THE ORANGE FREEBIE.

There’s this washing detergent that wraps a gift inside the detergent pack (the big sized one) to encourage people to consume more of this product. This time around it was an orange plastic cup (see picture below) concealed in the pack under the detergent power. It wasn’t exactly a captivating gift but we decided to keep it never the less and resorted to use it for scooping boiled water to brush our teeth. Sometimes I find myself using it for drinking water for my morning water rituals.

The story with this cup goes like this; having been inside the washing detergent for so long, it took on the smell of this powder to the extent that no matter how many times we’ve washed it, the smell can never go away. We’ve had it for 4 months now, but trust me; it smells of washing detergent almost as bad as the first day we got it, but for some reason we can’t get rid of it (free things!)

In my early morning water ritual, I sub consciously picked it (the freebie) from the utensils rack in my half asleep half-awake stupor, poured the drinking water and yuck, the smell of detergent hit my nose, it was as if that I was drinking from a wash basin. And being half a sleep I opened my eyes to be sure that I actually wasn’t drinking from a basin, (I’ve never understood why I drink water with my eyes closed). The reflex thing to do in this case is to retract the cup and examine the contents there in, but I was caught midair by the shrieking voice of my mother (voices in my head), ‘finish that water, its filtered and clean, pouring it is wastage of food,’ (is water food?). Anyhow, the voice is real and persistent, that voice that makes me feel guilty for pouring left overs even in my adult life, that voice that can’t stand any wastage. (Thinking about it, have you ever wondered why in the story of Jesus in the book of the apostle John the sixth chapter feeding thousands, he insisted that the left overs are collected so that there wouldn’t be any wastage John 6:12? I mean, this dude had just fed five thousand people excluding the number of women and children with just two fish and five loaves of bread!) With the ‘voice’ I had to persevere with the smell and force the water down my throat till I emptied the orange cup. On the last mouthful gulp, that’s when an amazing analogy came to mind, hence reason for this write up. So the story doesn’t end with the orange freebie and my mother’s voice from child hood that refuses to go away, that would not be worth the OTT TAX.

The analogy was about how it’s just the same with the temptations that we face as we go through life, the pleasantries the devil offers us; that job offer that comes with un ethical and immoral compromises to be made ; may be bending the truth about your work experience, or giving in to the boss’ request for a lunch time hide away to get that promotion, or may be a kick back to get that contract, a bribe to that official to push your paper work, no matter what it is,  isn’t it just like the freebie cup and the detergent smell, the ‘evil ‘smell never goes away. No matter the success, or break through that came with the compromise, other people might not see it, but you will always know because the smell never goes away. You should ask the corrupt official who built that fancy mansion from the money he swindled; the walls are always reminding him, if not they will, sooner or later, even if it means at their last hour. So no matter how enticing the enemy offers in a reward for disobedience, trust me it will always turn out as a cheap freebie that comes with a constant smell to always remind you where it came from.

Well, you might be asking, have you not seen how tough it is in this country to do things the right way? To get a contract you have to reserve a kick back, to get a job, there a compromises about the truth that need to be made before any reasonable job can be acquired, to get any free public service, you have to pay for it. Without a doubt, it seems to be getting harder and harder to do right and stand by the truth in the Uganda of today. And all around us are examples of people that seem to be prospering out of dishonest means, however on closer look there seems to be a great out pouring of God’s grace to those that choose to stand firm, holding on to the truth as they know it. Men and women who refuse to give up, who would rather say no to a job offer than offer their bodies, individuals that won’t accept to offer that contract to the losing bidder….. However, I should importantly add that the great resolve and commitment to doing right, Is not usually out of these individuals’ strenuous moral striving, no it’s not their self-effort and cleaner than thou crusade. They are not foolish enough to believe that they can complete with their own effort what was begun by God. They are not strong enough or smart enough to resist the sophistication of these men and evil that they meet daily, they have put their trust in the one who began it all; God the author of our salvation, who snatched them out of the very evil life that we mentioned here, they responded to His message of saving faith. They believed in the gracious offer of reconciliation through Christ who offered himself as a sacrifice for all our sins. And God’s plan is that we all experience this message of forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption and right living and service.

So are you a Christian wrestling with the inner turmoil of your inability to obey what you know to be the truth? Is doing the right thing and standing against evil too overwhelming of late? Then remember where it all began, your first love, and let that love take you back at the foot of the cross, where all groaning and helplessness is poured out in sincerity with no shame. Go to that place of self-abandonment again into the able hands of your savior, call upon His name and He will surely come to your rescue. Don’t give in, don’t give up.

Are you a man or woman of the “world” who is completely sold out to the ways of the world? What we regard as a dishonest way of life, is normal life to you, a life of no guilt or remorse, no shame or conviction whatsoever about the so called wrong living, then you are way much emptier and lost than you will ever think or imagine. Your destination is eternal separation from your creator and eternal damnation in hell and torment. However, the call is out for you today as well. The one who gave up his life for you on the cross invites you; He is knocking at the door of your heart. Listen to his still small tender voice today while the call is still out, and if you open the door of your heart, he will come in and forgive all your sins, cleanse you and wash you with his blood, he will then replace your stony heart with a heart that is tender and obedient to His word. Come just as you are wrenched and sinful, and He won’t reject your step of faith, come, just come! Just as you are! Jesus will receive you in His wide open arms!

Shalom.