Women of Reverence welcomes Wadzanai Kurebwa as a guest blogger to our Business Lounge.
Wadzanai is wife to Frank Kurebwa, and together they are blessed with two sons. Wadzanai and Frank are on Eldership at Base Church, Harare Zimbabwe. They own a coffee shop (Zimbo Café) and an Air BnB (guest house) in Mutare, Zimbabwe. She graduated with a BComm Accounting and is currently working as an Accountant in Harare. Wadzanai is passionate about making spaces beautiful – her family and friends believe she chose the wrong career. Her heart beats for marriages and believes that with God in your marriage, you are able to overcome any obstacles and have a healthy, Godly marriage.
Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house? Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” 2 Kings 4:2-4
This is how my journey of being a good steward in faith and trust, began. When the woman was asked what she had in her house, she was quick to say ‘there is nothing there at all’. Sometimes we are quick to say the same. I was! She later realised that she did have something even though she thought it was ‘small’. Our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills, a small jar of olive oil is not a nothing it’s a very big something, even if we see it as insignificant, God can multiply it. What do you have that God has given you, what is your ‘small jar of olive oil’?
In early 2019 our family went through a difficult season financially. I remember clearly as I went for my morning jog (that is usually the time I have converstaions with God). God asked me, What do you have? ‘Nothing’ I murmured. God reminded me of our house in a different city. We left it unoccupied. He also reminded me of the coffee shop we owned but wasn’t properly positioned to generate income. We did not consider the house and coffee shop in the economic and political climate of Zimbabwe as sources of income for our family. God challenged our thinking, pointing out that we were not being good stewards of what He had given us!
My heart was pounding, but I knew I had to submit this to my husband! I was excited and convinced that God spoke to me regarding the direction for the next season of our finances.
After much prayer and seeking the Lord together for clarity on how to approach this new season, we repented for not stewarding well and acknowledged that we had something in our hands to generate income with. The moment we knew and accepted that we had something to work with, God opened doors. The finances were not in large sums, but money enough for each stage, and slowly, within three months, the renovation on our house was complete. During the renovations of our home and coffee shop, God gave me wisdom and resources along the way.
‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. James 1: 2-4
Just as the widow needed to “go inside and shut the door behind her”, we knew we had to shut the door on doubt, fear and faithlessness. After we declared that we were ‘shutting the door’ and thanked God for our rundown house and coffee shop that barely paid our salary, (what we had in our hands) God began to move in amazing ways! Today our house is arguably the best looking Air BnB in a small city so far along with the coffee shop!
God is doing a good work in us as a family and we are making sure we don’t get distracted by the circumstances in our country. We recognised that we had something for God to work with, we had to put faith into action by saving finances even when it seemed impossible, looking for cheaper ways to renovate the house, advertising our coffee shop, adding little touch-ups as well engaging with our customers. You see, faith and works must work together!
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17
My eldest son was very excited to start school, until homework happened. The first day I began helping him with homework, the television was on, that was a big mistake. Each time I asked him to say his words aloud, he was distracted by it and kept getting it wrong. I would repeat the words with him over and over, until I realised that the television was the distraction. After I switced it off, he was able to do his homework perfectly for the day! How many of us are getting distracted and we do not recognise it as a distraction? We have to close the door on distractions, because they slow us down on the journey that God is taking us on. Just like my oldest son, we get distracted along the way as we run our race. Looking in someone elses lane is also a distraction. Run the race that God has put in your heart!
‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind’. James 1 v 5-6
Even though we go through trials it is for our own good, they make us strong soldiers of Christ. Trials bring a spiritual strength so that we don’t lack anything in terms of training, and a guaranteed equipping. As you go through the journey of being a good steward and face trials along the way – it is so that you will lack nothing!
I’m reminded of a story! It had been raining continuously for two days and my eldest sons’ school jersey was soaking wet. He had no other jersey for school. I had to think fast and decided put a warm t-shirt under his school shirt. I was convinced this would work, however when I dropped him off , I was concerned that he would be cold and phoned my husband to go and buy a second jersey from the uniform shop and drop it off at school for him. When his Dad dropped it off, he said “I knew you would come”. Knowing that our son trusts us brought such joy to our hearts! In the same way, our trust and faith in God pleases Him.
‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6
Trust God and His process! He knows what he has for you!