Page 85 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 12

MY AFRIKA

said I was actually on the right path I thanked her and kept going but in
towards Ngong Hills. So I walked that moment what she said made a
ahead of her. lot of impression in my mind. I re-
membered the words of king David
LESSON ONE to his son Solomon. Concerning the
I came to a road literally in the midst words of wisdom from his father, Athlete running
of beautiful forest leading to the Solomon wrote in Proverbs 4:26
hills. The road was not tarmacked "Ponder the path of your feet, tree and other trees. I felt like sitting
but good to walk on and even drive And let all your ways be established. under the tree and just breathing in
on. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove the rich smell, but quickly realized
As I walked, a marathoner doing his your foot from evil." that that would defeat the second
morning training ran past me. A few lesson. So I continued walking.
minutes later another one past me In all of our journeys in life and in I passed a few more farmlands,
going the same direction of Ngong. everything we do there are always walked past some Masais, saw some
Then I realized that that particular things that come to distract us. happy kids fetching water and oth-
route was often in use by the ath- They are things that make us turn ers chasing their cattle. The air was
letes for training. As I watched the to the left or the right and by that rich with the smell of cow dung. I
runners pass me each at different lose focus from the goal and vision finally got to Ngong Hills after two
times, something occurred to me ahead of us. And more often than hours of walking. Then came my
and which became my first lesson: not, these things that are our distrac- third lesson.
IT'S OK TO RUN ALONE. tions are things that we think are
necessary for our lives but which LESSON THREE
I thought about this seemingly old are not if we look deeply from the Ngong Hills is definitely beautiful
statement and it made sense to eyes of wisdom. For instance, for and refreshing. You can't miss the
remind myself that in life I may not most people who I have met over magic of the lush greens around
have anyone telling me or cheer- time, too much "knowledge" about and the constant wind that powers
ing me to keep going on my path a thing they plan to do became their the turbines. And the vast valley
and that I have no excuse not to distraction from moving forward in of greenness below the hills was
keep moving because there are no the establishment of that very thing. definitely breath taking and magical.
cheerleaders or fans around. For There is a place for knowledge and I was very thirsty and because I had
in that forest path, there were no data, but sometimes wisdom also thought the journey was not going
single fans, friends or family mem- demands that one is "ignorant" to to be so long, I had not come with
bers to tell these athletes to keep boldly step into the future while my water bottle. A mistake I don't
going, even though they could have trusting that God will guide the path want to remember.
stopped and no one would know to what it is we have been given
they did. That was definitely pro- to establish on earth. We just have Almost as I got there I was already
found for me and a good lesson at to learn not to TURN TO THE thinking of how I was going to walk
that. RIGHT OR THE LEFT by staying back home for another two hours
FOCUSED on the goal. through bushes I was not so sure if
LESSON TWO I would remember. But then came
I continued walking on the path I continued my walk while I kept my my third lesson. LEARN TO EN-
towards the hills, got past some mind engaged on the lessons I was JOY THE LITTLE WINS.
houses and at that moment I heard learning. As I got closer to Ngong As I heard that in my spirit, I
the voice of the lady that I had met Hills, (I knew I was close because realized how often we are under so
earlier. She was calling me to tell me I could see clearly the huge wind much pressure to meet goals that we
something so I stopped to hear her. power turbines not far from me on don't appreciate and enjoy our little
Apparently she was branching into the hills) I passed a particular place moments of victories. So I relaxed a
one of the compounds along the on the road with a very rich smell bit more and spent some time med-
road. Then she told me something of Eucalyptus. It was so rich and itating and even did a video before
profound. She said "Do not turn to refreshing that I wondered why the getting back on the road towards
your right or to your left. Just keep smell was so concentrated in that home. I got home about 1pm and
going on this same road and you will particular part of the long road. was definitely happy to have taken
get to Ngong Hills." Then I looked up and saw that just that long walk, especially with the
by the road is this huge Eucalyptus lessons that came with it.

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 12 | MAY/JUNE 2021 85