My Cana Moment

I know there are many ‘believers’ who believe that miracles ended after the Bible was completed; that what we call miracles are explainable incidences and coincidences resulting from normal occurrences.

I do not want to go as far as those who dispute miracles altogether as that must lead to a confrontation, which is not what has God called me to.

Let me therefore give you one of the first and most memorable miracles after I responded to God’s call.

But it will require a background that is not so flowery, or even nice.

I was a troubled teenager and this means I was a really troublesome chap. And the trouble started even before teenage.

What was its cause?

Two things I can clearly remember.

The first was an absent father though I didn’t think it affected me then.

The second was a matter of faith.

I got saved at nine.

And like some children (mine are good samples) I had very many questions about the faith, probably too many according to the ‘fathers of faith’ I was asking.

Sadly (and that is my constant beef with the charismatic movement), I was not directed to scripture for answers, or even given any. I was accused at that young age as lacking faith or even backsliding since a healthy Christian should not have such questions.

That is where my rebellion started.

But God is gracious because He shielded me from rebelling against Him. I rebelled against authority, any other authority.

You will take me to a place without rules and I will find a way to break them. That was me.

I was personally known by every headmaster whose school he headed, and the schools were multi streamed big schools.

Were it not for the fact that I was good in academics, I doubt I could have gone beyond second form. But even then I was in three high schools because there was a provision for transfer in technical schools after form two.

I was expelled from the scouts. I was expelled from a choir. I was trouble.

Prefects feared me because they could never win any case against me. Even teachers had problems because once they allowed me to start talking I would explain myself so convincingly that my crime would appear petty. There was a headmaster who would after a case plead with me to take the cane, which to me would be a pleasure.

My last school, Lodwar High School, was run by the Catholic Church and the headmaster was a missionary father.

The A-level students were almost above school rules but even then I somehow was able to get into trouble with the authorities and of course get into some run-ins with the headmaster.

 Two things happened which will take us to my Cana moment.

He proudly announced to us that his contract (or whatever he served under) had been renewed, meaning he had a few more years to serve as headmaster.

Second, he called me to his office and asked me to choose any other school I want and he will ensure I will get a transfer there to get me out of trouble. Among the schools he mentioned was Mang’u High School (it is recently that I learnt that it is run by the Catholic Church).

But I incredulously refused. But that was me then.

He then ‘swore’ that he will expel me when I report for sixth form. And you can be sure it was not an empty threat, coming from a man of the cloth.

I then go for holidays and encounter Christ, rededicate my life and respond to His call in my life.

Then I get to love scripture, to date.

But I am scared. Why did I refuse such a gracious offer? Why did I invite such wrath? How could I invite such wrath?

But I am enjoying what I am learning from scripture. I am getting answers to so many questions that troubled me since childhood and were the cause of my rebellion.

I do not even know what I prayed, or even whether I prayed about that father. But I was troubled. I was scared.

Then what happens when I report to school?

He has gone. I don’t know how. I don’t know why.

But I know that God has performed a miracle on my behalf.

I get to start on a clean slate with a new headmaster.

That is where my ministry started.

God moved my mountain before I had the faith to command it.

That is my Cana moment for you.

God bless you.