MORE THAN A SONG

 Count your blessings name them one by one,

 Count your blessings see what God has done,

 Count your blessings; name them one by one,

 And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.  

As I sang along in church last sunday I suddenly couldn’t help meditating on the words of this song. I have known and heard this song in Church since I was a kid, isn’t it just ironic that I only decided to sing it as more than a song that day? If anyone had looked at me at that point they might have thought I had an exaggerated expression on my face when I was singing…. Lol. I can’t blame them though because A). I was in a catholic church and we mostly wear straight faces while in church, one can rarely tell how the next person feels in there. B) They were probably singing that song for the one thousand and twentieth time so they were probably bored and wondering what the heck I was doing.

So, God please forgive me for even thinking I would succeed at doing this but I literally began to count my blessings. I began to feel a certain elation as though I was the most special person the hall. I couldn’t understand why it was me getting all the good stuff. I’m the one who has my mom and dad still in this world with me. The one who woke up hale and hearty, without a headache, a tummy ache, or a cancerous lump somewhere today. I have never gone hungry for lack of food cos God always provides. Even when it seemed like that was going to happen, it never did. How come I was not born into one of those war raging countries or in an area where they constantly live in fear of yet another natural disaster? I thought of how many times he saved me from accidents on road trips in spite of the numerous ones which had taken so many people I know.

I thought of my friends who had died, Elizabeth a dear friend, Fanen, Dorcas(God rest their souls) and so many other young people. I thought of the fact that even though I won’t mind a new job right now, I did have one now, then I pictured myself not having a job, broke and hopeless. I thought about my eye sight, my ears, my legs, my hands, my heart,  my body, my skin and my pretty face. The fact that I can work, like I have the ability to work also baffled me, because millions of people cannot do things because of one disability or the other. What a mighty God!

I thought about all the love I’m surrounded by, the fact that I have people to love me and to love. I could not think of a single moment when I felt O God, no one loves me. When I tried to count all the people who love me, it was simply impossible. It is a blessing oh! It went on and on and on till I found myself back where I started. There was no point going on, it was totally aimless counting, it was infinite!! I was indeed amazed at what the Lord had done. Ooopsie, and the mass was still on!

Take some time out to count your blessings.. Perhaps you will take thanksgiving more seriously. If a man did a quarter of the things God does for us, I bet we’ll lick his feet and suck up to him in every way. Let’s be thankful and show God some gratitude even for the littlest things. He deserves so much more than we’re giving. I know that some of my blessings are your losses, things you wish for yet you don’t have. It’s probably vice verse, cos I know that some of the things you are thanking God for, I am yet asking for from him.

Peace and love.

THE WORD- THE TRUTH- THE LIFE

As I fed him the pap I had in a mug that morning the tears began to flow freely down my face. He looked so frail, he looked as if he was using the last ounce of his strength to open his mouth that day. It didn't look good. I had such a bad feeling about the situation. My sister looked at me and started to cry as well. I looked around the room to see if anybody felt the same way, someone older, someone I looked up to and whose intuition I could trust. My mum. she was still calm and very composed, but when she got up and said to my dad 'Dr lets talk outside', I knew she felt it too. I knew it was pretty bad. My heart sank....

My brother had been ill and had been in the hospital for the past one week. Everything we did in this one week obviously revolved around him. They told us he had malaria. Yet with each passing day, all we saw was him getting weaker and worse. He couldn't walk on his own, hardly ate anything, was quivering all the time....,it just did not look good.

Mind you, I was home on holiday this time and this happened in the last two weeks of my holiday. I desperately needed him to get well before it was time for me to go back to work. It'd be one of two things, me going back and not concentrating on anything, feeling sad and depressed or me not resuming when I should which would have been such a problem for me at work. 'Dear God', I prayed every time I was either driving to the hospital or back home there, 'Please heal him for us'. Yet he did not improve. Most of my friends were praying for him too (I believe). I will never forget how they always checked on me at the end of each day. That was the only time I would express how I felt, because amongst my family members I think we were too afraid to speak about it. Dear God, please bless them for me.

That was the day the decision was made to move him somewhere else. The devil filled my mind with so many negatives I tell you. "Well its too late to change hospitals anyway". "This looks hopeless".  "There's hardly any life left in this chap". These are all the lies the devil filled me with and that's why I was crying already. And so when we began to get excuses from all the hospitals we thought we'd get immediate attention from,- 'all the beds are taken', 'hospital's undergoing renovation so we're off for now', I lost it. There was a convoy of about six cars filled with family members all either desperately praying or panicking. It happened when we finally got to the hospital where he would eventually get help.

As he was too weak at this point, he managed to ask for a wheel chair. GOsh, how I hate re-visit this scene. It would haunt me for days and I was not alone in this. 

As he was brought out of the car, it seemed like he was hit by something which was blinding to his eyes. He began stretch so much and stiffen at the same time. He had a grip on a friend of his, the grip was so strong his friend's watch face actually shattered. His eyes kept moving up till the black part was all gone. He seemed to be dying..... The devil was there all the while, whispering to me, saying "this was the end". I remember the chaos, everyone screaming, wailing, calling his name and asking him to stay with us. Some people were praying. I was in shock. All of a sudden I realised I didn't have to listen to that wicked voice. I began to speak the word of the Lord and make declarations and commands.

**sigh***. All I can say is, it only got better from then. He spent another two weeks in hospital. Today, he is alive and strong and a testimony I could not help showing off. God is good!!!

HERE'S THE CATCH:  Life is full of ups and downs. The ride will definitely be bumpy down the road sometimes. The situation with my brother taught me something new. The devil will use every opportunity to lie to you. And trust me, he'll choose the times when you are most depressed, when you are at your lowest. You can make a choice; God and his word are truth and life on the other hand. I know that most times it is easier to give up. But dearest, that would be buying the devil's lies. Try to praise the Lord even in the darkest of situations, stormiest weathers and the most depressing times. Speak his word- the truth, stand upon his promises, give them back to him. God honours his own word more than anything else. And the devil is disarmed when the WORD is spoken in confidence.

SO............, rise above that situation today and choose the truth over the enemy's lies.