Under Construction

Everyone’s dream is to have a house, which is well built, designed and furnished. Many times this is not the case. Some will have detached single-unit housing (bungalows) , others semi-detached dwellings, or movable dwellings like huts/tents. For all the above types, the time and resources invested will differ. A person constructing a flat will invest more time and resources compared to one putting up a bungalow or a hut. One building a flat will go an extra mile to find out where to  get good  quality raw material, interact with people who have constructed flats before.  It’s the same with growth. People desire to grow in so many areas; Spiritual, financial, physical etc. The level of growth in any of the areas will depend on how much you put in.

Starting my leadership journey has  been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life but at the same time challenging. Never in my life did I ever see myself as a leader. I enjoyed being in the background more than in the limelight. In 2017, I was exposed to an environment of people who are passionate about leadership. We would meet every week. Unlike other meetings or classes where everything taught is just head knowledge, here it wasn’t the case. Head knowledge had to be turned into something tangible. One of the assignments we were given was to start and lead a missional community (MC). I had been in an MC before but I was a member not a leader. Leading an MC and being a member are two different things. The fact is leading is harder than just being a member. Nonetheless, I swallowed the pin and on Wednesday 19th July 2017, As He Is mssional community was launched. The journey has not been smooth. At the moment, the MC has grown to 9 members with 6 active ones from 2. Growing the missional community to that level has not been a walk in the park. It has been a combination of so many things; investing in my growth by joining leadership classes, buying books, investing time etc.

This missional community report is good, “my accountability partner a.k.a coach complemented me last Saturday. He continued, “Henriettah I do not know what you did but this year your MC is doing well, attendance is consistent, frontier engagement is ok etc. I could not contain the joy that filled my heart. Now all these achievements did not happen out of the blue. I had to invest in my members, have one on ones with at least one a week, visit them, call them, affirm them and spend time with people who have led MCs before. I am happy about the progress of the MC, me as a person and for my leaders who saw the potential in me and explored it. I cant say I have arrived but I am still under construction.

Taking the perspective that we are all “under construction” enables us assume collective responsibility and concern for all. And with that awareness, we can grasp the risk of not taking action or getting involved in this work. To quote RWJF, “what is at stake for America is the possibility of losing an entire generation of productive men who will fall short of their potential, live less healthy lives and fail to build and strengthen their communities.”

 

A Poverty Spirit

When I had just finished University, I happened to get a job. My boss was a lady with so many investments; hostels, restaurants, buildings, a quarry etc. While at the quarry i would go monitor how many trucks have collected stones. Each truck would pay a minimum of 40000 per trip.  Other duties were to collect hostel fees from students, rent from all the tenants, and then bank all the money at the end of the day. The funniest moment was when the first month ended. I waited to be paid but all was in vain. Interestingly, I would bank a minimum of 1000000 everyday but she could not get 250,000/= to clear me.   After two weeks had passed, I requested to be paid and yes, she did. I continued working thinking things would change in the subsequent months but unfortunately, it just got worse. Unless you asked for your salary, you would never be paid. That was the order of the day. It’s so funny how she would always pressurize tenants. She desired to be paid but when It came to her, paying her employees was a battle.

One of the days while on my way to work,  I was coned and all the money I had for transport was taken. I arrived at work and narrated to her how I was coned. She asked, how much money I had lost. Ten thousand shillings, I responded. She got 10,000/= and gave it to me that day. But remember I am demanding her my pay for the previous month. After a period of a week, I asked for my salary. She paid me and as soon as she had handed me the money, she was like last week I gave you my 10,000/= can you please return it to me.  I got 10,000/= from the 250,000/= and gave it to her. Now was it a money problem? was it greed? or was it a poverty spirit?. It can be a combination of the three, however to me it was a sign of poverty. She had all the worldly possessions but was poor at heart.

A poverty spirit is not limited to only the poorest in our world but can be found in all income levels and it is never satisfied, it always wants more and more. I believe a person who does work deserves to be compensated for it. This is true whether  its digging ditches, washing dishes, cooking, programing computers, writing etc. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages, 1 Timothy 5:18 NKJV.

So if you have someone doing work for you? Be prepared to pay them. Honor God’s Word enough to pay them.

A poverty spirit has showed up in so many ways; in families, work places, relationships, community etc. Recently a friend told me how one of his tenants requested him to put up an outside latrine because she doesn’t want the maid to use the inside toilets. This is also an example of a poverty spirit. A maid is a human being with flesh and blood and ought to be valued.

Also, criticizing someone for spending money they have is a sign of a poverty spirit. “That money was wasted on that nice shoe/car/name it. It should have been given to the Kingdom.”

“I don’t think that church should have built that     (swimming pool, auditorium, arcade, whatever) on their property. What a waste of money.”

“Well, they just travel all the time. They probably spend all their money traveling, and have nothing left to put their kids in a decent school.”

If these sound familiar, my prayer is that God will help you build your faith for His abundance, that you will begin to follow God’s plan and His instructions as written in His Word.