Woodpecker

When you are home during the week, not working - as I am currently, you become more aware of the daily activities of creatures around the house. This does not only include the dogs, but the birds and even insects as well.


Mentioning this I came to notice the curious activities of a woodpecker around our house. I was busy in the kitchen one morning, when I heard a repetitive pecking noise.


I went to the washing room widow from where I could witness the source of the sound: a woodpecker was chipping away at the garage window. First he looked at his own reflection in the window, and not thinking that he is looking at his own worst enemy he would attack that image of himself with passion and energy. Unfortunately, all his efforts were in vain and whatever he does, his enemy does the same back. He came back time after time throughout the week, but his worst enemy stayed undefeated. It never crossed his mind that he was looking at his own reflection in that garage window.


At first I laughed at this curious incident, but after a while I really pitied him. All this time and energy wasted on a mere image. He would never realise that all his efforts are wasted on a fiction.


As I was analysing his behaviour it dawned on me that we also exhibit some woodpecker behaviour. So often we are our own worst enemies. Daily we fight against the sometimes distorted images we have of ourselves – images of low self-image, images corrupted by what we think others think of us, misconceptions created by things which happened in our past. Just like the woodpecker we aimlessly attack ourselves, hoping to change our behaviour, just to find the distorted image unchanged the next day.


So many opportunities are lost and wasted while we are fighting the battles we cannot win.


Can we change? Will we ever see a true picture of ourselves? I believe the only way we will be freed from a false image we have of ourselves is to see ourselves through the eyes of Jesus. He looks at us and values us so much that he was willing to give His life so that we may live eternally without any distorted image of ourselves, clean and without disfigurement.


May we start to see ourselves, this Easter, through the eyes of Jesus. Only then can we embrace who we are and live the life God intended for us.

Dorings

Die gebeure in hierdie wêreld is nie altyd maklik om te verstaan nie. Daar is soveel sleg en hartseer wat om ons is en so dikwels word daardie seer en hartseer ook deel van ons as Christene se lewens.


Soms sluk ‘n mens maar moeilik hieraan. ‘n Mens bid vir God se bewaring, maar hoekom laat hy dan toe dat sy kinders seerkry, hetsy fisies of emosioneel?


Boonop hoor mens so dikwels dat mense sê van ‘n situasie waar hulle byvoorbeeld die dood vrygespring het, dat God hulle vandag bewaar het, tog is ‘n ander gelowige dalk nie so ‘gelukkig’nie.


Hoe werk dit dat God in dieselfde tipe situasie soos byvoorbeeld verkragting dit van een slagoffer weerhou, maar toelaat dat dit met ‘n ander gebeur – altwee diep gelowige mense wat op God se bewaring staatmaak?


Daar is definitief vele gebeure en dinge wat ons nie in hierdie lewe sal verstaan nie – soos Totius geskryf het: ‘n mens loop jouself in ‘n doringbos vas. Sommige van hierdie gedagtes steek soos pendorings deur ons harte van onskuld en laat ons gevoelloos en bitter agter. Ander gedagtes weer, is soos ‘n haak-en-steek bos. Hoe meer ons onsself probeer bevry uit die kloue van vorige gebeure hoe meer bly die gedagtes binne ons maal. Uiteindelik is ons oorgelwer aan seer en vrees vir die toekoms.


God het nooit belowe dat ons doringboservarings sal vryspring nie. Jesus het self aan die kruis gehang, die dood betree. Hy was mens. Hoe kan ons dan vir ‘n lewe van maanskyn en rose vra? En buitendien selfs die mooiste rose het hulle dorings.


Na vele worsteling met hierdie gedagte het ek besef: ja, ons kan swaarkry op ons pad verwag. God bewaar sommige van sekere hartseer gevolge, terwyl hy dit toelaat in die lewens van ander vir die eenvoudige rede dat Hy belowe het day Hy nooit enige iemand bo hulle kragte sal beproef nie.

God weet watter dorings jy sal kan hanteer. Hy het self die doringkroon van ons sonde aan die kruis gedra. Hy sal sorg dat jy dit wat weens hierdie sondige lewe op jou pad kan hanteer, want Hy is saam met jou midde elke krisis. Hy sal die dorings self uittrek, Hy sal jou wonde versorg, sodat elke wond genees en elke litteken uiteindelik ‘n getuienis van Sy genade in jou lewe sal wees.