Phindelamuses's Blog

¹¹ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11 King James Version (KJV)

In the first episode, I discussed how Elisha defied all odds to remain focused on the goal ; his master and Elijah acknowledged that what Elisha desired was a mammoth task but if he focused and saw his master being taken, the double anointing was his. Elisha focused and saw Elijah being taken and the double anointing was his to take.

But the journey had been a long one and had taken a long journey through three cities each with fifty seers who knew Elijah was going but seemed keen only on the glee but not the benefit.

Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”
II Kings 2:3 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/2ki.2.3.NKJV

After failing to dissuade Elisha from remaining behind at Gilgal, they then travelled 95km together to Bethel. I am not sure what conversations they had but I know Elisha would not be dissuaded to turn back.

https://www.distancesfrom.com/distance-from-Gilgal-to-bethel-Israel/DistanceHistory/39100799.aspx

But then there was another obstacle. At Bethel there were fifty seers who were in tune with what was going to happen to Elijah and they were all keen to make sure Elisha felt the grief.

But still Elisha would not be dissuaded he told them to hold their peace and focused on his master.

It was at Bethel that Jacob had an encounter where he dreamt angels of God descending and ascending on a ladder set upon the Earth but reaching Heaven.(Genesis 28v 16-19)s o the city was prominent and had eminent prophets but the seers were limited by the city history and could not see to the realm of double anointing.

The trip went on to Jericho of the famous wall toppling miracle and another company of seers prophesied Elijah ‘s departure too but still Elisha focused on what he knew: his master. The fifty seers remained in Jericho in the same manner that those in Bethel had remained.

Another crowd stood at the Jordan, another historical site of a miracle. The ever flowing river had halted and dried and the Israel family had crossed on dry ground to their inherited land. Another fifty efforts at dissuading Elisha but he remained focused on what he knew and his master.

At the end of it all Elisha obtained his goal and defied the 150 seers who wanted to only blight his joy and derail his path to a double anointing.

The seers remained seeing the events that would cause pain to others but they did not see the way beyond their towns’ history.

Elisha belived beyond the 150 dissuasions, Elijah’s discouragement and dwelling on history.

Today you can defy all the world’s reasons blocking your path to a greater purpose.

You can see the beyond the blight and discouragement by staying focused.

#betheroutinebreaker

#brokenbutnotafraid

#iamphindelasson

#watchoutforyourtimeandchance

Motherhood is an interesting phenomenon. Having been born of a mother and having experienced fatherhood, I still believe motherhood is a vocation for life.

On this day we celebrate the women who took seed and incubated it and returned it to earth months later as a howling bundle that came with the parenthood mantra.

For some the issues ended the day the child was born. Some left their children with their own mothers and went away for reasons that will take days to explain. Grandmothers became mothers again. Bless them.

Some never saw their children. Fate took them as they gave birth to new life. But still they were mothers. May their souls rest in peace.

Some braved the odds, absent sperm donors ( they can’t be called fathers these), hunger, sleepless nights, fevers, custodial battles, spiritual wars, documentation issues and outright spite but they came out right.

All that counts at the end of the day is that motherhood, unlike fatherhood is indisputable.

My take is that mothers can be anything. I take it from the battles they have fought and won and the love they still retain for their children despite all odds. Nothing beats a mother’s love.

Mothers can be the world. They already have proven it.

To all mothers, irrespective of circumstances, I doff my hat for you.

Happy Mothers Day.

#iamphindelasson

Every child believes their father is invincible.To a large extent I believed he was immortal till I touched his cold brow at the morgue the day before his burial. He was stone cold. I had been wrong. My father was a mortal man.

I remember my father for many things but today I choose to remember the following.

1. My father imparted to us a reading culture. He always had a newspaper, a book or magazine near him. I recall finishing his forbidden James Hadley Chase collection with him being non the wiser.
2. He had his strong views that he stuck to. He believed Dr Joshua Nkomo had been shortchanged and did not belive the Unity Accord thing. I know he would have had a mouthful to say in view of the exciting things happening in our country today.
3. He did not believe that one’s spiritual level should be measured by one’s frequenting of church and the only two times he went to church was on a wedding day and they day we involuntarily took him for his funeral service !! That was my dad. Yet in all he espoused God and always humorously intimated that he had a life pass to the Pearl Gates.
4. My father suffered no fools and took no prisoners. When he ventured his opinion he made sure it was weighted and he was economic with words hence most people thought he was antisocial.
5. He was an intelligent man with a soft heart. All his nieces adored him and he had nicknames for everyone. Surprisingly he had a very short fuse !!
6. He sacrificed for our education. His favourite statement was that the best legacy he could bequeath us was an education and we a really grateful to him for that.

Then one day on 24th November 2005 my father had an asthma attack and passed on before medical help could reach him. He slipped away quietly and no one knew he was gone till a neighbour turned to where they had sat him in the yard against the wall to tell him an ambulance was on the way.

Too late. He had departed.

There are many conversations I recall.

There are many incidents I recall.

His legacy lives in us.

Today we remember our father, Dickson Luke Phindela Ncube 17 July 1940 – 24 November 2005.

Fondly remembered.