25 YEARS WITH CHRIST: THE HOMECOMING

The move to Mutare was to be the greatest antidote in my life. I found myself in the centre of the ministry of the Presiding Bishop of Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe, Bishop Trevor Manhanga who knew of me from my 1997-1998 stint at Upper Rooms Ministries while I was still based in Harare.

Through his ministry I found myself back in the fold. I rediscovered my conscience and crawled ashamedly back to the cross.  To find Christ waiting for me.

My stint in Mutare saw me rediscover myself and one of the things I always chuckle about is the discovering in full depth what the scripture that says ‘- only a fool says there is no God-‘ (Psalms 14 vs1). I always chuckle because at my worst I denied God’s role in my life. A fool I was.

The demanding responsibility at work and my newly found lease in Christ kept me going. I reconnected with my spirit being, found my prayer vein and restarted to do my daily bible meditations. I sat under the Bishop’s direct ministry and I learnt how to deal with my sodden past, it was in Mutare that I learnt that I had to forgive so as to progress. Mutare was my healing point.

Yet it was in Mutare that the ghosts from my past came to haunt me. This time I had learnt bitter lessons so I was able to take a firm stand and God’s enabling grace saw me through (2 Corinthians 12 v 9).

I had many bitter experiences in Mutare but my strong connection to church ministry kept me going. It was in Mutare that I lost a strong friend who had recently reconnected with me and our friendship was developing to an affection that would have blossomed further had death not snatched her away early 2010.

In my loss I was tempted to rail at God but found solace in grace. I constantly recalled God’s answer to Paul ‘my grace is sufficient’. This time I sought God more and prayed more.

As I settled to a comforting lull in Mutare a shocker was brewed.  In exactly one year of my tenure in Mutare I was redeployed to Plumtree.

 The comfort zone was over.

(To be continued)