Friday, July 24, 2009

Count it all joy...

James 1: 2-4
Consider it all JOY, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The above truth from God's Word has really meant a lot to the Omondi family these last few months as trial after trial has seemingly come our way...

And yesterday wasn't any exception...After spending the morning facing many frustrations Dennis got a call from me and this is the story he had to deal with next. I had spent the morning in Mombasa taking a sweet friend for an ultrasound. We were on our way back home and this is what happened: Another TIK ("this is Kenya") day!!!

I was approaching one of the many round-abouts in town and as I was yielding and looking for my turn to enter the round-about a got a hard tap on my window...and i looked over a police was stopping me and telling me to stop. (yep right in the middle of traffic so i could cause a jam) I rolled down my window and politely greeted him. He shoved his head in the car window to see who else was in the car with me. Then he stepped back and then rudely said, "madam, your tire is worn out, its finished" Excuse me I said,I don't understand. I poked my head out the window and asked, What do you mean my tire is finished. (I'm thinking maybe i have a puncture or something). He said, "its worn out". What? Worn out?...ok, then he proceeded on to tell me it was illegal and a traffic offense to drive with a worn out tire and that i would have to pay a fine and go to court. (The guy hadn't even touched my tire or looked at it long enough to see what condition it was in by the way) He continued on making talk about how bad the tire was and how i could hurt someone, etc.....All of this talk otherwise known as " GIVE ME A BRIBE " and I'll let you go. So let me translate this all for you in a few sentences: As i was approaching the roundabout all the traffic police had done was glance over at the car, see a white face and think, hmm...here's my chance to get my lunch money for the day" Well, he had no idea that this mzungu wasn't just any other mzungu...and the Kenyan gals weren't just any other girls. We were Christians and we were not giving a bribe for anything...

So on to what happened next....When "i didn't get the hint" and asked him again what he meant about my tire being worn out, he decided to take it farther and took my license from me and told me that he would be taking me to the police station and would give me a fine and i would have to appear in court.....meanwhile he's still giving me a chance to just say I'll give him some money. While as all this was happening Dennis just so happened to be calling me on the phone and i quickly told him what was going on and made him talk to the police. When the police handed me back the phone Dennis told me to just do what they say, go with them to the police station, tell them sorry that i would go get the tire fixed and maybe they would let me go. He too told me they were just waiting for a bribe but to give them nothing. When i got off the phone i think the police were just expecting me to hand over some money, and they even put their heads in the car and told my friends they should just explain to me "the best thing to do here" HA! and I'd be on my way. Well I told the police i understood quite well and said, " OK, let's go". They made me follow them to the police station and when we arrived they showed me the tire...pulling off a piece of rope that had gotten entangled around it. Instead of just fessing up to what they thought was my tire shredding to pieces they said, let's go in. They were so rude. Inside the office they still took their time thinking I'd get frustrated and just give them over a bribe...but nope...and the longer it took the more sarcastic they got, laughing as they processed the ticket and trying to make small talk. My friend Rosaline with me even tried talking to them nicely and again she got the feel they were just waiting for a bribe. I was just ready to take my ticket and go!

Long story shorter, they never got their bribe so i ended up being handed a paper for me to appear in court the next day. Needless to say I was so upset and frustrated! They were just out to ruin someone's day at their own expense, but I wasn't about to add to the corruption of this society. I'd rather pay a legal fine to the court than to pay two cops trying to take advantage of the "weak". ....but that's not the end of the story.....the best is yet to come.....

When I got home Dennis decided to take a look at that "worn out" tire, knowing that the police never had really looked at it (how could they as i was rolling through the round-about) but just used that reason as a way to try to get bribe. Much to our surprise when Dennis got really close and felt the back of the tire he realized, indeed that tire was in trouble. It wasnt so noticeable that the police could have ever seen it, but it was bad..there was a spot on the back of the tire that was dangerously worn out. WOW! And then when Dennis went into town to go to court on my behalf and then to the mechanic he made the discovery that something was seriously wrong with the car and that ALL 4 tires were seriously and dangerously in trouble. It was just an accident waiting to happen he said and had to buy all 4 new tires. WOW!!

He immediately called me on the phone with his words being, "Babe, you won't believe this but God used that mean police officer (though he wasn't valid in what he did) to save us from future danger" What? Wow! WHAT MAN MEANT FOR EVIL GOD MEANT FOR GOOD, was all i could think about for the rest of the day. This was just more of a reminder to me that God is good and knows what He is doing and has a purpose for everything. Next time something bad happens to you ask yourself what is God trying to tell me?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank God you got to take care of your tires. It sounds to me like the policeman was really just doing his job for he did not verbally ask for a bribe. He just sighted a trafic violation.

We are praying for you and we love you.

Joyce Wright

The Gillums said...

What a wonderful blessing in such a unjust situation. And Ha ha to you mr. police officer.

Beatrice said...

Hi Allison,
sorry to hear you had to go through so much. I am glad you are safe, and thank God for His grace in every situation! Thank you guys so much for your love and hospitality when we visited. It's not possible to express our gratitude in words! May God bless you, and continue to use you His work. Love, Beatrice

Jessica said...

Oh my goodness! That is crazy. Good girl for not giving him money.

Trena said...

Great story. Great reminder. It is sometimes hard to be nice back to them, especially when they start the "I will have to arrest you" speech, but thanks for reminding us that when we are faithful to submit to authority AND uphold integrity at the same time, God DOES cause all things to work together for good....!

Miss y'all! Hope to see you in Sept. Will let you know.

Trena said...

Great story. Great reminder. It is sometimes hard to be nice back to them, especially when they start the "I will have to arrest you" speech, but thanks for reminding us that when we are faithful to submit to authority AND uphold integrity at the same time, God will cause all things to work together for good....!

Miss y'all! Hope to see you in Sept. Will let you know.