7 / 52
5
December 2014
Persist
2
014 is winding down like a bad memory dating from my
army days. When, dead tired on a warm day, you run
into the army base with 20 kg on your back; your
thoughts fixed on a refreshingly cold shower and
drinking a lot of water…Then the corporal for no rea-
son under the sun that you can think of, gives the order:
“About turn!”
Everyone is bewildered, uncertain; thinking bad, negative thoughts
and some other things I cannot mention now. Suddenly the
Swartberg mountains seem much higher than a moment before
when you came running downhill.
The past congresses of Agri SA and AFASA were almost like the
south gate at the Oudtshoorn Infantry School. We had just started
thinking that the year’s hard work was being rewarded – we had
arrived – our Land Reform Plan was on paper at long last and every-
one was on board…When the politicians called: “About turn!”
Suddenly the March 2015 date for the submission of the details
changed to: “Start next week!” Others on the other hand shouted:
“Moratorium on farm evictions, irrespective!” These actions of the
last few weeks of 2014 quickly indicated to me what the pace and
instructions in 2015 are going to be.
Tired from running or not, heavily burdened or not, dirty and
sweaty or not, did not count for points. “De Villiers, the mountain
ahead of us must be crossed!” The thing that made the difference
during my army days was that one soldier who started singing. It
was that platoon leader who encouraged the tired troops with a
song, rallying them into a united group, leading their thoughts away
from negativity.
A lot of it you will still remember it. Never, ever, did a corporal try
to stop the singing in such a situation, because he knew he was
achieving his goal – persist in unity.
The reason I am sharing this story, is to intone the first note for
the year ahead. To call out for unity and persistence among our
producers, and to plead that we should not start bickering among
ourselves, but to rather focus on the goals of sustainable, profitable
grain production to feed our country and its people and to ensure
a future for our children and grandchildren.
The Swartberg mountain range of Oudtshoorn is going to be re-
placed by land reform, climate change, no crop insurance, politi-
cal fickleness and excessive greed from corrupt people. These are
the issues which we, with our tired bodies, will be facing in 2015.
Where I’m now sitting in this airplane, writing this article, my
thoughts go back to 1980 and I can only testify that we survived
the “about turn” then; and we became better men as a result. I
can only hope and believe that it will be the same this time. It was
that which made us good soldiers and what today make us
good producers.
♪ ♫
Ha-di-hê oh,
♫ ♪
ha-di-hô
♪ ♫
DS KOOS KIRSTEN
WOORD
Uit die
d
ie jaar is alweer verby en Kersfees is net om die draai:
Tyd vir geskenke en welwillendheid; vakansie en rustig
wees, vir ontspanning en kuier met familie. Op Kersdag
gaan ons dalk kerk toe en dink so ‘n bietjie aan Jesus wat
mens geword het en vir ons sondes betaal het.
Besef ons regtig wat al hierdie dinge beteken? Ons moet onsself
opnuut afvra hoekom Jesus na die wêreld gekom het en wat Hy
hier kom doen het. Dit is nie ‘n ligte ou sakie wat net een dag in die
jaar ons aandag vra en dan weer daar gelaat kan word nie. Hierdie
is sekerlik die belangrikste gebeurtenis in die geskiedenis van die
wêreld en vra daarom diepsinnige nadenke.
Eerstens moet ons die ernstige gevolge van ons sonde besef. Die
Here bepaal immers in Eseg 18:20 dat die siel wat sondig, moet
sterf. In Rom 2 en 3 sien ons dat alle mense sondig en dat almal moet
sterf. Niemand kan hierby verby kom nie. Almal het gesondig, dus
moet almal sterf.
God wil egter nie hê dat alle mense moet sterf nie. As almal sterf, het
Hy geen kinders nie en ook geen koninkryk nie. As almal sterf, het
die Satan oorwin. God het egter bepaal dat die een wat gesondig het,
vir sy sondes moet betaal. Die enigste manier waarop betaal kan
word, is met die dood. God is egter ook barmhartig en wil die son-
daar vergewe. Hy kan dit net doen as iemand anders betaal. Hiervoor
het Christus na die wêreld gekom. Hy het mens geword, want die
mens het gesondig en net die mens kan betaal. God reken elkeen
wat in Christus glo se sonde aan Christus toe (2 Kor 5:21). Hy het
Hom gestraf asof Hy die sonde gedoen het. Verder reken God
Christus se volmaakte gehoorsaamheid aan die gelowige toe asof
hy dit gedoen het.
Deur dit só te doen, bly God getrou aan sy Woord. Hy straf die
sonde van die mens deur die mens Jesus en skenk die mens Jesus
se volmaakte gehoorsaamheid aan elke mens wat in Hom glo.
Sodoende word elkeen wat glo, gered. Dit is mos meer as genoeg
rede om uit jou hart uit bly te wees. Dit is meer as genoeg rede om
werklik fees te vier. Jesus het alles gedoen wat nodig is om ons
te red. Wees bly en jubel in die Here hierdie Kersfees en elke
ander dag!
Baie geluk aan Maria Mothobi
van Klerksdorp wat vir die
Oktober-uitgawe van
SA Graan/Grain
die gratis
Bybel gewen het.