At 15 years old my life was changed in the most radical way possible when I found out that what my heart was longing for was not stuff or popularity or girls or family or fun. My heart was aching with longing for meaning and I was keenly aware of the meaninglessness of life lived for all of the things this world had to offer. One night, lying in a tent in the jungles of Florida at a youth camp I found myself in a crisis moment and prayed that God would make Himself real to me. When I woke up I had a sense that something had changed, I grabbed a Bible and opened it up. My eyes fell on these words of Jesus, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
As I read the words, "rest for your souls", I felt like my heart was going to explode! I suddenly realized that what my heart was longing for was a Person and His name was Jesus. What money and friendships and family and pleasures could not do, Jesus could. What I needed was not anything this world had to offer, what I needed was Jesus. I began that day to feast my soul on the greatest banquet imaginable. I began to find my joy and satisfaction and meaning and life in my relationship with Him. I discovered that Jesus Himself is meaning, He is joy, He is peace, He is what our hearts actually long for and need! I told everyone I could find at camp. I wrote letters to every person I had addresses for back home. I wanted everyone to know the greatest discovery of my life. When I finally went back to my home a month later I began to tell my friends and family and anyone who would listen. I walked the streets of my city, the buses, the trains, the restaurants, even going door to door from house to house just telling everyone I could find who would listen. Most people graciously listened, a few even listened enough to taste this reality for themselves and were changed like I was. They too found Jesus to be their life and joy and meaning. My classmates, my teachers, my church, my parents all encouraged me and even helped me learn how to share with more graciousness, gentleness and wisdom. I graduated from high school and went to Bible College with the plan to spend my life telling people all over the world about the all-satisfying nature of Jesus and having a relationship with Him.
After my first year of college I travelled to Kenya to tell people about Jesus. In Kenya I had the wonderful opportunity of speaking in the open air to crowds of 200-500 people twice a day for a few weeks. Hundreds of people joyfully received Jesus as their meaning and life and peace and I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. 20 years later, I found myself in Kenya again training and teaching pastors how to bring people to Jesus. I had a wonderful time again and fell in love again with the beautiful people and country. Leaving Kenya 20 years later was emotional for me. In a small airport in Kisumu as I was going through security I absentmindedly forgot that the bottle of water in my hand was a forbidden as a liquid to go with me. The guard stopped me and pointed at my bottle of water. He let me know that I couldn't take it with me. I stopped and asked him where the closest garbage was so that I could throw it in. He told me not to throw it away but to take the time to drink it (even though there was a line of people behind me waiting). And then he spoke these words, "Maji Ni Uhai" - "Water is Life". I love learning vocabulary of languages when I travel and though I knew each of these words I had never heard them put together in this sentence before. He told me this was a very important saying in a hot, dry country like Kenya. As soon as I realized what he was saying it dawned on me. Jesu Ni Uhai!!! Jesus is life! That was the lesson I learned 25 years ago in the jungles of Florida. It was the message I had shared with anyone and everyone who would listen in my youthful days in my home city. It was the message I had brought to Kenya 20 years earlier. It was still the message I was teaching others to share in Kenya now and it was the message I wanted my whole life to be about.
I am 42 years old now. I still discover every single day that this world can't satisfy. I still rediscover every single day that Jesus alone can fill my heart and that if I will drink of Him who is the Living Water I will not thirst but be truly satisfied. Jesus is life! Jesu Ni Uhai!
After my first year of college I travelled to Kenya to tell people about Jesus. In Kenya I had the wonderful opportunity of speaking in the open air to crowds of 200-500 people twice a day for a few weeks. Hundreds of people joyfully received Jesus as their meaning and life and peace and I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. 20 years later, I found myself in Kenya again training and teaching pastors how to bring people to Jesus. I had a wonderful time again and fell in love again with the beautiful people and country. Leaving Kenya 20 years later was emotional for me. In a small airport in Kisumu as I was going through security I absentmindedly forgot that the bottle of water in my hand was a forbidden as a liquid to go with me. The guard stopped me and pointed at my bottle of water. He let me know that I couldn't take it with me. I stopped and asked him where the closest garbage was so that I could throw it in. He told me not to throw it away but to take the time to drink it (even though there was a line of people behind me waiting). And then he spoke these words, "Maji Ni Uhai" - "Water is Life". I love learning vocabulary of languages when I travel and though I knew each of these words I had never heard them put together in this sentence before. He told me this was a very important saying in a hot, dry country like Kenya. As soon as I realized what he was saying it dawned on me. Jesu Ni Uhai!!! Jesus is life! That was the lesson I learned 25 years ago in the jungles of Florida. It was the message I had shared with anyone and everyone who would listen in my youthful days in my home city. It was the message I had brought to Kenya 20 years earlier. It was still the message I was teaching others to share in Kenya now and it was the message I wanted my whole life to be about.
I am 42 years old now. I still discover every single day that this world can't satisfy. I still rediscover every single day that Jesus alone can fill my heart and that if I will drink of Him who is the Living Water I will not thirst but be truly satisfied. Jesus is life! Jesu Ni Uhai!
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
