt ready to make the payments, then she grabs my hand gently and says "I invited you for the coffee, I clear the bills end of discussion"
Our cab guy had come to pick us, with rest of the chat centred on our own life goals, blah blah blah.
One lesson I have learned from the experience is "I am now not upset about bridges being burned down if God started the fire, at the right time he makes all things perfect, and my right time is in the new year; he who began the good work in me, shall see to its completion. She says as we walk to her place. Yes, Bessie, weariness comes to us all, but we don't have to allow it in. Its a new dawn for you, God is breathing a new life into your dreams. I will definitely miss you around, but you go Follow your own STAR and SHINE, BE YOU!!!
But Pete, this is what we have all prayed for, its now coming to pass, I am so excited, I will definitely miss you around, but let's wait and see how life unfolds. Yes, let us let life happen. By now it was obvious we were all tensed to the reality of the stretch of distance that this joyous moment was about to bring.
The cattle on a thousand Hills. Pete, Never Forget that!
Awesome
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