Prison break!

The truth will set you free.... How many times have we heard that phrase repeated over and over??? Well, here's the news flash: merely knowing the truth will not set you free, it's the truth you know, understand and apply that will set you free.

In 2001 my dad had a bookshop in Githunguri town. He was also the first Kencell (now Airtel) and Safaricom distributor, and mobile phone dealer in that area then. Fresh out of high school, I went daily to help him at the shop to a point he could trust me to handle running it alone, even when it was crazy busy. So this particular day, towards the end of the year, my dad travelled to Nakuru and I had to open the shop alone at 8am. Twaz an easy morning, one photocopy here, a book there, a scratch card..... then at 10am, four policemen walked into the shop and ordered me to close, informing me I was under arrest. They were so rough and arrogant; it was hard for me to grasp what I was being arrested for.

From watching many movies, I knew I had a right to remain silent, I had a right to a phone call, plus I barred them from searching the shop until they had a warrant or until my dad came. So I locked the door, and as they escorted me to Githunguri police station, I tried calling my dad from my cell phone in vain. People from neighbouring shops followed us inquiring what I'd done. I shrugged my shoulders ('I dunno'), while the police answered them that it was none of their business. On reaching, they informed the cops at the reception to hold me in the cell. I vehemently refused to remove my shoes (No matter the insults they hailed at me - At one point I thought they'd turn me upside down and remove them). There was no way I was going barefoot into a filthy cell. I can't stand walking barefoot on the sterile floor at home, and now a cell? Nah ah!!!

(I really don't care what you think, this is my story.)

I then hid the shop keys in my bra, when they weren't looking (they never searched me). I only surrendered my switched off, password protected cell phone and walked into the cell. I was put in the first cell where two young street children were being held. As I was being shown in (or should I say shoved in), I heard some guys calling out from other cells (couldn’t see who though), they called me by the shops' name, asking what I was in for, and telling me that it was going to be okay.

At one of the extreme ends of the building where our shop was, was a pub and restaurant. At 12, I was called out of the cell as there was someone who'd come to see me. I hoped someone had come to bail me out, but it was one of the waitresses from the pub. She had brought me fries (how sweet! I tried my best to hold 'em tears in). I had some, as she explained to me they'd managed to call my dad and he was on his way back from Nakuru. I couldn't continue eating after going back to the cell as it was very dirty and stinking of ammonia, so I gave the fries to the kids. At 1pm, I was called out again, this time it was the waitress accompanying my mum. I cried when I saw her. She was expectant with my baby brother and looked distressed and helpless as no one was ready to assist her. She'd come to Githunguri on other errands, found the shop locked, and was informed of my dramatic arrest. I felt sorry for her and hoped dad would get here sooner. I was then shoved back to the cell. At 2pm, they served the cell lunch which I refused. The cop serving, mocked me saying I should drop my diva attitude since I was a criminal, and eat something since it wouldn’t be nice if my obituary read ‘starved to death in a prison cell’. She then let out an evil laughter. I just rolled my eyes and looked away. 

It was the longest day ever! Felt like the chorus on Akon’s ‘locked up’ song. There was nothing to sit on so I remained standing from the time I'd been arrested at 10am, to when I was finally called out, at 5:30pm. I was led to an office, to write down a statement. As we headed there, I spotted my dad at the OCPD's office (OCPD, OCS I don’t get ‘em titles, but the guy had a different uniform and looked senior to the rest). It was then that I was informed why I'd been arrested. I’d been accused of selling government documents.

The story is; someone had come to make copies of the police abstract form. I noticed one of the copies still in the copier 30mins after they'd gone. Someone else came and asked where they'd get a police abstract form. I informed him that he'd have to go to the police station, get one, and then come for a copy but since I had a copy, I'd do him a favour by saving him the double trip. So I made a copy for him and he was off. Little did I know that that was illegal!

That I didn’t know, didn't mean what I did was no longer punishable.

In Hosea 4:6, God says 'My people perish for lack of knowledge....’ ignorance is a bad disease that keeps eating at us. A story is told of a guy and his friends who bought cruise ship tickets. This guy had bought crackers which he’d nibble at in his room for every meal since he’d spent all his savings on the ticket and couldn’t afford the meals. Towards the end of the journey, one of his friends asked him why he never showed up for meals. He explained how he couldn’t afford. His friend then hit him with the headlines ‘all meals including all amenities on the ship were covered in the ticket!’ Imagine all he’d missed out on just coz he didn’t know!!!!

Many Christians (me included) are like this guy. You got born again and in your head, you got your ticket to heaven. But there is so much that Christ gave you access to, when he died on the cross for you (Isaiah 53: 4-6, Psalms 103:3-5). You are entitled to divine health, protection, provision, safety, peace… and the list is endless. The bible also says that we have everything that pertains to life (2 Peter 1:3), that we have authority to operate like God (Gen 1:26), we have ammunition to win every battle we face, we are immune to attack from the enemy (Isaiah 54:17), plus we have the best lawyer in town (1 John 2:1)!  

But since we are either not aware, or it’s merely head knowledge, we find ourselves imprisoned by fear, lack, worry, anxiety, sickness, circumstances, frustration, the past, self-defeating thoughts and patterns, discontentment and the pursuit of material wealth and social status etc. Curry Blake says that “Devils listen, not because of what you say, but because of who you are in Christ.” But if you don’t know who you are, and the authority you carry, then ‘em devils will keep you locked up!

 I’m breaking out of the prison once and for all. I will no longer allow myself to be held captive for not applying what I know, or worse still, for ignorance. It all begins with renewing your mind with the word of God. The bible is like a huge supermarket with 66 aisles. Everything we need, to live the life God predestined us to live, is in there. Let’s master and use whatever is on the shelves of these aisles. As we stay committed at relentlessly and continuously walking through the aisles and making use of the truths we find on the shelves (no matter the hurdles we face on the way), God will keep revealing His attributes to us, and we’ll grow into who God says we are. I recently put into practice some of the truths that I’ve been learning for the past week, and managed to break out of frustration prison. And I’m not stopping there!

Bill Johnson in His book ‘The Supernatural power of a transformed mind’ says “Revelation enlarges the arena that our faith can function in; deception shrinks our area of faith. Revelation must lead to a direct ‘hands on’ experience, to have effect”

Nothing and no one can imprison God, and since we are made in His image and likeness then guess what????? The best and only way to stay out of prison is by living life from God’s perspective. If you want to stay in prison, it’s your choice (we were given free will to exercise it), But I’m coming out! (And now Diana Ross’ song I’m coming out is playing in my head)