6 months down the 2024 line, and things aren't quite as I'd imagined... This time last year I had just taken up a 12 month contract with a Canadian benefactor, with a vision for a Kingdom (church) growth and community development project. In summary, my sweetspot! In reality, a part time vegetable packshed site manager, in Marikana, North West province!
Make no mistake however, I was provided with an amazing opportunity to learn a whole lot more about an industry that has always inspired but perplexed me... Farming. Furthermore, I was able to continue exploring and investing in something very close to my heart... Being the mentorship, leadership and discipleship (through sports and camping) of youngsters.
Anyway, this contract finished 3 months ago, but provided me with enough insight, and a brand new and grounded vision, for what impactful and sustainable farming, education and discipleship can look like. And so once again, I was presented with an opportunity to review and reevaluate my vision, skills, and opportunities matrix, through Kingdomship...
In so doing, I recrafted a vision of an organisation I'd love to grow and run (it already exists in part), and shared it with my small network of potential partners and investors. Fast forward to today, and I'm writing this post while away celebrating 17 years of glorious (good, bad & ugly) marriage to my darling Dannean. But still no investment (or salary)!
Fortunately however, one of many lessons marriage has taught us, is that it's far more helpful to laugh in the face of fear than cry, and we can do this bravely, mainly because it's not our first white knuckle finances rodeo, and also because we have come to know a perfect love that casts out all fear (of finances) (1 John 4:18)... And just to prove it, in the middle of this work drought of mine, by faith 6 weeks ago, I planned a roadtrip for Tristan to celebrate his 13th birthday (as a rite of passage to manhood), and a 17th wedding anniversary getaway (to the Pilansberg gamepark).
And so how funny and ironic was it, when I took these photos last week, of an almost flat broke dad and husband, fly fishing in Dulstroom and big 5 game spotting in Kruger, not to mention drinking champagne (thanks mom!) with his gorgeous wife! And all this because, there's always money when we need it by faith, but rarely money when we want it for fear!
Or said another way, our Heavenly Father loves us too much to give us everything we want, when we want it... But instead gives us everything we need - in faith - when we need it! The difference is as subtle as it is significant... And these photos, and my bank account, will testify to that!
Anyway, I'll try not to bore you with any more testimonies this past 6 months, other than this one... Which must be our little church turning 1 year old, and suddenly not being so little! Of course I look forward to sharing another big testimony on the job front in my next installation, which if all goes according to my plan, will definitely call for more champagne glasses and lots of belly laughter - in faith!
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