"What is man...?"

It's been a while & it's time I share something that had a fair impact on me a few weeks ago. As a child I clearly remember family holidays on the South Coast or on any beach for that matter. It was a time of fun spent with cousins, uncles, aunts, siblings and... no responsibility. Hours and hours spent in the waves and sun, building sand castles and burying one another neck deep in sand. This year things changed, not the sun, not the beach and not the kick back and relax attitude but the family... suddenly I am no longer the kid, no longer the cousin, but now the uncle, and an uncle of five nephews and nieces to top it off. It was the first holiday spent with family in possibly 12 years and it was an absolute blessing. We were spoilt rotten with our accommodation, a beautiful double story home literally across the road from the beach with a wooden deck overlooking the waves. The whole family collected outside on the deck, binoculars in hand when the Humpback Whales did their daily rounds, spraying and breaching regularly just because they can. It instilled in me a sense of belonging, more importantly, a sense of identity. Family is our foundation for who we are, and the acceptance they show us allows us to believe in ourselves.
I don't believe there was any co-incidence in the fact that in a church service that I attended with a good friend on the last evening of the holiday, the pastor preached on a scripture that has since become very significant and meaningful to me, one we've all heard before but one I challenge everyone to read again... Psalm 8, specifically verse 4, "what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" WOW!!! And that WOW, as highlighted by our pastor that evening stands for "What Outstanding Workmanship"! I speak of family as being our source of identity, but here I want to take it one step further, our Father, our everlasting father... no matter who we are, where we are or what our earthly family circumstances are, we can all call Him, Our Father...
Psalm 8 sets the scene for us, as we consider the heavens (and this is thought can be reserved for a totally separate blog entry), how vast they are, how absolutely magnificent they are, as we consider everything around us on this "Blue Planet", as we gaze on the waves of the ocean crashing continually, rhythmically onto the beach, as we consider mountains, the Himalayas, the Alps or even the Drakensberg, as we consider the detail on a Butterfly's wing, we exclaim...WOW, What Outstanding Workmanship! Why then, when we look in a mirror, or when we consider our own lives, do we not exclaim the same WOW? Why do we complain about any mundane, trivial issue we can find to complain about, why do we beat others down, criticize and hurt to make ourselves feel better, why do we take it on ourselves to "own" others, to try and control? Why do we compare ourselves to others continually wishing we had what they have while they wish they had what we have? Why do we worry to the point of paranoia and sickness about what others may think?? Do we not realise that the same God, the same Father who created all those wonders we marvel over created us too? Is it not time that we realise that not only did He create us but He also created us specifically as a HOME, a TEMPLE for Himself to reside in? Why would He make a mistake in the creation of His very own dwelling place?? How arrogant of us to claim that He made a mistake with us!! To quote the pastor for the service I was attending, "Every time we look to the ocean and we say, Wow... He looks at us and He says, Wow... Every time we look at the snow capped mountains and we say, Wow... He looks down on us and He says, Wow... Every time we hold a unique snowflake in the palm of our hand, and we say Wow... He looks at our unique character and He says... WOW, "What Outstanding Workmanship". What is man??... We are His "Outstanding Workmanship". It's time that we stop looking at others and wishing we were them, worrying about what people may say, blaming others for our shortcomings and trying to take care of others when we have more to take care of in ourselves... It's time we look at our Father and listen to Him who knows us better than we know ourselves.
I am so grateful to have the wonderful family I have, I am blessed beyond measure to have them, but even more importantly, I am in debt for life to my God, my Father and my Saviour Jesus Christ who has provided access to Him that I may know with certainty who I am.

Flying on wings of WW2

Flying up the escarpment onto the highveld in an aeroplane is never a boring flight, flying at low level in formation in the cockpit of one of the "Flying Lion's" Harvards up the escarpment is almost unbelievable!! It's official, life could be complete! This weekend after attending an incredible air show in Tzaneen, I was afforded one of the most valuable, most memorable and just plain, cool experiences of my life, a flight home in a Harvard with the "Flying Lions" aerobatics team.


I'm not quite sure if it's the sentiment of flying in a classic WWII aircraft, the feeling of flying in a two ton bulk of metal powered by a Pratt & Whitney radial or if it's simply the idea of aviation enthusiasts watching from the ground as the characteristic drone of four Harvards flying in formation becomes pleasantly deafening as we fly overhead, that made this an experience never to forget. Whatever it is, I am inexpressibly grateful for the opportunity.
The experience also reminded me that there is always more than one perspective on any situation and we must be careful not to make judgment calls based on our limited perspective. Just the day before I was watching four Harvards performing an aerobatics display for the crowds on the ground at Tzaneen air show... always a display not to be missed! The unity of the team as they fly in formation is impressive to say the least. What many don't realise, and what became even more apparent from the perspective of the lead aircraft in formation as I flew with the team, is the trust that every pilot places in the lead pilot. As I fired off photographs of the other Harvards to the starboard and Port sides of us, I could clearly see that the pilots flying these aeroplanes were not looking forward at all but were solely focused on our flying machine. One fatal mistake from the lead pilot and the rest of the team are likely to make the same mistake. Capt. Lithgow flying on our starboard's wing was no further than a metre and a half from our wing tip at one stage. Essentially as each pilot follows their leader, four Harvards becomes one team, moving in complete unison.
Consider this... shouldn't this serve as an example to us of how we should be living our lives. If we remain absolutely one hundred percent focused on our head, Jesus Christ, and we trust him (who is more trustworthy than any lead pilot), our minds, our hearts, our bodies and our lives are going to be following the correct course naturally. We will not get lost, we will not make mistakes that could cost us our lives and better still, we will be functioning to our optimal performance. "Spectators" watching from "the ground" are not going to see one "aircraft" on their own mission making mistakes all the time but they're going to see us in unison with our saviour in obedience to Him and following Him with complete trust that He is the only way, truth and life. If we do take our eyes off Jesus as our "lead pilot" for just one moment, we'll fall out of formation and will fail to represent the team we fly for. Lets keep our wing tip as close to His as possible at all times!

Kids = Energy!!

Last week I had the privilege of once again, for possibly the 17th time in my life, participating in the Waterkloof Baptist Holiday Club. My name for the week... Capt. Jack Sparrow, original I know, but the kids caught on quickly and I was a good pirate at that!
There is too much to relate in terms of what a learning and growth experience it was again, even after all these years. One thing for sure though, kids energise us. They are not what sap our energy but they are the source of our energy. I felt more alive after dancing around a stage, jumping up and down like a hooligan, and generally acting like a twelve year old again than I have felt in a long time, and as most of you know, that is very much alive!! There should be a time in all of our lives where we find the child in ourselves again, no matter how professional the profile you hold in "the real world", no matter how adult you feel, no matter what responsibility you carry, no matter how brittle your bones, there is a child in each of us and re-discovering it is the most liberating experience of all!
Something else I learnt is that service is not something we choose, it is not optional, that is if you're living the life Christ created you to live. We were beings created in his image, created to serve! Unless we are serving others in this life, we are not going to be fulfilled. So, if you're feeling empty, low or purposeless, serve, serve, serve!! It'll change your life!! Christ said, "I did not come to be served but to serve", too many of us say "I am here to be served...” What can I say to that?? Your loss! Remember, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me." Matt 25:40
God Bless you all as you find the inner child within you and are energized by it, and as you continue to serve wherever you see opportunity!