NEVER COUNT YOUR CHICKS BEFORE THEY ARE HATCHED

The risks of Higher Expectations

By just reading the heading, many Kenyans will start thinking of the current issue at stake - Hon. Raila Odinga -vs-our "duly elected" prezzo Hon.Mwai Kibaki. or some can go further and think of Salim Lone versus Alfred Mutua/Muthaura. But believe it or not this topic is not political by any means... read ahead.

Whichever way you think, I would have loved if you would have looked into your life first and put your situation foremost. Yes, everybody can admit that once in a while, they expect something only for it to bounce at the eleventh hour. Life is like that, that is the consolation we always get.

Counting our chicks before they are hatched did not begin with the elections! No. This is something our great grand fathers found existing when they were born. It is as normal as saying 1+1 is 2. But why is this saying of not counting chicks before they are hatched? To me it only means one thing, there is a way of succeeding in not counting our chicks before they are hatched. And it is these ways that I would like us to divulge on.

First and foremost, let us look at the following situation:-

Tommy, a 30 year old man got married 2 years ago. He is now a father of a beautiful 6 month old baby girl. He is supposed to be happy and on top of the world but one thing denies him this opportunity. He is jobless and penniless. His wife threatens to leave him should he not get a job soon. And the landlord is at the door everyday - pay me or i lock you plus everything inside! There is hardly anything valuable left in the house, apart from his wife and daughter. He wishes the landlord could do just that but where will his wife and kid go? He is confused and seems blank most of the time. He is too fatigued for anything. He can only stare blankly and murmur to himself. Then one day, all of a sudden and as if from the blues his uncle who lives abroad rings him. He asks how he and his family are doing and as usual he states his condition clearly - as a very sickly man whose only hope is in the doctor would do. Then the uncle promises him some cash, quite a lot - in two weeks time. And for the first time since Tommy lost his job, he smiles.

He rushes home and shares the good news with his wife. The wife smiles also and starts being humble. Their expectations has risen suddenly. They both sit down with pen and paper and list their needs. Good God! They will have enough to clear all their debts and start a small business! They both breathe a sigh of relief and even go and borrow what they can use as they wait, with a promise to pay in 2-weeks time. Then the journey begins.... Two weeks passes with no word from the uncle. Tommy is still hopeful, may be his uncle got something urgent. Then four weeks and alas! nothing! Poor Tommy, what will he do?

In the end Tommy is more disappointed than he was before. If only he would have avoided the excitement before getting the money. His reaction to his uncle's failure to honour the promise would have been different. He would have continued praying and looking for ways of getting income rather than putting a fullstop with his uncle's promise. The chicks never hatched, all the eggs went bad. Poor Tommy, he lost his wife to depression and committed suicide when his daughter passed away barely 2 months later. That is how painful it ended.

Dear readers, most of us always find ourselves in situations similar to the one above. Although it might always be painful, that should not be our end. Life lessons should strengthen our faith in God. They should not kill our spirits as that is the will of the devil but instead it should move us closer to God. The bible clearly states that "cursed is he who depends on man." God knew why he said so, man always fails.

My advise to those who expect, please hold until you receive your expectation. And to those who promise - Kindly fulfil your promise. And never promise if you can not fulfil.

May God bless you as you read this and share with others.