God in the Little Things!

My birthday gifts ... except the edible ones :-)

February 2013 finally comes to an end and the title of this post has been ringing in my head for the past few days. Thought I would write something on it.

God in the little things.

First it was the bouquet of roses on the morning of February 5, 2013. What a surprise! They may seem insignificant but I remember posting onto my Facebook wall that it had been ages since I received roses and it was the first time ever that roses were delivered at my doorstep. Each time I looked at the roses I was reminded of the years of love and friendship. I loved the deep red color of the roses and the fact that the roses filled the water jar (yeah, I got no flower vase). They reminded me of the depth of God's love for me and how in knowing Him my life has been deeply rich and meaningful. They were also symbolic of me blossoming into a beautiful woman, rich in heart and spirit, all because of God's tender care, love and mercies. In a very significant way, God reminded me that He will continue to cause me to blossom and that my latter days will be greater than my former days. And so you know what I have done? I picked a few of the dry petals (see in pic above) and I am planning on creating something out of them to always remind me that this year God spoke to my heart through a bouquet of red roses from a dear sister, friend and protege: Juliett.

The day would not have been complete without a text message from my dear mum. Faithfully, she sent me a beautiful message speaking God's abundant blessings into my life. God reminded me what a blessing it is to have a mother, a parent, who remembers your special day!

That evening, a bevvy of seven beauties gathered around a round table next to a crackling fire at an Ethiopian restaurant to celebrate my birthday. These were women (sorry, ladies) who have walked with me over the years, including my youngest sister. We bonded amidst hearty laughter, and in a very special way, God was there with us. Everyone who was meant to be there showed up, looking exceptionally beautiful, and it was amazing to sit in the midst of these ladies and see the ages cascade downwards to the youngest and yet we all shared things in common: dreams, ambitions, faith, desires, disappointments, hurts, laughter, joy, and so much more that redefined the word "sisterhood" for me. I looked at each one of us and I knew God is in the little things: the warm hugs we'd shared over the years, the tears, the holding of hands, the prayers, the worries and anxieties, the pain, the joy of motherhood, among so much more. So often we have taken the little things for granted and I am not sure we toasted to a great future that night and so tonight ladies, I toast to a great future, and declare that our latter days will be greater than the former. Thank you so much for everything. Our paparazzi for that evening has not shared any pics with us but I celebrate you Barbara, Ciiku, Kantai, Kate, Sanyu, Juliett and Gloria. Thank you so so much and God richly bless you.  May be that was the last time we sat all the 8 of us and shared a meal because by the end of this year I believe each one of us will have moved onto the next phase of our destinies and despite the different paths we will each take, I will forever carry you, dear ones, in my heart. Always!

As if my birthday was not to end on that day, God has continued to shower me with beautiful gifts all through the month. Pastor Irene: thank you for the little hand painted cup in this pic. It stands on my dressing table and each time I look at it I am reminded of the sunshine you bring into my life. It is a little cup that I would never use for my Kenyan tea but it reminds me of how my life has been hand-painted by God Himself with beautiful shades of color. Thank you.

God is in the little things! A dear friend, sister and colleague walked into my house this week and gave me three little gifts: a hand woven "basket", a teeny tiny hand-made jewelry holder, and an exquisite double-mirror piece. The beauty about little things is that they can never be taken for granted. They need extra care and protection and so these little items stand on my dressing table and I know that I will move with them wherever the Lord sends me. Nadja (Najia) has always given me the most beautiful tiny gifts and none of them has ever been lost - and so Naj, thank you. I treasure these gifts, especially this year, coz they remind me of a friendship woven over the years and the journey of growth we have each walked, side by side. Thank you and may God continue to smile over you and shine His light of love, peace and grace over your life and your loved ones!

Well, February does end today. As the clock in my room ticks, I remember the words of a protege of mine: "Your birthday is not over until February is over." I laughed then but come Sunday February 24, 2013 and there is this team of young people who surprised me with the largest Chocolate Fudge Cake ever! They totally outdid themselves. They went ahead and got the largest birthday card ever and when we had celebrated to our fill, I remember walking along the corridor of my house, and silently wondered, "Where did all these young people come from?" I am always asked by people who meet me for the first time where I get all these young people and each time I am asked that question I also marvel coz I know each one of them is a treasure that has been brought my way by God. In my own strength, effort, wisdom, understanding, etc I would never have known such a great team of young people. Only God must have brought them my way. And so tonight I celebrate you and your generation and I pray that the Lord God Almighty would truly bless and honor you. I pray that you will live for Him no matter what, and even in those moments when you feel like giving up, you will remember the meetings in the South C house, the "Zion is calling" song, the laughter, the tears, the teachings, the rebukes, the late nights, the hot afternoons, the walks, the office prayers, the devotions, the ugalis, the sukuma, the chapatis, the Katoloni experiences, the miracles, the everything that went into getting you onto the path of life and staying on that path, and you will rise up and allow God to use your lives as a testimony not only to your generation but also to generations to come. And so my dearest Sally, Ashlyn, Linsey, Nancy, Bryan, William, Justin, Kate, Suzie, Barbara (again), Liz, Mercy, Moses, Libby, Nimo, and Gatwiri, rise up and let your light shine in your generation and generations to come. Once again, Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And so what do I say? God is in the little things. February 2013 has attested to that and not just coz of the various birthday gifts or experiences but the favor I have enjoyed in my various interactions. I am glad that God has been with me in the year gone past and I look forward to a God-filled year. Of course I am grateful for each message I got via text and the various social media platforms. Again, God is in the little things. 

For me, this year, the year of my Jubilee, the year of my rest, I celebrate God, I celebrate Faith, Hope and Love, I celebrate the gift of family and friends, I celebrate the restoration of joy unspeakable and hope eternal in my life, and I celebrate new beginnings in every aspect of my life. Even when I have had weird health challenges from December last year, I still wear that beautiful "Luci" smile because  I know my Redeemer lives. 

Oh! I almost forgot: my mentor, whom I had not seen for a year coz of his work station abroad, came into the country on the day before my birthday and on Sunday February 10, I got to hang out with him, gleaning from him words of wisdom and counsel. I think he is the most excited person about what God is doing in and through my life. It was evident in the way he kept on asking me to talk about God's vision to each person he introduced me to. Wow! What a blessing. Thank you so very much. Again, God is in the little things - the lunch, the treat, the hanging out. He is there!

Well, isn't God good? Let's be encouraged and let's always celebrate Him. He is worth every celebration and remember: He is in the little things too!