Above all else, guard your heart …

By The Independent | Jun. 17, 2022

One person seemed to be aware of their mistakes and reached out to the other, extending an olive branch and exploring ways to reconcile. The other seemed adamant they were in the right and were not about to even imagine reaching out.

Grace Chirenje HAVE you ever made a mistake? Like that kind of mistake that leaves your heart broken and questioning the kind of human that you are?

Well, I have made countless mistakes just like, am sure, many of you dear readers have. This week, I handled a situation where two people made very grave mistakes.

As I explored the situation further, I realised that lies, ego and pride had the latter gripped with the lack of remorse — they shared that. It had my heart break and question, as I always do, our place in humanity.

It comes down to the matters of the heart — what is in the depths of our hearts? Is that not what influences how we tend to be as a people?

‘Mistakes’ are common

I recall the good old days at my former primary school, decades ago, when as children we would look each other in the eye as tell each other that mistakes are common!

This supported the notion of forgiveness being fostered from a very early age. We would then hold hands and give each other hugs as a sign of reconciliation.

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Now fast forward to today where as an adult I do know that it takes more than a hug and handshake to reach reconciliation. Take a look around?

Do you see what we have become as Zimbabweans? There are just too many “mistakes” that go “unnoticed”, “unsaid” and “unacknowledged”.

Just this week, there was too much to break our little hearts as Zimbabweans went about with their usual way of life. Did you by any chance notice how the rate has fluctuated, or how the fuel and basic commodities prices have increased, how people are dying around us — okay, let me just take a moment here.

I still cannot get over Alex Magaisa’s death or that of a fellow sister, Moreblessing Ali. It is heart wrecking! How can we not notice that the police broke up a prayer rally attempting a revival of the “Zimbabwe We Want” Campaign?

So, looking at these aforementioned issues and a plethora of others, one would think that there is somehow a struggle to harness our energy as humans so we do not make “mistakes”.

We are blessed with a brain and the gift to think, at least that is what has been scientifically proven true for humans! Now, the issue is how we choose to utilise our brains.

Well, with Alex Magaisa and the pain we face as the humans that remain this side of the world, we tend to question God — that too is allowed and could be considered by some as a “mistake” and folly to create the Maker, given.

However, the rest of these mentioned issues seem to have human influence and one would think we are mistaken to behave in the ways we do.

How do humans decide to murder each other over some issues that can actually be resolved? How do we carry out our roles in ways that gag the voices of democracy?

How is this economy functioning seriously with all the gimmicks we are witnessing and clearly something is failing and failing dismally? Haaaaa, maybe we shall just say “mistakes” are common! Now, I am taken back to that exploration I mentioned earlier on with those two humans where one reached out and the other was adamant.

Is there any room for us as a people to actually embrace that we have failed and we need to explore ways to reach out and apologise then make amends?

Our leaders, do you see this mess, can you hear our cries especially as women who tend to bear the brunt of socialising the nation? Surely, there has to be a way we can come around the table and help each other make Zimbabwe better especially as political leaders.

When we face social ills and there is seemingly a negligible aura around from the powers that be, what we observe is almost certain that we have decided to shut down our hearts and not care at all.

This too is such a grave “mistake”. This is the time we look around us and question the kind of heart we exude, especially as leaders, as we witness pain, death, poverty and lack of general alignment within the communities of Zimbabwe. Mine is a clarion call to relook our “mistakes” and make sure we become better.

Coming together

What is easy is pointing fingers and blaming, that is super-duper simple. What makes it even more pleasurable is distancing oneself from the total mess that surrounds us.

However, now is not even the time to do that as Zimbabweans. We desperately need solutions! How do we explore ways of coming together so we can make a difference for this our motherland?

I am a very strong believer that the solutions we seek for Zimbabwe are so much domestic and residing in each one of us. The social ills we face can be addressed if we come together and introspect around how we have failed to guard our hearts and have contributed to the decline of Zimbabwe.

If we look at it from way up, national level, we might miss it. If we bring it closer to home and ask ourselves how at an individual level, we have made a difference, I am certain this will be a very different story.

I invite you dear reader to look at your heart, guard it above all else for out of it stem the issues of life. It is where the “mistakes” we are facing tend to emanate from.

Once we have a collective of hearts that seek goodness for themselves and others, I am sure we can collectively begin the journey to reformation just like that one person decided to reach out to the adamant one.

Let us keep challenging one another to become better as this has a ripple effect to spill into our homes, workplaces and various communities we hail from.

Before we know it, Zimbabwe will become a better place for you and for me. Until then, we live, laugh and love in a bid to show the world that we were here, becoming better, making our mark, leaving our footprint as we make the world a better place!