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I have seen a soldier, the strongest of the fold, his stature punctuated with muscles, built from the long strife. But what is this I see, the soldier is wounded…he staggers away from the battle, and the crowd that cheered him forgot him..

I have seen a soldier, so brave so true..he has fought for long, whether the sky be gloomy or blue. But for his long consistency, they forget to cheer him through. For he has become to them, just one who’s always been.

I have seen a soldier, so small and seemingly unworthy. Oh I see the soldier’s armor, it wears him down, what sympathy! I see how they jeer at him, that he should quit the fight. Oh little David, where could your strength be?

And I see another soldier, the battle has been rough for him. And in the little army, the blows seem to aim at him. I look closer and behold!, what is this I see..his brow is bereft of despondency, his countenance full of cheer.. And as the battle rages, his joy is increased. Oh rare, joyous soldier, what buoys your spirit up?

I look a little higher and what do I see?.. You guessed it right, yes…another soldier, who fought for them all. Then my heart is wrung, as I see Him struck down. But the last soldier told me, “He has to lose for us to win”. And I see the triumph, as he rises up again.

There’s a crowd that is watching, to cheer or jeer. But the reality is, they are soldiers too. As they lay indifferent, to the battle throng, they are losing their own souls. Their mutiny is directed,to the soldier who won.. They are sealing their fate; as the ones who never fought, can never win.

Look up wounded soldier, look up little one. The One who won reminds you, you also won too. Fight on He bids you, for the fate of the battle is sealed. Why should you fear, for a war already conquered?…

adapted from ” I saw one weary” hymn 441.

Hypothetically, let’s assume you’re a lady and you’re alone at home. Its evening and you’re preparing your supper. Now suppose a guy, maybe your neighbour comes knocking at your door and on opening, he just says that he wanted to say hi, but he remains standing at the door…would you ask him to come in? Its only neighborly, right?

Now what is personal space?.. Aah my memory takes me back to the good old high school English classes which I would gladly attend once more if offered, for the teacher was quite the character. But little did I understand this topic up until now… Well personal space is generally a perceived region surrounding an individual which they regard as theirs. Now the reason it is perceived is because there is no definite standard to measure this. It varies from individual to individual based on factors like personality and temperaments, relationship etcetera.. It is like a second skin.

Now without delving much into proxemics, can we just talk about how this space is important!!.. Observe how this perceived region is violated today. You meet a guy today, tomorrow the only way for him to say hi is to hug you! Cohabiting now is the order of the day. It can even come down to just someone holding on your hand for a bit too long!

It is sad to see just how low we have stooped. And the effects are quite evident and distinct. Look at how many deaths are reported of people allegedly killed by their lovers! Could it be that they let them in their space too soon? Listen to how many cases of rape being reported. I’m sure some are the results of trusting people too much to let them into space that should be yours or forced themselves into spaces not theirs.

Something nearly similar to the illustration I gave above happened to me. Now I did not welcome him in and it has made me to question myself a lot especially in line with my Christian walk. Now perhaps he is just friendly…and to be fair he did not force nor ask to come in. I’m I selfish?, Was it rude? I don’t know you tell me.. But my dear reader, presumption is sin. You do not walk right into a hole then pray that the Almighty should defy the laws of gravity to come to your rescue. He doesn’t work that way. Instead He invites us to be reasonable, He says, ” Come let us reason together. “. Where did the rain start beating us?

As I conclude allow me to propose a few recommendations.. Can we learn to speak up when someone is crossing the line? Can we even first draw our personal space line? Can we stop placing ourselves in positions that will force us to compromise our space? Shall we try to respect the spaces of the people around us? I think the bar is too low!

Loving your neighbour as you love yourself will be easier this way. At least for me….

They said “Mgeni njoo, mwenyeji apone,” . With nostalgia, I reminisce our typical African home when visitors came around. Oh how even our pots knew that there were guests, because the food they prepared, was not in our usual menu.

But the saddest part is when they had to leave. For me it left, and still leaves, a dreaded emptiness as though I wasn’t completely fine before they came.

But now that’s beside the point. However with the illustration, come with me to my recent school of thought… How does it feel to be always left behind? To be always the one sending them off with a goodbye? To be always the one to applaud when they move to a better stage, a better age or just another step?

I’ll lay down my pride and frankly say, I hate it! It doesn’t sit well with me. Well at least up to now..Listen..

We are so often in an illusion of a better place, a better time or more, I’m sure you’ve heard, “brighter days are coming,” Now, who I’m I to say no..but hear me out before you go, listen…” Our consciousness is almost completely preoccupied with memory and expectation. We do not realize that there never was, is, nor will be any other experience than present experience. We are therefore out of touch with reality. ” Alan Watts.

And before my Christian brethren stone me, I do not seek to recant my hope of the heavenly abode. But could it be, that we’re so heavenly-minded, so “better days”-minded, that we forget the beauty of now, the beauty of where we are. How ever hard now may be, I dare quote at the expense of being mediocre, that there is a silver lining.

How about we live the best out of now. How about we applaud for them not because our turn is coming, but that there is beauty in walking your own journey. Beauty in trusting the hand that leads. That when tomorrow comes, or ‘ better‘ comes, you’ll leave with nothing left.

I want to stay where I’m at, to do what I need to do, as if there is no other place I could be. And when I leave, if I leave, I’ll leave with nothing left!

But godliness with contentment is great gain.1Tim6:6