5
November 2014
Trailblazers
o
nce again it waswet, cold andwindy at this year’sMega
Week. Thewheat, barley and canola fields, after another
good year in theWestern Cape, look beautiful. Surpris-
ingly enough the location differential was not discussed
this year, but land issueswere at theorder of theday.
Forme thehighlightwasmydiscussionwithnineofGrainSA’smen-
tors. Men, who of their own volition and funding, assist their fellow
producers and workers to make a huge difference in the lives of
those they help. They look like ordinary, run-of-the-mill producers,
but their hearts aredifferent. They excitedly related tomehow each
of them designed a plan to help their colleagues. Some even acted
as surety because financing is not available. Nobody else wants to
help…It is heartbreaking.
They share the happiness. No one has any regrets about what they
are doing. Theywould just like to havemore assistancewith financ-
ing and of course more land. I learn from each of our people that
each has an own unique plan. This is surely themost important les-
sonof theday. These aremenbreakingnewground!
Ifwecouldall just realise that nobodycan furnishyouwithoneblue-
print. Noone kick-started thesemen toembark on theirmentorship;
it was out of their own will. It would be better if land reform could
work this way. “On your own target, at your own time, proceed.”
(
à la
SADefence Force).
In all my travels and the meetings I attend, you encounter many
pieces of wisdom. One of these successful mentors the other day
expressed such a small piece of wisdom that has a huge impact on
life: All of us know that agriculture is not for
sissies
. We can teach
people certain skills andwhat to do to produce food for people and
animals. BUTwhen thepressuremountsand thegoinggetsdifficult,
it is character that pulls you through, not your skills.
It is precisely this piece of wisdom and truth that we in agricul-
ture hold so dearly. Whether we are training young leaders at the
GrainAcademy, orwhetherweareexposingyoungagricultural lead-
ers in the grain value chain to seasoned mentors during a young
leaders’ laboratory or just a training sessionbefore ameetingof the
Executive: Character comes first! Character cannot be downloaded
from the internet. Character follows if you persist in doing the right
things for the right reasons, regardless. There is a lot of character
building time in being alone and taking decisions on your own that
not only affect the whole of your farm, but also those who process
the food and thosewho eat the food youproduce.
There is a saying that goes that you can only smell whether it is a
rose or khaki bush if you crush it on the groundwith your foot. Only
then does the true aroma present itself. How do you “smell” when
you are under pressure?Whichwords flow from your mouth – rose
or khaki bush? I am regularly put to the test when I sit in the land
reformmeetings and wave after wave of accusations roll over you
unceasingly. Then remaining calm and maintaining self-control are
the characteristics you require to once again move to the middle
ground and stand for only the truth. It is especially here where the
Lord’s grace is greatest.
Let us then remain steadfast with integrity, speaking the truth in the
best interest of all.Whetherwearedebating land reform, negotiating
prices with input suppliers or buyers, or simply teaching your child
that onemust complywith all the laws of the land.
DSKOOSKIRSTEN
WOORD
Uit die
d
iemensdom het interessante uitdrukkings enmaniere om
dinge te sê. As jy iets vir iemand verduidelik het, vra jy:
“Sien jy?”. As iets negatiefs met iemand gebeur het ten
spyte daarvan dat jy hom gewaarsku het, sê ons: “Sien jy
nou, jywoumosniehoor nie!”.Ons sêook: “Kykwat gaan
gebeur”, met die bedoeling dat die persoon met wie jy praat moet
verstaanwaaroor dit gaan. Dit is nie iets sigbaars nie.
Hierdie manier van praat kry ons ook in die Bybel. Jesus gebruik
dit nogal baie. In Ef 1:18 bid die apostel Paulus dat die oë van ons
verstandverligmoetword. Onsmoet dus verstaanwaaroor dit gaan
eerder asom fisies te sien. Eenvandiedingewat hywil hêonsmoet
raaksien, is dit wat ons byGodgaan erf.
Diegene onder onswat ‘n klompie besittings het, het gewoonlik ook
‘n testament waarin ons bepaal wie wat gaan kry wanneer ons te
sterwe kom. Gewoonlik erf naby familie ons besittings. So het die
Here ook vir sy kinders sekere geestelike dinge in sy testament
belowe. Elkeenwat in Jesus Christus as sy Verlosser en Saligmaker
glo, is ‘n kind vanGod engaandaarom iets vanHom erf.
Ons raak egter so verstrengel in ons aardse dinge dat ons nie
meer besef wat ons gaan erf nie. Die oë van ons verstand raak ook
verduister deur die sonde.Omhierdie redebiddieapostel dat dieoë
van ons verstand verligmoet word. Onsmoet opnuut tot die besef
komhoewonderlikdiedinge iswatGodaanons in sy testament (die
Bybel) beloof het.
Ons gaan ‘n rykdom en ‘n heerlikheid erf wat ons nie met aardse
taal kan beskryf nie. Petrus sê in 1 Pet 1:4 dat ons ‘n onverganklike,
onbesmette en onverwelklike erfenis gaan ontvang. Hierdie erfenis
word deur God in die hemel vir ons bewaar. Niemand kan dit van
ons af wegneem nie, nie eens die regering nie en niemand kan ‘n
grondeis daarteen instel nie. Die staat kan geen belasting daarop
hef nie. Niemand kan iets doen wat hierdie erfenis kan beskadig of
besoedel nie.
Mag die Here die oë van ons verstand verlig dat ons kan sien wat
ons gaan erf en kan verstaan dat ons ons ookmet die dinge van sy
koninkrykmoet besighou.
Baiegeluk aanMaryDikoko
vanKlerksdorpwat vir die
September-uitgawe van
SAGraan/Grain
diegratis
Bybel gewenhet.
