Dinner with King Solomon - Another Book of Wisdom by Matshona Dhliwayo...

I met Matshona Dhilwayo through another book, Lalibela's Wise Man, which I thoroughly enjoy. When I posted my review, I bought this book and think many of you will find it as inspiring as I did. I read many books related to the work environment when I began working many years ago, but had never studied King Solomon.  Spending time with him at dinner was a wonderful experience that I highly recommend to each of you...

Kevin peered out his driver-side window.  The new owners of his beautiful home appeared to be happy.  The young children were playing on the lush, green lawn that he had meticulously maintained for the past twenty years to please his ex-wife Dianne.  Sitting in his parked car, he realized he would give anything to spend one more day in that house with her, living their old life. Memories of the good times they had shared were all he had left now, but the more he held onto them, the more it hurt. Life had been too cruel to Kevin—it had plunged a knife into his heart that twisted with every passing minute of the day, reminding him that pain was his new existence.  Oxygen had been replaced by despair. 

What am I going to do? Kevin thought.  At forty-five, he had lost everything: his successful business, his wife, his two children, and his reputation.  Everything he treasured had been taken from him.  His business partner had swindled every single one of their customers and disappeared, leaving behind debts Kevin couldn’t pay in two lifetimes and a reputation that he couldn’t restore in three. Kevin knew he had reached the noose of his rope.  He had no one to turn to; all his friends deserted him.  Those he’d supported during times of trouble were nowhere to be found, and his own family no longer returned his phone calls.  They were too ashamed to be associated with him. “They love you when you’re up,” he mumbled to himself, remembering how they would beg him to come to every party and event.  Now, he was sure they wouldn’t notice, or even mind, if he changed his last name...

Kevin slowly climbed out of the car and scrambled over to the edge of the bridge.  A few wispy clouds interrupted the blue sky, and a flock of birds flew near the horizon.  The clear waters below were calm.  Everything, except him, seemed to be at peace.  As Kevin looked down, he remembered what his mother always used to say: “Everything happens for a reason.” Could this be why I ran out of gas? he thought.  Maybe this is a sign.  What have I got left to live for?  If I were gone, wouldn’t everyone be better off?  I could finally rest… Kevin shut his eyes and spread his arms to embrace his fate.  A gentle wind blew his hair away from his face.  Kevin leaned into it, gathering his strength. “This is it,” he said, as he began to take one last step. 

“Excuse me, sir?” Kevin opened his eyes.  

“Heaven?” he whispered in hope. 

“Sir, are you looking for this?” Just like a moment ago, the sky was blue, and the clear waters below were calm.  Kevin was confused.  His surroundings looked more like Earth than Heaven. He turned around to find out he was still on the bridge. 

But... I jumped...  Perhaps the angel behind him would explain why he wasn’t wet.  He turned around and squinted at the figure in front of him.  It was no angel.  The little boy standing in front of him was no more than nine, short and skinny without any wings or a halo.  Kevin stretched out his hand, hesitantly accepting his car keys from the boy’s outstretched palm. “Thanks,” he struggled to say, confusion clearly written across his face.  “I must have dropped them.” 

“You’re welcome,” the little boy replied.  With a big smile, he ran back to the Dodge van, which had pulled off to the side of the bridge.  His mother smiled at him, and the little boy waved as they drove away. Kevin looked around, re-examining his surroundings...

Death is never around when you need it, he thought...

Kevin had reached his lowest point and could see no way out, no future for him that could be worked out. His partner had betrayed him as well as their customers and he had no way to pay back what had been stolen. This family, ashamed, turned away from him...

He tried suicide, but, somehow, he even failed at that...

So he went home to his depressing apartment...and began to try again... He was interrupted again by someone knocking on his door, and kept on knocking until Kevin answered... King Solomon introduced himself and wondered if Kevin would invite him to have dinner with him...

“Have we met?” Kevin asked hesitantly, shaking the man’s hand, without a word.
 “No, we have not,” the man replied.
“I was just in the middle of something.  What can I do for you?”
“I have come to ask you to invite me to dinner.”

Kevin had some time before his dinner was scheduled with King Solomon and he decided to learn enough to be prepared to talk with him in an intelligent manner...

The meal was going well or, at least, Kevin hoped it was. He watched throughout to make sure that King Solomon was enjoying his dinner, but remained uncertain. He wanted to know more. “Time travel is impossible, so how are you here if you lived three thousand years ago?” 

King Solomon sipped his fruit juice simply. “What is impossible for man is possible for God. God can make even the heaviest object travel at the speed of light,” he said. 

Kevin was amazed. 

“Don’t be surprised. Angels travel faster than the speed of light. They are everywhere around you but too quick for the human eye to see.” 

“To be honest, I have a hard time believing anything my eyes cannot see,” Kevin admitted. “I guess I’m just not spiritual enough.” 

“How can you not be spiritual? Is it not your spirit that makes you who you are?...

~~~

What would you want to ask of King Solomon? Of course, one of the first questions in most of our minds is why so many bad things happen to good people... Many hours go by as Kevin learns how he can turn his life around...

I couldn't help but think that God puts many people in our lives with wisdom, sometimes specifically sent to help, others sharing their own experiences of what happened in their lives. We may not often really get to meet an angel or King Solomon, but writers such as Dhliwayo, a philosopher who works to inspire and share, can help you better understand written texts that can be applied to your own life... just as Kevin was able to do after spending time with King Solomon and the God who had sent him...

This was inspirational to me, as I learned more about the application of King Solomon's wisdom. It was said that only God was wiser...Solomon was just a man, but we can also learn from our fellow man with God's discernment and guidance. In that light, I recommend you check this one out, especially if you might need life guidance at this time...

GABixlerReviews

Matshona Dhliwayo is a Canadian based Philosopher, Entrepreneur, and author of books such as The Art of Winning, The Little Book of Inspiration, 100 Lessons Every Great Man Wants You to Know, Dinner with King Solomon and Lalibela's Wise Man. He is a regular contributor for The African Leadership Magazine, The CEO Magazine, Health Magazine, The African Union, and other internationally renowned magazines.

Lalibela's Wise Man by Matshona Dhliwayo Uses Story Set in Historical Site to Present Wise Advice to All!

Discovering wisdom in a book is quite exhilarating when you discover it unexpectedly... Sure, the title gives a hint but this short book turned out to be so much more!

We meet the main character, Christian, just after his father has died and final arrangements made are announced for the estate... Christian received a small box and nothing else...

Now some of us may not expect an inheritance, given family circumstances, but Christian's father had been very rich...

And he knew that he was his father's favorite son, although he was the youngest. Not only did his brothers get the full inheritance, but they immediately kicked Christian out of their, now, home, and of the family business.

Christian had a little money saved, but not enough to go on without working... But where? And how should he continue in light of the seemingly hostile actions by his father. Finally, he was calm enough and opened the box...In it was just a note to go see the Old Monk in Lalibela...

For those of us who have never been there, I wanted a little more information... Note that there is no information about Lalibela in the book being reviewed...

Said to be the location of The Garden of Eden...

Christian really had no other choice, the last wish of his father to his favorite son was to go find an old monk in Lalibela, Ethiopia... There, he was able to find a taxi to take him to the foot of the mountain where the monastery was located but he was to walk to the top, which took about two hours...

When he arrived, a monk who he guessed to be about 60 welcomed him and he allowed him to read the note from his father... Christian was directed to proceed forward...

He would stay at the monastery for seven days... Though many might think that it was to be an intense spiritual retreat, instead, one day they went out hunting; another day he carried a spear, but when a lion came toward him, he dropped his weapon and ran away. Christian was an intelligent businessman but what was he to learn from these daily activities? Another day he felt embarrassed to stay behind and visit with the children. Although he enjoyed very much meeting Daniel, especially who spoke English, he was afraid to ask the Monk what it was he was to be learning... Actually, as it turned out, much of what was taught was related to not only personal, but also business success.

It was only on the day he was to leave that he spent time learning the old Monk's wisdom...and so much more. The method by which the author has placed Christian into situations without understanding brilliantly allowed both Christian and readers to discover the wisdom to be learned... And the conclusion was unbelievably exhilarating! 

This was a very satisfying book. Not only did I learn something new about a place, frankly, I had amazingly never heard of, Lalibela, but the wisdom of the monk was a welcome time of restoration much needed by many people... I was impressed enough to go out and pick up another, similar book by the author about the wisdom of Solomon... I highly recommend you consider this book for many reasons...

Ledet (Christmas) falls on December 29 Ethiopian calendar (January 7 Gregorian calendar). Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated after 43 days fasting known as Tsome Gahad (Advent), with a spectacular procession, which begins at 6 AM and lasts until 9 AM. After the mass service, people go home to break the fast with the meat of chicken or lamb or beef accompanied with injera and the traditional drinks (i.e. tella or tej). Ethiopian Christmas is colorfully celebrated in Lalibela at the rock hewn church of Bete Mariam (The House of St. Mary) by an overnight chanting and the early morning ecclesiastical dance and chanting by the deacons, priests and the cantors who all wear typical traditional cloth and climb on to the surrounding courtyard rock hill known as Mame Gara that encircle the church of St. Mary. The day marks both the birth of Jesus Christ and King Lalibela and it is why thousands of pilgrims make their pilgrimage to the site for this particular festival.

GABixlerReviews

Matshona Dhliwayo is a Canadian based Philosopher, Entrepreneur, and author of books such as The Little Book of Inspiration, Creativity, The Book, 50 Lessons Every Wise Mother Teaches Her Son, 100 Lessons Every Great Man Wants You to Know, and Lalibela's Wise Man. He is also a regular contributor for the African Leadership Magazine.