Forty five congregants pioneered this church. Half being missionaries and the other half comprised mostly of high school students. The senior pastor at Parklands Baptist Church has shared the story on a couple of occasions. He has shared it with much excitement and hope, giving his congregants a glimpse of the past and hope for growth and prosperity in the future. If you have been to the church you’ll understand why this reminder of how it all began stirs belief and hope. The land the church is on now has a school, offices, main church sanctuary, a tent structure for the youth service and a pavilion to accommodate over-flow of congregants. I wonder if the forty five ever knew that their efforts would become this mammoth church.
This type of growth is not only unique to churches; it is also present in another form of deity. This is not blasphemy but an emphasis of how followers are loyal and emotionally invested in it, sports. Football is one sport I keenly follow, both local and international football. You can tell the similarities of a diehard Gor Mahia fan and a season ticket holder at Liverpool, enthusiastically supporting their team. Did the railway workers who found Manchester United football club know how it would turn out to be? When it was bankrupt and almost wound up did the fans know how long it would survive? Luckily some business men took a risk to bail out the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway football club and later named it Manchester United. Now one of the biggest football clubs in the world.
A cliché this might be, Lao-tze said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step.” A leap of faith, jumping straight into the unknown, is how I see it. The series of events that happen after are beyond our control. We cannot tell when the challenges will arrive at our doorsteps, when the results will start to show or how the results will manifest. The best we can do is imagine the end result in our dreams and visions, plan and dutifully carry out what we set out to do and keep at it with consistency. Once you start is when you begin to learn your lessons through failure and success. The journey is unique to an individual or organisation, so do not let the world dictate what successes you celebrate and lessons you learn. In this age of social media, some observers see your milestones as ‘non-issues’, but they can never fully know what you have been through. Sometimes other peoples’ successes might make you feel insignificant; I think it is important to understand that we are all a speck on a speck. Yes we are unique but of equal importance like the stars in the sky.
A lady, I only know her as Kate started a forum where mental issues are discussed, Deep DAK (Depression Anxiety Kenya) forum. From just four sessions I have seen a forum become a family. I don’t know what challenges she went through and how she met Matilda and the rest who help her organise it but I’m glad she took the leap of faith. What I learned from this is we might not be the one starting the race off but we can assist however started it finish. You were not there when a church is found but you are important because as a Christian you have the common vision to proclaim the gospel. You might have not been alive when your favourite team played their first game but without you and other fans like you progress will be impossible. This blog will be lifeless without you taking your time right now to read it. We are inter-connected, all on their own journey with traveller joining in to help and leave when they have fulfilled their purpose.
Finally a message to my fellow Kenyans, it is important we understand that we have a collective responsibility to make the Kenyan dream a reality. If you have an interest in a sector, you have to invest your time, resources and ideas to see it prosper. Not by coincidence that you were born in Kenya, or you have the passion you have, it is about time you do something about it. We sometimes wait for a ‘saviour’ from a far land, an idea of a person or organisation that will change our fortunes. That is not sustainable, I think the best way is to start with what you have and recruit the necessary help in a gradual process. If you are a football fun, you have a duty to get involved in matters football in Kenya. Nobody will come to clean up shop from outside and if they do their interests might not be good. This applies to other areas too, and if the motivation is not common good, think about the benefits you and your offspring will enjoy. No effort is negligible, step out of the boat like Peter and walk on water. Just do it.
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