IF I DIED TODAY …….

If I died today…

I know. I know. It is not your typical blog and I can assure you, it doesn’t come from a troubled heart. Believe it or not, this is a thought that ensued from my birthday celebrations this past week: 13th March 2024

During birthdays, so many things are said about a person. There is often a raw tenderness that is felt in every description. I don’t mean to say that the previous years haven’t been as significant, but there was a heightened awareness this year. Perhaps the word of David in Psalm 90:12 is in effect, and I am awakening to the recognition of how life is fleeting. Death isn’t a subject we willingly talk about, especially with our news broadcast channels reporting deaths every day. My prayer goes out to every bleeding heart in this sorrowful time. 🙁

You’re permitted to enter my head to see how I got to thinking about death at a time of celebration. As I read every message, every post, I kept wondering “That’s me they are talking about?”. It is like I had an out-of-body experience and was amazed at everything said, like they were reading from the same script. Suddenly this thought came to mind, “If I died today, this is what would be said about me?”. If I died today, certain keywords wouldn’t be missed in my eulogy; consistent, disciplined, intentional..just to name but a few. Most importantly, I realized that I would be happy about everything that was said about me.

A few weeks/months ago, I asked my friend while we were on a social date, if she was happy with the life she has lived and how she would feel if that was the sum of all her days…and we unpacked how life can be (and has been) beautiful even amidst all the aches we experience. We also realized just how every part of our journey has a certain richness even as we look forward to greater promises that lie ahead. Imagine living life with joy like the heroes of faith, who looked ahead keeping the faith even as they waited on that which was to come. (Hebrews 11:13)

Birthdays, to me, are more than just an acknowledgment of one’s entry into the world, I believe they mark the charted path one continues to live in. It has a connectedness to purpose, and progress which an individual may miss if they regard it as just a normal day.

Maybe you said a few things about me and maybe in your tribute when I die, you will have the opportunity to echo them again. But I will pen down some of the deductions about me from people’s captions and letters to me during my birthday. These words made me smile. But most importantly, they reminded me of what I unconsciously and consciously do. They affirmed to me the purpose and direction I am currently on.

In listing these, it is not an attempt to toot my own horn or to gloat, it is to bring an awareness of how our lives are always being observed. I would hope that it would invite you to ask “What would be said of me?”. I would hope that it will cause you to live a life full of purpose and embrace every season. I am not without imperfections myself and yet I pray that those imperfections would pale in comparison to the efforts I make towards leading a meaningful life. I would hope that this blog would cause us to interrogate our lives and how we live..what we prioritize, what we allow the world to see, and how to shift that into a lasting legacy.

May my summary equally serve as an encouragement to what YOU could pursue as you live your life.

WHAT ARE YOU KNOWN FOR?

What are you known for? What will you be known for? We know different people for different reasons. Mention a name and you immediately attach a description. Mention charity or social justice and Mother Theresa is mentioned. You mention Messi and immediately you think football and these are just surface descriptions. The list could go on and on but the truth is whenever our names are mentioned there is an attached description to it. So what is the description attached to yours?

Like Paul, I choose to again echo from Philippians 3:12-14; I have not yet attained, every day I press on.

In true Chebet fashion, I will summarise them all into 13 thoughts: #13th. (You can skip to the end after the first 5; these are my defining endless pursuits) At each description, I pose a challenge to you to respond to, a thought to reflect and a prayer

1. A pursuer and lover of Christ; The greatest commendation one could receive is that their lives continue to consistently invite people to show up at His feet. That people can spend time with you and without a doubt attest to how in love with Jesus you are. For me, this has looked like sharing here in this ministry through blogs, my own life, and snippets of my time with him not forgetting to teach His word. May our love for God be so evident, and may it invite others to seek after Him.
2. A teacher of God’s Word: One of my friends in her post said she loves how God can trust me with His word because He knows it is in good hands.” This made me cry. CMA was the beginning of my love for ministry and over the last 3 years, we have committed to inviting and equipping people to delight by sharing tools and sharing my life. One of my anchor life verses is in Ezra 7:10 “…and Chebet prepared her heart to study, obey and teach God’s word.” How are you inviting people to seek Him?
3. A lover who loves loudly and boldly. The most important commandment is love. Matthew 22:39 “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” While my description of love was mainly about my friends and those nearby, I will devote myself to staying consistent to be a conduit of God’s love to everyone around me. The beauty of love is that it is in many forms and expressions. I pray God teaches us to love His people and to always remind them of His love through our actions.
4. A carrier of joy. To carry God’s joy so effortlessly is not a mechanical thing and every day I learn that the source is in His presence just as Psalm 16:11 reminds us. It is found in staying close to His perpetual flow of grace and peace which is found in His presence.” Romans 15:13 is a verse that was prayed over me severally. One of the things I guard jealously in my life is my joy and I pray for this verse to be descriptive of your life.
5. A gratitude teacher: The day I started practicing gratitude intentionally, about 8 years ago, I jokingly started referring to myself as a gratitude ambassador. I live, breathe, and teach about gratitude. I live my life as though everything is a miracle, a gift and nothing is ever so obvious to me. This rids the trap of familiarization. I devote myself to celebrating every milestone, in my life and the lives of those around me. there is no such thing as big or small in my world. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 spells it out “In everything, give thanks.” How can you start practicing gratitude in your life?
6. A unique and extra doer of all things: The capacity to elevate and add spice to everything is God’s way of always affirming and assuring me that His hand is in what I do. Some of the ideas blow my mind as well. I pray that we will always stay reliant on the Creative Director; God. May He release upon us the spirit of wisdom, excellence, and knowledge in all manner of craftsmanship. (Exodus 35:31)
7. An intentional way of living: There was a season when the word intentional was on the verge of being overused and I guess this is because intentionality isn’t a declaration. Intentionality is an evident way of life and it is seen in the recognition of the small easily ignored things. It is more than just being. For me intentionality has always looked like being attentive to someone, remembering their special days. It looks like taking time to pray for someone and encouraging or affirming a deed. This level of awareness is cultivated by close communion with the Holy Spirit who brings all things to remembrance. I pray that as you draw closer to the Holy Spirit, He will bring a heightened awareness of how you can be there for people.
8. A disciplined and consistent life. This is truthfully one of the traits that you rarely think is as visible to people even if you consciously make an effort towards it. A disciplined life is not an easy life. It is a life of great sacrifices yet so fulfilling. I pray that God will always show us what to deny and what to embrace as we live purposeful lives. Are there things you need to let go of? What will it take to work towards a disciplined life?
9. A girls girl; supportive. Everyone has a deep craving to be seen and to be nudged ahead. Can we be those people who see others? It is no secret that I am my biggest cheerleader yet I try to show up for my people and I will always be loud in showing support; Be it a comment, a repost, or a direct message of encouragement. Is there someone you can remind that they are seen? Reach out to them
10. A culture creator: “Life is what you make it” is a statement I have heard said so many times and I guess I took it literally because I am always making something out of everything. I go out of script, make traditions, and stick to it. I am a pioneer of moments of joy that may not be so obvious to people. My question to you would be, how are you adding color to your life?
11. An excellent doer of things: One of the things I learned to be certain about is the fact God is an excellent God and if He is, am I not His image bearer? Am I not one who can learn and do things as He does? May God always give us a finer touch to what we set to do because He is an excellent God. Where do you need to see excellence in your life? How can you invite God’s help as you walk in obedience?
12. A lovable person. I don’t even know how this would be described but I am inclined to say this metaphorically/ proverbially. People marvel at a tree with fruits and are pulled towards it out of curiosity with interest as they admire the beauty and also try to see what makes the tree so beautiful and rich in fruit. Could we be trees that are not only appealing to the outside but have fruit that can be enjoyed?
13. A beautiful person. I may need to go to the government offices to have my name changed to CheBeautiful because it is the only name I want to respond to. External features aside, I pray that our beauty will always radiate from within. This is my reminder that beauty is more than a name (even though a name can be a great start to affirm it) but it is evidence of endless growth in God. Safe to say, the culmination of all the 12 results in a description of being beautiful, and like Peter says may our adornment be more than just jewels. (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Again I ask, what would you be known for?

One of my mantras has always been “Whether it soothes a home (smaller influence reach) or Whether it shakes the world (broader influence reach), I will still do what God asks me to. Some of these impact thoughts may not yet be experienced by all but it doesn’t mean I can’t keep working until there is a broader influence reach.

If you died today, would you be happy with the things said about you? If yes, keep working to live a life of legacy. If your answer is no, what can you do to reorient your life’s direction?

More than anything, I pray that whatever pursuits we engage in, God will be able to give us the greatest commendation; Well done Good and Faithful Servant. I pray that an accumulation of all you do, day to day will be crowned in this. Matthew 25:23