7 / 124
5
March 2015
TABLE TENNIS
at its best
i
n recent months I have experienced a very interesting phe-
nomenon. On a regular basis something extremely positive
has happened to me personally or to Grain SA, only to be
followed within a very short time frame by something bad at
the opposite pole of life.
It is like table tennis. The occurrence of pleasure thieves is some-
thing not unfamiliar to me, but the specific timing of it and the high
level of intensity were undeniably quite different. My emotional
boundaries of ups and downs were definitely severely tested. I
would on the one day find prominent, loyal supporters of Grain SA
becoming opponents, and the next day a compliment comes from a
totally unexpected corner. We are experiencing breakthroughs with
matters we have been grappling with for years, only to discover a
new mountain to be crossed the next day.
That is most likely the manner in which a weather market operates.
Should there be a possibility of rain, prices decrease too drastically
and if the weather forecast is not positive, prices climb excessively.
Extremes are of course a remarkable breeding ground for conflict,
stress and misunderstandings. It is under these conditions that
your character is tested and formed.
One of my mentors, years ago, pointed out to me that a person
requires very little leadership ability when everything is going
smoothly, but in difficult times it is needed the most – then self-con-
trol, patience and faith are the subjects you have to pass to move
on to the next level. There is a saying which states that when
the students are writing exams, the professors and lecturers are
dead quiet. It is in such a lull that we as an organisation find our-
selves now.
Our leadership meetings are very intense, serious and definite-
ly directional for the future. The team of leaders are dedicated to
the affairs of the grain producer and they go about these matters
with great gravity. The organisation is very fortunate to have such
men and women steering the business. They regularly make the
mind shift from farm level to national problems.
The Executive of Grain SA had a meeting early in February and
although the content of the meeting was very good, the general
frame of mind definitely was not. The summer grains are dying
off from the drought and all possible life in the plants (and their
owners) were wilting rapidly. It was even pointed out that the cur-
rent government had not yet experienced a general drought since
coming to power. This unleashed a whole waterfall of emotions.
Eskom is already going out of its way to sink the economy and a
drought with disastrous consequences for agriculture and the
rural areas will really be a very difficult combination. The sec-
ond half of February is going to be decisive. It remains difficult to
prevent one’s thoughts from playing havoc with you. Our only com-
pensation in this instance is our faith. Our strength, however, lies in
quietude and trust!
It is during these times of table tennis emotions that we need an-
chors to carry us through – these anchors are our faith and men
and women who have gone through these processes many times.
God speed!
DS KOOS KIRSTEN
WOORD
Uit die
w
at gaan ons eet? Baie ma’s en vrouens hoor hierdie
vraag gereeld. Deesdae is dit ook nie meer net ‘n vraag
wat in huise gevra word nie, maar ook in raadsale en
regeringskantore regoor die wêreld. Voedselsekerheid
is ‘n saak waaraan al hoe meer regerings aandag gee
en met reg, want voedselskaarste kan ‘n regering tot ‘n val bring.
Ons moet die vraag na wat ons gaan eet egter nie net tot aardse kos
beperk nie. In Deut 8:3 sê die Here aan Israel dat ‘n mens nie net van
brood alleen sal lewe nie. Hy sal lewe van elke woord wat uit die
mond van die Here gaan. Wanneer die duiwel die Here Jesus versoek
nadat Hy 40 dae sonder kos was, haal Jesus hierdie gedeelte aan as
antwoord op dit wat die duiwel gesê het.
Ons raak baie keer so besig met ons aardse werk om kos te kry,
dat ons hierdie belangrike beginsel vergeet. Die Here stel egter nie
aardse kos en sy Woord teenoor mekaar nie. Jesus leer ons immers
in die Onse Vader dat ons ook vir ons daaglikse brood moet bid. Dit
is dus nie die een of die ander nie, maar albei. Ons moet net die regte
balans handhaaf.
In Joh 4:31 - 34 lees ons wat die Here Jesus hieroor te sê het. Sy
dissipels het gaan kos koop en by Hom aangedring dat Hy moet eet.
Hy antwoord hulle toe dat hy ander voedsel het waarvan hulle nie
weet nie. Toe hulle dit nie verstaan nie, sê Hy dat sy voedsel is om
die wil van sy Vader te doen. Dit het tot gevolg gehad dat Hy aan die
kruis moes sterf om vir ons sondes te betaal.
Wat gaan ons vandag eet? Ons liggame vereis aardse kos en wanneer
ons eet, bly ons aan die lewe. Wat gaan ons vandag eet? Ons moet
vandag ook die wil van ons Vader doen. Dit kan egter onder sekere
omstandighede tot ons liggaamlike dood lei, maar dit sal altyd tot
gevolg hê dat ons geestelik bly lewe. Ons moet dus vandag en elke
ander dag eet en “eet”.
Baie geluk aan
Petrus Fourie van
Verkeerdevlei wat vir die
Desember-uitgawe van
SA Graan/Grain
die gratis
Bybel gewen het.