Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: BUSY (02/02/17)
- TITLE: Living Restless Life
By Robert Rutaagi
02/10/17 -
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By age seven, I was able to do most of the domestic chores. When I started school, I moved to my brother’s home in another district. He had a young family. Therefore I became responsible for most of the domestic chores before and after school. At school I was appointed time-keeper and class monitor at different times. For my tender age, I thought that was too burdensome.
Every morning I trekked to and from school, two km away but after completing the ordained prayers and chores with instructions to immediately report back home after closure of the school. Any delay attracted a heavy punishment. I observed this routine for six years.
Throughout my education system, I worked hard and excelled. After my PLE I left my brother’s home for secondary in a boarding school. That marked a new era of freedom from labour and religious practices. All this seemingly good life was like putting new wine into old wineskins. Mat. 9:17.
After secondary and high school, I joined and completed University with a B.Com [Hon] degree. I was immediately appointed a Manager in a large Public Corporation with a good salary plus other attractive executive perks.
This plunged me into good life I least expected to happen that fast. I was still single. The academic, social, cultural and geographical distance that separated me from my parents and God became enormous. I did not look for shallow waters any more. I dived into deep ends. I worked harder, longer hours and smarter – not so much because I experienced job satisfaction but because I had read writings on the wall and faces of my bosses that my groceries would depend on faked my behavior. The trick seemed to work. Within a short time, promotion, better salary, office, status – all came along unexpectedly.
Eventually, at age 33, I met my gorgeous wife and married her. God blessed us with four children – one boy and three girls. Sadly, I never saw my children long enough as they grew up. As CEO of extremely busy corporations, I woke up at 5am and returned late at night when they were already asleep.
My wife and children had their own company provided chauffeur-driven car. I assumed that was enough for them.
This type of life went on for fifty three years. The more I pursued what I considered to be the ideals of good life, the more elusive they became. Craving for more knowledge, I pursued and obtained two post graduate diplomas, an MBA and a PhD.
Craving for fulfillment, I resorted back to reading the Bible I had rejected but found neither peace nor fulfillment.
Craving for enlightenment, I resorted to cultic literature and practices like: scientology, Christian Science, American Eckanker, Baghvard Gita, Buddha, science of creative intelligence and transcendental meditation by Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
The deeper I plunged into the illusive ideals, the more elusive they became and the emptier I felt in my body, soul and spirit. Nothing I hankered for and achieved seemed to provide the capacity to fill the gnawing feeling I felt each time I achieved anything or woke up from every unsatisfying sleep that only left me with a gapping void.
What my young days denied me, long years of study, executive life and fulfilled lures of material life had successfully conspired to darken my mind away from the face, love, voice and glory of Almighty God. Eph. 4:18.
By grace faith God, a time came to meet Him and meet Him I did, on Tuesday, the six of July 1999 at 6:43 pm, alone in my office. It was like, for fifty three years, there were veils clamped onto mind, eyes, ears and heart which were instantly plucked off. I started knowing God, seeing His glory, hearing His still voice and loving Him deep in my heart. That became my turning point. All the illusions, fears, restlessness, anxiety, emptiness, hatred, jealousies, blind ambitions, idolatry, the great void that characterized and dominated my entire life vanished in blank nothingness. The peace that transcends all understanding descended upon me up to day. 2 Cor. 5:17; Phil. 4:7-8.
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A realistic story that shows that conquest conquers.