Fishes Swim With the Current - Barouk Almaw

Trying to think different in an environment that doesn’t invite innovation or exceptionality is very tough. Whether it’s at school or a work place, it’s hard to stand against the current and stick out.  

Senior year was one of the toughest years throughout my high school. That was the year I decided to turn against the current and face the stampede that was rushing me into darkness. After a truly legendary time experiencing God, I realized my place in society; my eyes were opened to where I was supposed to be and where I wasn’t. That powerful encounter with God could not have come at a better time, two days before school had started. 

That transition was an awkward moment for my friends and I. It was abrupt and sudden and my friends suddenly no longer knew who I was. The person they knew had went through a complete metamorphosis and they didn’t know what to do about it. 

Transformations are events that shake you up. They give you a new perspective on life, showing you a bird’s eye view of what your life is like, and where you currently stand in the “plan”. Moments like these are rare, never frequent. 

Through out my life, I’ve had a few moments that I call life changing. Sadly, because of inexperience, lack of prayer and sense of purpose, I would lose all that fire inside, and end up confused and dazed, just like my pre-transformed self. But my last legendary “moment”, was too valuable for me to lose. I did not let the world sidetrack and distract me. I was able to keep the fire alive by keeping the connection with God constant and strong.  

Soon, school suddenly seemed appealing. I had changed. I became generous, patient and understanding. I felt extremely satisfied and fulfilled with my life and my heart was full of joy. Yet, the enemy, of course not too far away from good decisions, will try everything in his power to toss you away from the clear view of your destiny. He tried to destroy that excellent signal of connection I had with God. My friends noticing my change suddenly had larger attention spans towards me. I was pushed harder into different things like drugs, clubbing, alcohol, and other small things that didn’t necessarily caress my conscience. These moments are where you will actually make a life changing decision; to listen to the spider sense like feeling that triggers in the heart and soul, telling you not to go, not to give up something much bigger for the enemy, for only a few laughs just to end up like you were before, post transformation, post change. It becomes an ultimatum, two choices so vivid and real staring you at the face. 

My senior year was incredible. I was no longer slacking, no longer fooling around in class. I suddenly had an idea about who I was and who I was not, what was important and what was not. I saw that the crowds I used to hang out with were the wrong ones. I sometimes had fun and enjoyed my time with them, but I had realized that I didn’t have to change myself to fit into their description. This time, it was their turn to try to prove themselves to me. 

This one time, I will never forget: I was sitting in the exam room. The proctor decides to put one of my classmates right next to me. Personally, I had decided to avoid all cheating by sitting in front of the class. Unfortunately, I was seated in the back where anything could happen. So my classmate, an underachiever, winks at me, waiting until I flip the pages to show her my answers. I let out a crooked smile understanding that my next step would shape my conscience. I decided to keep silent. I kept working and the girl kept nagging but I just minded my own test. At an instant, the whole class had turned to faint whispers of “What’s he doing?” and “I can’t believe he’s not showing her.” After a little while, I was done. I checked my answers and handed it over to the teacher. I walked out without looking back yet feeling those flesh-piercing eyes staring at me. The aftermath was grueling; the class had labeled me as a wannabe, most of my friends wanting nothing to do with me. But in my heart, utter peace.  

What I want to say, what I believe everyone should know, is that Jesus has laid his life on the line, sacrificed himself for your salvation, for your eternal life, for your shame and disgrace. You have become a new creation, a new being. You are leaders, salt and light of the earth. We shouldn’t fall weak to the world’s evil prowess. We are people with vast responsibilities, warriors in the Great War. We are people with amazing futures. We should take courage; wear our full armor and fight. Fight not like the helpless fish that gets carried around in the current. Stand your ground and fight against the current for we are the chosen and the esteemed. We will fight drugs, alcohol, pornography addiction and we will triumph over insecurity, confusion, depression and laziness. We the people of God will rise from the chaos that is the world to glorify our creator’s name. Don’t be like the fish. Fight the current. Fight back! 

Think to Listen - Yonatan Zenebe

A generation is a lot to lose.

I feel as though our generation has become so independent, to the point where we think we can do anything before we’re even mature enough to understand what we actually need. At least that’s what I went through. 16-19 is a very hard time; it’s a period in our lives where we’re sure that we are completely in control of our lives, and know better than everyone else.

I think one of the youth’s greatest flaws is lacking humility and increased self-righteousness. I remember having this arrogant mentality, “I know what to do, I can do this all by myself, I don’t need anyone to tell me otherwise.” It affected me to the point of disregarding anything my parents said to me; I just toned them out. I used to get really upset because they were strict and I wasn’t allowed to go out as much as I wanted. In truth, I started turning into a very snarky person who thought he knew it all. I’m not even sure how I ended up that way; like I had everything figured out, and when someone told me otherwise, I would end up hating and resenting that person. This is the case with not just me, but most of us.

In a way, it turns us into these rude, anti-authority individuals. And then, we end up making friends with others like us: people who disregard the warnings and pleads of the older generation.  Our ego keeps rising and our arrogance skyrockets.  We somehow justify rebellion, but the thing is, a rebellion without a humble cause will fail miserably.

Society has a set of rules, and these rules dictate, to some extent, what you can and can’t do. Meaning, you aren’t fully in control of your decisions, most are a given, a must. So what I, as a youth, wanted to do was break these rules, and break free of society’s expectations. I think that’s what we all tried to do at one point or another. It starts off small, maybe stealing gum from a supermarket or smoking a cigarette. But then it increases - because the more rules you break the more ‘in control’ you are. Before you know it, you’ve gone too far. You become an addict, you start drinking and driving. I shudder at the thought of all the things we could run into as a result of this. Rather, we need to be smart about our choices, know when to make our own choices and when to listen.

There are a lot of things we can learn from our parents and older generation. It didn’t make sense half the time but I’m glad my parents didn’t permit me to leave the house sometimes. Sure it didn’t seem fair then, but now when I look back, I see they actually saved me from making mistakes that I’d probably end up paying for for the rest of my life. I wish I had reacted differently then, but it’s definitely not too late now. 

Imagine how all this looks from God’s perspective. He is so mighty, so great and has an amazing plan for your life, but you mess it us simply because you ‘know’ what’s best. But if we have pride in our hearts, and selfish reasons for doing things, then how is God supposed to use us? How is he supposed to lead us to change our neighbourhood let alone the world?

One of the hardest lessons God has been continuously teaching me is that you can’t approach Him with your own finished work; a work that you deem good enough based on your own knowledge and understanding. It doesn’t work that way. You can’t downplay God by trying to figure Him and your dreams out by yourself. By making your dreams and visions remotely tangible, you’re telling God you don’t need Him! We can never begin to comprehend the way God thinks. The truth is, our plans will fail but God’s will always prevail.

We need to be humble and ask God to lead the way. We need to be humble enough to realize that we can’t do this on our own; that we will need to be guided by God and also listen to what the older generation has to offer. Humility - that’s the only way I can make a change, and that’s the only way our generation can make a change. 

It’s time for us to stop ignoring the older generation and start listening to them. It’s time to stop pushing them aside because our ego. We need to stand next to them to be stronger. It’s time that the gaps between the generations to be filled with love, hope and respect.

What Happened? - Nafkot Gebeyehu

When we were little, our fathers seemed as heroes who were all-powerful and all-knowing. Our mothers were like these women totally made of love and understanding. We craved to hear their voices and loved to eat whatever they prepared for us. Childhood was that safe and care free place sheltered by parents. Being the little kids we were, we never opposed their authority. Rather, we embraced it.

Growing up, we started to beg for answers. Why is my mother this way? Why can’t my father be like that? Why am I always obligated to obey them and do whatever they ask of me? What will happen if I stopped doing that? Mothers were no longer the sweet women we adore; they appeared to be control freaks obsessed with manipulating our moves. Fathers appeared to be more demanding than ever pressing our buttons and holding our backs against the wall. Home was no longer a place where we felt free to run around at; it started to feel like a place filled with judgment and misunderstanding. Our parents were no longer our super heroes; they became our arch enemies. My question, what happened? 

The following story could help explain that.

This is a story of one girl. She was raised in a Christian home, and her parents gave her nothing but love. They showed her the truth. The truth about God and His love for all. Her childhood was a great memory; mom taking care of her and treating her like the apple of her eye. Dad constantly providing for her needs and giving her his all. Then something happened. She grew up. She became a “teenager”. She started to demand more; at times, more than what she should. She started spending longer hours with friends and her time for parents narrowed. 

Her friends became her priority. Whatever they said became law to her. She started to hate her home; she went out early in the morning and come back late at night. Consequently, her parents and she started drifting apart. The more distant they became, the closer she got to things she was raised to stay away from. She stopped asking permission. She got used to many things. Tradition she got from her parents became something lame and awkward. 

Her parents tried to fix her - not that she was broken. But was rushing herself in that direction; where many would get lost. Their advice didn’t seem convincing. She told herself, “They are over thinking, they are being “parents”, they don’t know me, they don’t get me and they think I’m something I’m not.” She had surrounded herself with plenty of excuses to not accept their genuine worry. Besides, almost everyone she knew was going through the ‘oh, I hate my parents!’ phase. So, if she run out of excuses, it was just a matter of seconds before someone would come along agitated about their parent-child crisis. 

Time passed. The more her parents tried to reason with her, the more defensive she became. The more defensive she became, the stronger the words became. The stronger the words became, hearts started getting broken. The more hearts got broken, the easier it became to ignore the problems and simply agree to disagree. It starts out slow, but it’s a chain reaction that could elevate easily.

Let’s pause for a bit. I am sure that this is a story we all can relate to. At some point, we all lose that ability to see eye to eye with our parents and everything they say sounds either offensive, manipulative or simply annoying. 

I know there are some kids with a really smooth relationship with their parents. On the other hand, there are some parents who are very dysfunctional, unreasonable and just impossible to communicate and deal with. I am talking about the majority of us who lie in between these two contrasts when I say, being young and having parents who really care enough to bug us in everything we do can get very tough at times.   

There is one story that comes to my mind when I think about obeying parents. In this case, a Father and His Son. The Father had a goal in mind. To accomplish it, He sent His Son on a very challenging mission. He told Him, “Go, suffer and die on a cross like a criminal so I can save and show my love to people.” He told Him to leave his royalty and kingship, be born as man, in a barn. I know, you are probably thinking, ‘but Jesus is JESUS, a God! He is nothing like me.’ But no, He was a child. A son. He had a Father; He obeyed and respected Him. And we often forget, when Jesus was born as man, He really became man. He felt each pain and hurt, just like us. When He reached His darkest moment and was scared, He prayed to His father. Again, just like us. The difference was that His prayer was so that His father’s will would be done – not His own.  

I believe there are some serious obedience lessons to be learned from Jesus! He humbly resigned His heavenly position, not only to show us His love but also His obedience. Regardless the stormy emotions and ideas that seem to be smart and catchy, we need to obey our parents. 

Obedience ranges from saying yes to understanding that whatever our parents tell us to do now will benefit us in the long run, if not now.  It’s a very simple yet a hard way to show our love to them. Because, honestly, if it doesn’t come to us naturally, well they earned it! Raising us, putting up with everything we put them through (I am sure we all have something to say) is not easy. My advice: no matter what we are going through with our parents, obeying them is the easiest, smartest and Christian way to handle our relationship. For all we know, they won’t be here for too long, and soon, we will be regretting all the moments we spent withholding our obedience. 

Ephesians 6 “children obey your parents in the lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on earth. And ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord!”

Who Am I? - Reuben Itegboje

Growing up, figuring out who I was always an issue. I would lay down at night analyzing myself as a human being. I asked myself several questions. Are the things I say properly representing me? Am I going down the right path? Do I truly believe in what I am being taught? Am I here to make an impact? Then how? Am I here to make my parents or myself proud? Am I here to epitomize my religion or beliefs? Would I be castigated if I tried to explore places that I shouldn’t? These questions have been bothering me for as long as I can remember. 

Because of my dad’s job as a diplomat, my family relocated frequently. Having a cosmopolitan life, in the sense that I kept moving every three years to a new country, made my quest to finding who I really was even harder. I went through each day looking at other’s lives feeling like they’ve got everything figured out, like they know who they are and who they want to be and I was trying to catch up. 

I started education in Venezuela, where I attended grade school. I remember one day, a friend came up to me and asked me where I was from. I told him I was from Venezuela, not knowing how else to answer him. Being in an all-Venezuelan school, I felt like I was a part of them, just looked different. Teachers were a little biased because I was a foreigner but I never really noticed it. I believed that I lived in Venezuela as a Venezuelan. Then I moved to the United States. That move was a different ball game. I was a bit more mature, had a more vivid understanding of who I was. However, I was not at all close to figuring where I was going. People constantly asked me about what I wanted to be when I grew up. All I knew was that I wanted to be someone important that would help the world in any way possible. The trait I developed to be there for my friends, helping them through social and family problems shaped me in such a way. 

With the move to the Philippines, great confusion headed my way. There, I learnt most of the things I know today. They try to teach you as many things as possible and get you involved in several activities. I was in the debate club, piano club, table tennis club, computer club, soccer team, music club, the little scientists club, the basketball team and much more. Having all of this in my arsenal caused a conflict inside me. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself. My friends knew exactly what they liked and what they wanted to be in the future while I was there more clueless than ever. Whenever my teacher asked me what I wanted to be, I always gave more than ten answers. When she said I had to choose one, I’d end up toungue tied, having nothing to say. 

I was a very precocious child in a lot of ways, and having to constantly move to random places was not helping me define myself. I thought if I grew up in one country, it would have been much simpler. Most people say that they wished for a life like mine but really, I would have loved to stay in one place and figured out who I am. I dreaded those moments that I would cry by the end of my stay in countries. I had to uproot and leave behind what I had grown accustomed to and go to an entirely new place, a different setting, people… It was annoying to have to say goodbye everytime I started to feel at home. I was tired of learning new cultures and making new friends after leaving behind old ones, knowing that I won’t really stick around. But I got used to it. I had to. It affects me to this day because I still have problems opening up to new people because I fear that like always, I would have to leave them soon. I have a skill that allows me to get to know a person without really opening up about myself. Family was the only thing that was constant in my life.

Finally, high school came. I thought that by then I should know who I am and what my purpose is. I was in Ethiopia. When I heared that my dad was posted there, I remember not liking it. I felt like I would not be able to accomplish anything there. I was so wrong. High school there helped me funnel all my ideas into one. It helped improve on all my talents while figuring out who I was. I was also very comfortable there. I found others like me, kids who were skeptical about their futures. We were in a journey together, and so I felt a sense of belonging. My relationship with God strengthened during this period. Things started to be clearer. The way I saw things changed.  

I became really close to my dad in high school. I would go to his office every now and then to ask him several questions. He would still sit me down and tell me all about life; how it can be hard but also enjoyable at the same time. We talked a great deal about time and the need to used it wisely. I remember a conversation we had about where he stared from, how he came to be the person he is today. He told me that just like me, he also used to be very confused, and growing up in those days was not as easy as now. He told me about the hardships he went through; how he had to provide for himself after his father died at a young age. My dad said a lot of powerful words to me. One of which that summarizes it all is, “Boy! Life is beautiful. Just never tell yourself that something is too hard. Go through it with a positive attitude.” These words remind me to stay strong during during tough times. 

Now, I’m back in The States. I’m in college. I still have not fully defined what my future is but the difference is, I’ve realized that it’s okay. I know who I am. I am Reuben Iteboge, a Nigerian. I am a Christian, I play lots of instruments, I love all genres of music (except heavy metal), I love sports, I read not for fun but to benefit myself as a whole, I love culture, I uphold my beliefs, I love, I hate, I make mistakes, I try to be the best that I can be, I am a global citizen and I represent my family. This is who I am. And as to what my future is, as long as God is with me, I have no worries there. I trust that God has an amazing plan for my life and He will reveal that to me soon enough. Until then, I’ve learned to take each day, one at a time. 

The Prince and His Princess - Kuki Geleta

This is the story of how I fell in love. 

When I was little, as most others, I frequented those Disney movies. The love stories just took my heart away. I couldn’t wait until I met my prince: that handsome man with a horse; he would come rescue me and we’d live happily ever after in our big castle. Unfortunately, Disney did me wrong. As I grew up, I saw how life really was. I started to give up on this mysterious prince who would come to find me. Everything that I saw and heard about didn’t only take my hopes away but also left me damaged, scarred,  unable to trust or love, afraid to open up or say what I feel. It was very ugly, painful. My heart could bare it no longer.

In a faraway land, in a farther away time, there lived a king who had a son. They lived in a totally different world than mine. Their land was filled with joy, peace and abundant love. All the people of the land loved their king. But then one day, one of the king’s servants decided to rebel. He turned the people of the land against the king. They went out of control and destroyed everything the king had ever given them. They didn’t last long. Soon, that jealous servant made the people of the land his prisoners.

The prince saw this and was very sad. He asked his father, “I want to go fight for them and bring them back.” So the king sent his son to the people of the land. The prince fought for his people because even though they revolted against his father, he still loved them so much. He went through a great war to gain them back. He even died for a bit while fighting for them. But then he won. He freed his people, delivered them from slavery and restored their free will. But only a few chose to go back with the prince; the rest stayed as prisoners. This made the prince very sad; it broke his heart to see his loved ones still imprisoned. 

I was one of those who chose to go with the prince. He became my prince. I had been waiting all my life to find this prince. He loved me so much, rescued me from a horrible situation and invited me to live in the biggest castle with him. The story didn’t even stop there! He not only made me his beloved princess, but also showed and taught me how to live like a beloved princess. Ever since that day he rescued me, He’s been shaping and molding me. Knowing me and my past, I was not an easy task. Boy did I give him a hard time! I was bitter, guarded and didn’t want to let him in. I pushed him away when he showed me love. I was scared. But that’s when I saw his true nature, who he really is and how he loves; unconditionally.  He was not disgusted or frustrated by me. In fact, I was disgusted and frustrated by me. But his love always out ran everything I did. 

This love over took me. Before I knew it, I started to change and built all my life around him. He became my world, my passion, my inspiration, the reason I wake up every day and the reason I smiled. His love became the source of my new-found joy, peace and hope. Then I suddenly realized, I was utterly and unbelievably in love with him. I saw myself through his eyes. Oddly enough, I saw him in me. He rubbed off on me. I started doing things as he would. My relationship with my parents, family and friends started to better. My behavior around the house started changing. Everything started going right for the first time in my life.  

That little girl who had given up on her dream of knowing a love so deep, being loved and loving back, finally found it. I still can’t believe that such a love exists; a love that erased all my past and gave me a bright future. Seeing life through his eyes, it all makes sense now. And even if I could search eternity, I wouldn’t find the beginning or end to this love. So on this journey of life, I will try to see as much as I can, receive as much as possible and share just as much. This love transforms, heals and renews. This love is just so great and amazing. I am after this love. I am after my prince’s heart. I am the Kuki after God’s own heart.

This is to all the girls out there who have been told ‘It is just a fairytale,’ ‘a Hollywood story,’ ‘it doesn’t exist,’ ‘you’re not worthy of that kind of love’ or for those of you who have been discouraged by the relationships around you or the relationships you were in. I am a living proof that it does exist. This love is calling out to you right now, it wants to rescue you, heal you, renew you and give you the desires of your heart.

If you have taken the pen out of your prince’s hand, put it in your own and tried to write your story, then you need to give it back to the author of life, Jesus. He will surprise you. He will not disappoint you, nor let you down. He has your best interest in mind at all times, even in the times you doubt him. Stop resisting and pushing him away. Let this love overtake you. Don’t let your past hold you back.  

Fathers Fail You Lately? - Hizkias Neway

One of the qualities of God is that He is a Father. I find the thought of “God as my Father” to be very overwhelming. It is much easier to think of the Creator of the universe as a Supreme Being, who is far removed and distinct from us in every way, than simply our Father. To think of God as a Father makes this Supreme Ruler suddenly so relational and intimate with us – it makes Him family. What a radical thought! And yet…it is exactly this we were made for – to be sons and daughters in the Family of God!

I have found that some people are deeply troubled by the word “father.” For them, the word “father” is one that reminds them of disappointments and unpleasant memories. This being so, they struggle to embrace God as a father, their unpleasant memories of their earthly fathers having tainted their perception of what a father really is. 

I fear that the same may hold true from a “generational” perspective in the body of Christ. I know for a fact that there are many young people in the body of Christ, myself included, who have seen and experienced faults from some they considered to be their “fathers” in the church. By the way, when I say “fathers,” I am including both “mothers and fathers.” So ladies…you can chill out. :P  

So let me ask you, what is our response when we find the father-figures of the body at fault? How should we respond? I will offer you a few solutions – 

1. Ask yourself and God if it really is them who is at fault.

2. If the answer to the last point is “yes,” love ‘em.

3. Protect your faith.

Whose Fault Is It Anyway?

Possibly the most important question to ask when we find “fathers” at fault is to prayerfully ask if it is really them who are at fault. Sincerely asking God and ourselves this simple question will ascertain to us our humility. As a side note, allow me to give this word of advice: always look for an opportunity to exercise humility. This is something God is challenging me to do…especially in times of disagreement and potential strife with others.

You know, you and I owe it to ourselves to respect those that have gone out before us into this thing called “life,” that we are willing to take a step back and analyze if it is possibly we, who are at fault, whenever we find ourselves butting heads with them. It’s rather embarrassing to find out that it was really your fault after you’ve said and done some things you wish you could take back. Trust me, I’ve been there! 

If It’s Not Your Fault…

Chill. The fact that they messed up doesn’t give you a right to disrespect them in any way. Hold your tongue, unless you are praying for them. David, who was being hunted for death by King Saul made sure to pass up, not one, but two opportunities to kill King Saul. Why? Because David “would not put out his hand against The LORD’s anointed” (1 Samuel 26:11 ESV). I think you and I both would agree that King Saul, who was in fact David’s father-in-law, was definitely “at fault” in his pursuit of David, to say the least. And I think it is pretty safe to say that no matter how much your “fathers” may be “at fault,” they are not out to kill you! So, if David could pass up killing the failing-father that sought to kill him, you can and should pass up every opportunity that you may have to tear down the “failing-fathers” in your life! Trust me…God will honour you for that!

Plus, how does God deal with you when you mess up? He loves you. How does God deal with them when they mess up? He loves them. The bible tells us to be “imitators of God” (Eph. 5:1). Well, so what are you waiting for? LOVE THEM! There is something powerful about love. It has the power to change. Love changes people. Love makes imminent impossible situations. Love simply unleashes the supernatural over the natural because it is supernatural. It is the supernatural power of God for change. It was this love that God used to save you and I from ourselves, when we were estranged from Him because of our sinfulness. So the best thing you can do for a person that is at fault is to love him or her. It will change them! 

Protect Your Faith

Possibly the biggest weapon used by the enemy to break young believers is the failure of “fathers.” It breaks my heart whenever I see people leave the church because their pastors or other father-figures failed them. This is a weapon that we, as followers of God the Father must destroy! You and I, may be following the examples of “fathers,” who have gone out before us, but ultimately we are really following God, who is not a father as they are, but THE FATHER. 

This goes back to what we were talking about early on. There are many people who struggle to see God as their father, because of the wrongs done to them by their earthly fathers. But the truth is that no man can define what a father is. What any man can do is try to live up to the standard of Fatherhood that is God. God is the very definer and model of Fatherhood. So I will offer you that, if your earthly father has failed you, you can still be assured that Fatherhood is still intact, because God is still there! And guess what – He won’t fail you! The same is to be said of those who are “fathers” of our generation. They may fail us at times. But that doesn’t mean we are to give up on Fatherhood and allow our faith to be clouded by doubt. No! We instead put our eyes on God and allow Him to clear every cloud of doubt caused in us by the misrepresentation of Fatherhood. No matter what disappointments you may face in life, always be sure to keep your faith intact because The One whom you are following, The Great I Am, your Greatest Father, is always intact!

There is one thing I want to remind you of as I come to a close here – you and I are in training to be the next generation of “fathers.”  Before you know it, there will be many that will be looking up to us for counsel and guidance. How we live our lives as young people today, including our dealings with the faults of our “fathers,” will determine the type of fathers we will be tomorrow.  I’ll bet you that were we to adhere to just these three points of advice I have offered you, we will find ourselves bearing the fruits of a good father tomorrow!

 Thanks for reading! Always remember – you are the beloved of God!