Editorial
5
December 2013
GRATEFULNESS
Jannie de Villiers, Uitvoerende hoofbestuurder/CEO
D
ecember is harvesting time and planting time for the grain produc-
ers of the country. For me as a child, it was the time we went to my
grandfather’s farm to celebrate Christmas.
It was a time of an abundance of cool drinks and ginger beer, sweets and
a new torch (last year’s being broken long ago). It was a time for shooting
birds and hunting rabbits – what a wonderful time for me as a child. My
heart is filled with thankfulness for such unforgettable childhood years.
My message today is one I learnt from my grandfather there in the dark
storeroom (before Eskom power). He was busy handing Christmas pres-
ents to the farm workers. I knew what all the presents were, because we
went to town with him to buy them and they were not nicely wrapped
like ours. He gave the first worker a pair of socks and the question came:
“Is that all?”
I knew there was more to come, but then my grandfather did something
I, as a child, did not understand immediately. He took the socks back and
said that if one could not say thank you, you do not get a present. I as-
sume that later, when all the others had received their presents, the pair
of socks was returned to the particular worker, because his gift was that
of giving, but I will never forget it: Gratefulness.
When during the coming days we remember Jesus’ coming to the earth,
it also fills me with an overwhelming sense of gratefulness. Even if it is
just for a pair of socks in a dry and difficult year. Yes, there are those of
us who experienced abundance and for whom thankfulness most likely
comes a lot easier. But when God gazes through the rooms of my heart
searching for the fruits of 2013, I sincerely hope that He will find grateful-
ness in there somewhere.
Grateful for the loved ones He placed around me, for health and for His
forgiveness of my shortcomings and for when I acted improperly against
my neighbour. Maybe there are still some unforgiveness issues we have
to deal with this year; or maybe it was a drought year in your heart with
regard to all the good deeds you could have done, but never got to. Pos-
sibly your year was so busy that you never heard what your children were
dreaming about.
Let us then, like the Word says, give thanks in all circumstances
(1 Thess 5:18). Grain SA has also had a very full year and a good “har-
vest”. We will report fully about this at the 2014 Congress and in the Grain
SA Annual Report, but now we wish with you all to thank our Heavenly
Father for His blessings this past year.
May you show happiness and gratefulness this Christmas to Him who
came down to Earth to give significance and meaning to our lives.
“
…today we wish,
together with all of
you, to thank our
Heavenly Father for
all His blessings of
the past year.
“
Dankbaar vir die geliefdes wat Hy rondom my gesit het, vir gesondheid
en vir Sy vergifnis vir my tekortkominge en vir wanneer ek verkeerd opge-
tree het teenoor my naaste.
Dalk is daar ‘n stuk onvergewensgesindheid waarmee ons moet klaar-
maak hierdie jaar, of dalk was dit ‘n droë jaar in jou hart ten opsigte van al
die goeie dade wat jy kon doen, maar nooit by uitgekom het nie. Dalk was
jou jaar so besig dat jy nooit gehoor het waaroor jou kinders droom nie.
Laat ons dan, soos die Woord sê, in alles dankbaar wees (1 Tess 5:18).
Graan SA het ook ‘n baie vol jaar en ‘n goeie “oes” gehad. Ons berig volle-
dig daaroor by die 2014 Kongres en in die Graan SA jaarverslag, maar
vandag wil ons saam met julle ons Hemelse Vader dank vir al Sy seëninge
van die afgelope jaar.
Mag jy hierdie Kersfees vreugde en dankbaarheid bewys aan Hom wat vir
ons aarde toe gekom het om sin en betekenis aan ons lewens te gee.
