It all started on a quiet Friday morning...I woke up hearing the birds outside. A lovely sunny summer day was waiting patiently to be enjoyed. I got up singing "The Hills are alive with the sound of music...la la la la...". As I opened my door to the balcony, a little bird came and sat on my shoulders chirping excitedly. After feeding the little bird a few seeds I went downstairs to the fresh smell of coffee being percolated and breakfast – what a way to start a day. I picked up my rucksack to leave the home when the neighbour across from our house greets me warmly and says "enjoy the day!". MARVELOUS – I head into the office and get welcomed warmly with another cup of coffee – everybody overjoyed to see me. I turn my computer on...Outlook downloads my e-mails...and there it was...FAN MAIL! My my...everyone just loves me! My life is perfect!
PAUSE!!!! IF ONLY!!!
Got you there didn't I!?! It was more like this...woke up coughing and spluttering. This flu I got two days ago really sucks BIG time! Last night's fever i ran was horrible...I'm feeling nauseas and even the faintest smell of percolated coffee will send me to a Fear Factor chuck-bucket! I reluctantly pick up my rucksack to go to work thinking "what the heck am I doing – Jesus said "pick up your cross and follow me" – but this pick up your rucksack and head for church business IS NOT COOL (especially when I'm feeling like Lazarus before he was resurrected). I get into my car to have it beep at me – LOW PETROL! "Fantastic...I'm feeling like Winnie the Pooh (emphasis on the surname), and now my car is shouting at me too" I get to work...man it is hot and humid...in the office I'm distracted...I file my SARS tax return (Oh...the joys!) and then have a chat. After a few tears...I'm in the car to go and buy stuff for JIVE (our Friday night junior youth). I do all that and head for a restaurant called PIATTO in Hillcrest. It is our end of year staff lunch. Everyone is seated and we have just ordered when a ferocious wind comes up out of nowhere and rain comes bucketing down... A bucket doesn't quite describe the force as well as the amount of water...put differently the skies open as if a thousand whales are urinating all over hillcrest (force and substance included in the analogy). Something like you've never witnessed! It is over within 20 minutes! Then we get the call – the church building sustained massive damage! Yip – a tornadoe formed, landed right on the church premises, destroyed a lot of the surrounding area and continued it's path of destruction. You won't believe what the place looked like!!!!
On my way to the church (before I saw the damage) I was stuck in traffic...i was rather annoyed with it as the traffic lights were all working fine and there was nothing obscuring the road...road rage sets in and in my head i am blaming these dodgy drivers – i mean honestly "what are they thinking!?!?". So by the time i get to the traffic light i look around to see when it is my turn to drive when i realize that the traffic lights are all facing in different directions – none of them were indicated traffic at all in a direction that would make sense (hence the traffic jam). The tornado turned the traffic lights!! Eventually after we got to the church and assessed the problem, people from the church (and outside) were coming to check the damage to the property. People were gob-smacked at the sight! But...this is not all to the story....there is more!
When we step out into what God calls us, we stand in direct opposition to Satan and his schemes! Everything is spiritual! That tornado was spiritual...now...i know what you're thinking...here he goes – finding the devil under every tree (metaphorically of course, however the pun is still funny)...but after this happened I had this incredible revelation/thought that God was saying – i am NOT confined to a building...this is material and can fade so easily – but where God builds his Church – that's where it will stand regardless of the storm. Sounds strangely familiar to the parable of the man who build on rock and the other who builds on sand. So the question is this...do you know what your foundation is?
You see ultimately...whatever your foundation is will determine your outlook on life when Winnie strikes the fan! When the storm come tearing through your life – and they are guaranteed to – what is your response going to be? I know God is doing his work in me and in our church, but God is NOT bound to those four walls – he is eternal, he is ALMIGHTY, he NEVER changes! It's all about him and for him. You see, if your foundation is built on Christ, you realise that everything of this world is temporary but your walk with our creator is secure! In him we find our strength and peace – and nothing that the Satan tries will succeed if our foundation is in Jesus!
We thought of an awesome add campaign for the church... "Hillcrest Presby Church – the church were the devil is not impressed with us" – I mean...it is rather unique that one can say a tornadoe went through the church premises! Our worship of our king will STILL go on even if there was nothing left – because he is our everything anyway!
The day ended off – having Nando's with awesome friends of mine (Mark & Di) where we could just enjoy each other's company and share a busy and event-filled week!
We serve a great God! All Glory and Honour to Him always!
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