I Sit Here Assured - LOVE YOU RAVI!

I Sit Here Assured  - LOVE YOU RAVI!

I sit here thinking

What does tomorrow hold for my brother Ravi

I sit here hoping

That tomorrow you will read this and smile

I sit here contemplating

On the brevity and the mystery of our days on earth

I sit here thanking

The Lord for giving you to us to share his truth

I sit hear gratefully and intently listening

To your teachings some older than me

I sit here knowing

Your days are so few and yet so are all ours

I sit here waiting

For the Lord to do his will

I sit here wishing

For just one more talk from you Ravi

I sit here trusting

Your conviction of God’s love exuberates your every moment

I sit here watching

With tears starting to drop down my cheeks

I sit here praying

For true peace for you and for your immediate and wider family

I sit here assured

That the beckoning we all sense with you is of the celestial home  



Though I sit here

Yet I and we must ready ourselves

To collect and not drop the baton from your hand

 Yet I and we must stand and go

On and on to serve the one whose call you earnestly served

Yet I and we must remain put

For urgent is the need for the Gospel

Yet I and we must be reminded of your words

To seek to ‘see and hear in proximity’ of the lost

Yet I and we must

Continue to champion many more to reaching out

Yet I and we must

Not shy away from the hostility towards our message

Yet I and we must

Continue to do the apologia of that which we believe

I sit here assured

That the beckoning we all sense with you is of the celestial home  



You have ignited

So many eternal fires brother Ravi, thank you

You have championed

So many kingdom soldiers’ brother, thank you

You have remained

A man with true fire in his belly, thank you

You have not shied away

From hostility of man so you may reach them, thank you

You have been a centuries pivotal fountain

Of loving truths mingled with passion and compassion

We love you so much

But not anywhere near your true Father’s Love

I sit here thinking

I must press pause for stopping I may never

Remember big brother

When the Lord presses that heavenly keyboard’s key

It will only be the pause button to be instantly replayed home

I sit here assured

That the beckoning we all sense with you is of the celestial home  


From Newton Gatambia Kibiringi (01:27 on 13/05/2020)


A Church Youth Minister in the UK who ha been greatly encouraged, challenged and inspired by Ravi and his passion for his Father's mission.

Which is my Paragraph?

Premise

this poem is an simple attempt to understand the levels of friendship till a long-term relationship with Jesus using social media language; What stage are you at in your friendship or relationship with the Christian faith, I mean with Jesus Christ himself?

1.  

One came saying

“I am not on the faith platform

or I do not do faith and Spirituality stuff.

Never had any interest and not sure if I ever will”

2.  

Another one said

“This faith stuff I don’t get it

I have been interested a bit

But I try my best to destroy the desire and any feeling of interest soon as it arises”

3.  

Then there was another one who said

“I am unsure of my position

But I feel like I am stalking Christianity and faith generally.

Yeah, I do get on the faith platform but not at all enthusiastic about it”

4.  

And an interesting take by another one who came saying

“I remember seeing this random friend request

And, wait for it; it was from a someone called Jesus   

It is now kind of awkward as the faith platform

keeps reminding of the pending friend request”

5.  

and then came a surprised one saying

“Wait when did I even confirm the friendship request, it says we are friends, what?

I even poked him a few times and he has poked back plus Jesus’s sent me a few messages

He has also shared some very kind stuff on my timeline…

I’m somewhat interested in him, but I am not sure if I open the messages; is he going to assume I am super interested and then it will get even more awkward”

6.  

And came the one who sat on the fence

“For me we are friends, we don’t speak too often

but now and again I comment on his posts and he comments on mine and

We sometime remember to say Happy birthday to each other when I remember.

I mean it is like a hit and miss kind of a thing

and with birthdays it is only once a year so quite manageable

plus, if stuff isn’t looking good I do drop him a few direct messages’

7.  

and then the ‘in a relationship’ one

“We are in a proper friendship and we speak quite often.

I feel Jesus is such a kind person.

He’s helped me with quite a lot of stuff about my life through his grace and life

and even though sometimes I find myself in tough times

When I call on him he doesn’t always grab me out of life’s ‘shit’, pardon my language,

but walks with me through it and beyond”

8.  

and then the one who looks strangely distant

“For me we used to be so close with Jesus

Then life got quite busy and I kind of drifted away slowly then faster n faster

and I hardly check my inboxes from him.

I occasionally see the notifications, the ‘hi there’ and ‘how are you?’

and yeah, I have fallen into the habit of just ignoring them

I used to feel so bad about it but now I am so used to it

I do not like thinking about it as it makes me feel sad knowing how much we have been through together but yeah… that’s life isn’t it? …

I am in no rush to worry about it though I feel is should do something”

9.  

And the spouse

“We got supper close with Jesus

And we thought it was a good idea to move our friendship to another level

To come out open and change our relationship status to ‘married’

So everyone would know we are one, him in me and I in him

His commitment and promise is that;

‘not even death can ever do us part’

If we are together till eternity, I want to know him and to be known in full”

?

Now then which is your paragraph?

Just as you was Billy, we bid you goodbye

Premise:

A simple tribute from a simple man to the preacher man who lived and served faithfully within his time on earth. A man who heard, knew, believed, received, lived and fulfilled his call.

Just as you was Billy, we bid you goodbye!

Just as you was Billy

A young man you did honestly hear a call

And did say ‘Just as I am… I come, I come’

While you humbly received the amazing grace

Just as you was Billy, you heard and went

Just as you was Billy

Rather tall and once amongst those of the fall

The saving grace had to your life made a love call

And with all your life you answered the Lord’s call

First for him and for many more that you went on to call

With great passion you shared the Lord’s Love call

With all the men and women from all corners

Just as you was Billy

Yes Billy; the gracious man you lived and live on

Hundreds of millions just as they were you called

Prisoners and free you made this call

Those with and without you made this call

All colours and all ethnicities you never built a wall

For yours was a call to share God’s love for all

You taught us that we are all LOVED TO LOVE

Just as you was Billy

You reminded all, men and women, old and young

Leaders and subjects, rich and poor

Just as they were, they were welcome in this eternal call

Though you shared residence with even presidents

Still you knew earth wasn’t your true residence

And for you longed to be in the true home

And thus home you have gone to be with Jesus

Though missed deeply for you impacted deeply

The mixture of sorrow and joy fills the globe

Just as you was Billy many lives you did touch

Just as you was Billy

You saw all God’s people as God sees them

Now you see them with the best ever view

Rest in his presence Billy

Rest till the millions of your faithfully sown seeds are harvested

Rest as the crown of faithfulness rests square on your head

Just as you was Billy, we bid you goodbye

Just as you was Billy

 from the Lord's servant, Newton Kibiringi

Repentant, Forgiven and Renewed!

Lord I come to you in humility

I know not how to approach your sacred throne

For your holiness is pure and perfect

Yet my heart is corrupted in my sinfulness

Everyday have I forsaken your commands

I am a lonely stranger isolated in a dessert place

Though on my own I can never be worthy

Still my heart’s door I hear you knock everyday

Clean my house from inside out

Clean my heart and restore my soul

I bow down to repent of my iniquities

A lonely stranger isolated in a dessert place

Father of grace and mercy

You bring down all my high peaks of pride

Only by your power I admit my wrongdoing

Lift up all my depressed areas of life

For there I’ve daily tortured and punished myself

A lonely stranger isolated in a dessert place

Lord of all forgiveness and healing

Straighten my crooked ways merciful Father

I have lied and deceived; will you knit and neaten me

In the presence of your lustrous light

My guilt and shame to be atoned at last

Not any longer a lonely stranger isolated in a dessert place

In your presence you embrace me with true love

In your presence I repent of all my sins

In your presence alone will I be forever free

In your presence I am washed, cleansed and forgiven

In your forgiveness I am made new in Your Spirit

Never again a lonely stranger isolated in a dessert place

Kenyans now and Kenyans always.

Kenyans now and always…

We need to know... 

The battles to fight… 

And the battles that are not ours

The issues to confront… 

And the issues to be lull about

The hopes to place on others… 

The hopes to never peg on human shoulders

The tears to cry in earnest lament… 

The tears to let go and stay calm

The joys to share with an attitude of care… 

And those to keep to self in humility

The achievements to celebrate… 

And those realised as our deserved rights

The failures to demand explanations on… 

And the failures to universally embrace

The unreality to seek to correct… 

And the realities to face head on

The beauty of our diversities to celebrate…

And the artistry of our uniqueness to espouse

The freedom to pursue wholeheartedly… 

And the ensnaring of freedom to shun

The true peace to preach everyday… 

The fake peace to dissuade anytime

The times to go down on our knees and pray… 

and the times to stay on our feet in licit resilience

The love to practice as a one people one nation… 

And the love to forgo for it enslaves us

The justice to demand from the laws… 

And the laws to submit to for justice

The untruth to resolutely resist… 

And the truth to be ready to suffer for

The people worth dying for… 

And the people not worth fighting for

The spirit that defines us as Kenyans… 

And the spirit that skews us as a nation

...these we need to live

Fare Thee Well Val Simpson

Premise: No one can ever underestimate the power of simple acts of kindness. I met Val Simpson when I was very new in the UK having travelled from my homeland Kenya and away from my family and friends. In her home I was not only made a warmly welcomed friend but was always treated as one of her own children. Val’s tender kindness and compassion has truly touched and impacted mine and many more lives including my family. These words are not a retelling of her story but a simple tribute to celebrate a life well lived.

Bye Val Simpson!

If I could, I would draw a mega picture on a town wall,
To artistically portray how nobly you lived your life;
For the memories of the many touched lives;
Do so beautifully cast a rainbow of your true generosity,
And so we celebrate a life well lived

If I could, I would write long verse?
To share how your life moments brought hope to many;
You did not just say it, but routinely cared for others
You held so many warmly in your heart in kindness,
And so we are thankful for moments well shared

If I could, I would sing a melodious song?
To voice out how your faith lyrically inspired many to hold on
For even when you faced the toughest, you dared not to give up
Hence many will keep strong to the end,
And so we will cherish the lessons well learnt

I would, if I could but just attempt to draw, write and sing
For so wide and deep is your legacy that defines you,
You’ve left an indelible mark of goodness on the young and the old
And shared your love at home and abroad
And so we will uphold your legacy of unconditional love

Time may not grant my request to keep going on and on,
But all that which you were and did for others nothing will ever squelch,
And truly what you made the world feel
Lives forever and no one can ever steal

Val we will forever cherish the life we shared with you
Your dazzling lively smile, ever filled with a caring grandeur,
Your motherly heart that that spelt the life art in solemn acuity

Like an ant you gathered a banquet for many to dine off you the kind aunt
So your actions will forever live,
And now as you rest in the solace of the angelic choir
Till life’s destiny dawns in the eternal heavens,
Fare thee well Val Simpson

A Kind Act!

A kind act

Comes with a soothing weight

A kind act

The true overflow of a noble heart

A kind act

Ever lifting life to a new height

A kind act

Makes living a beautiful art

A kind act

Touches the pith of the soul

A kind act

Does cause a tear of joy

A kind act

The best way to charity impart

A kind act

The heedful fruit of a knight

A kind act

Everyone alive can take part

Newton G K -2015 work