7 / 112
5
October 2015
What is the new kind of normal?
i
sit pondering what I should write about this month. There is
a freshness in the air and despite all the poor predictions for
the season; we received some early rains in the north. The
southern Cape is soaking wet and the Swartland area is tak-
ing a strain. One can only wonder when everything will just be
normal again.
What is the new kind of normal? Wars are escalating and refugees
worldwide are desperately seeking new homes. Not all are equally
welcome everywhere. South Africa is still busy debating quotas in
our sports teams when the EU announced that there will now be
refugee quotas for all member countries. Incidentally, I wondered
how a quota type of person would feel about this in his/her heart,
because the decision-makers thereof often seem quite unperturbed
about it.
There is a heavy anticipation in the air – as if the whole country
is waiting for more than one significant thing to happen. The rand
continues to tumble; markets are in stormy waters; the Rugby
World Cup must begin…Or perhaps we are waiting for the next
power outage?
In the agricultural arena the land negotiations have become some-
what quieter. Agri SA is engaged in preparations for their congress
this month; the north is waiting for their planting season to com-
mence and the south’s crop is still fragile. We are even waiting for
the announcement of a new wheat tariff. Many of our developing
farmers are waiting for assistance and land to live out their dreams
on the farm.
During my high school years there was a booklet,
Opstelle wat
sprankel (Essays that sparkle)
, which I had to read to find out how
an essay should really be written. One of the essays inspired me to
one day personally write a neat piece of work about how the whole
farm, in the midst of harvesting (wheat), was in a stir about a hail
storm approaching the farm. That kind of waiting is not pleasant.
What will we as grain producers wait for? Yes, we are waiting for
good rains and lower diesel prices, but I think if I have to be honest
with myself today, we are waiting for the country’s attitude towards
agriculture to change!
We are waiting for there to be more appreciation for the work that
we do to feed everyone in the country and even a number of people
in a few other countries on a daily basis. That, from early till late we
plant with high risks, spray, till, harvest and transport crops so that
all may have something to eat. That year after year we mortgage
almost everything we have to win crops for all.
I do not think that we are seeking sympathy; we have after all
made the choice to farm, but just some empathy if day after day
the sun scorches plants lifeless and the clouds come and go, but it
does not rain. It would be nice to have just some understanding
for our emotions when a new born lamb did not make it because
the ewe deserted it.
Where is the appreciation for the producer’s wife who repeatedly
transports one of the farm workers’ children to the town hospital
because she is ill? There is but little understanding of the talks in
the front seat of the bakkie on a Monday morning en route to the
school hostel. Maybe all the hardship will be easier to bear if one
only knows that you as a person and what you are doing are being
appreciated.
I do not know whether I have the authority, but today I wish to
salute our grain producers, their families and their workers for the
task they are doing on behalf of all the people of our country. Thank
you very much.
Lastly, please also grant me a word of appreciation to the Maize Trust
who has since 2000 until last month subsidised the
SA Graan/Grain
magazine. It went a long way in getting all the grain news to all in
the country. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future.
DS KOOS KIRSTEN
WOORD
Uit die
d
it sou darem maar lekker gewees het as alles wat ‘n mens
nodig het om van te lewe verniet was. Jy kan maar net
by die winkel instap, neem wat jy wil hê en weer uit-
gaan sonder om te betaal. Die Here het egter gesê dat as
ons nie wil werk nie, ons ook nie kan eet nie.
Ons kan nie sonder kos leef nie, daarom kan ons dit nie verniet kry
nie. In tye van oorvloed is kos goedkoop, maar hoe skaarser kos
raak, hoe duurder word dit.
In Jes 55 nooi die Here sy volk Israel uit om by Hom water, wyn,
melk en brood verniet te kom kry. Niemand hoef iets daarvoor te
betaal nie. Wat ‘n heerlike gedagte! As ‘n mens egter mooi lees kom
jy gou agter dat die Here hier nie van aardse kos praat nie, maar van
die geestelike.
Geestelike dinge se waarde kan nie in terme van aardse geld of goed
bepaal word nie. Daar is niks op aarde waarmee ‘n mens geestelike
dinge kan koop nie. Dit is waarom die Here dit verniet aan ons
wil gee.
Die Here nooi ons na Hom toe om die allerbeste by Hom te kom
kry. Daardie heerlike geestelike seëninge waarvan ons die waarde
nie kan bepaal nie. Ons kan dit heeltemal verniet kry. Tog is daar
iets wat ons moet doen om dit te kry. Hy sê dat ons na Hom toe
moet kom, na Hom moet luister, moet kyk na watter groot genade
Hy aan ons wil betoon. Ons moet Hom soek en na Hom roep terwyl
Hy nog te vinde is. Die sondaar moet hom tot die Here bekeer.
Genade en die ewige lewe is net by die Here te vind. Jy kan dit nie
by enige iemand anders kry nie. Dit is nêrens op aarde te vinde nie.
Jy kan al hierdie goed alleen kry as jy na die Here toe kom. Die pad
na Hom toe is oop. Christus het dit oopgemaak en Hy is self die weg
na die Vader toe.
Hy het beloof dat die Vader niemand van Hom af sal wegstuur wat
deur Christus na Hom toe kom nie. By Hom is alles wat nodig is vir
ons geestelike lewe – verniet!
Baie geluk aan
Ruperta Swart van
Klerksdorp wat vir die
Julie-uitgawe van
SA Graan/Grain
die gratis
Bybel gewen het.