About seven years ago, a friend of mine told me about a Christian lady whose story of eviction from a house was aired on Agataliko Nfufu on Bukedde TV. All her property was thrown out of the house before TV cameras. If I remember the story accurately, they even caught her on camera in her nighties together with her helpless children as villagers gathered to spectate.
I learnt that a few months prior, her husband who was in charge of paying the house rent had abandoned them. They had not heard from him since. When the rent monies accumulated to an amount the lady could not pay because she was out of employment at that time, her male landlord offered her a deal – sex and she goes free. She declined the offer. For that matter, he decided to punish her by humiliation. He apparently alerted the Agataliko Nfufu crew to come and get ‘news’.
When my friend told me this sad story, I heard the Lord telling me, “This is not a gossip issue to be broadcast by Christians as interesting ‘info’. My child is in trouble, therefore do something to bail her out.” I quickly went into action. I got her telephone number from a person close to her. I contacted her and asked her how much money she owed the “sex for rent” man. I then mobilized a few of my ‘rich’ friends, asking them to come to the rescue of a sister in the Lord who many of them did not know. By the way, I, too, had never really spoken to her; we were just fellow church members. Anyway, apart from my friend who gave me the ‘info’, the rest responded positively and generously. Flora Banage contributed a huge lump sum. So did Dennis and Christine Mugimba and others who I cannot remember. My wife and I also gave the little we could. Surprisingly, I collected more money than the dear lady needed. I then called her to meet me at Good African Coffee, which was then at Lugogo. She came with a friend. I gave her all the money the good Samaritans had contributed together with a list of all their contacts and the amount each had offered. She received it with gratitude, and then walked away to the car they had driven in. However, before she got to the car, she made a swift U-turn, walked back alone to where I was seated, and whispered to me just two words: “Thank You”. Prior to that, growing up, I had received a billion thank-you’s like all of you have. However, in that moment, this particular thank-you seemed to trump all the previous ones. I do not think I will ever forget it. It came from the very bottom of the lady’s heart probably because of the public humiliation she was suffering and also because the help came from absolute strangers.
Now, last Tuesday I received a sweeter thank-you. I was in my car in a place that had several other cars. A few metres from my car, I saw another car park and out came a beautiful little girl of about 5 years. I could tell that her mother with whom she had come expected her to walk to a certain building all by herself through the cars! Bambi when she started the lonely journey, one car started its engine and scared her. Now, very few other things arouse my emotions like baby girls do; I just could not afford to see this innocent cutie walk alone through the cars, especially when there was a huge possibility of a car hitting her. I know you are wondering what the mother was up to. Well, I do not know either. Anyway, I quickly stopped what I was doing, jumped out of my car, ran to the dear little princess, held out my hand and walked her to safety. When I released her hand, bambi this 5-year-old girl turned, looked up into my face, gave me a beautiful smile as she said just two words: “Thank you.” It was a very sweet thank you, one of a kind.
Like I said, we have all received a billion thank-you’s, some sweeter than others, some not sweet at all. However, there is a coming thank-you that you should not miss getting. It will be the sweetest of them all, and there will never be another like it. That sweetest thank-you will be from Jesus. It will be in appreciation for all the wonderful things you will have done for His name’s sake. It will be the greatest reward for all the sacrifices you will have made to further His cause. Jesus will thank you for the help you gave a family that was abandoned by its father. Yes, you will be thanked for the children whose safety you guaranteed. I, as a shepherd, will be thanked for selflessly taking care of God’s flock – if I indeed selflessly take care of it. Every one of us will make it into the coming kingdom of God if we continue walking in the Lord. However, it is not enough to just enter the kingdom; we should also enter therein with works worthy to be appreciated with the sweetest thank-you ever – one from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, “whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).
THANK YOU.