choices........

i belong to the missionary church in my town. it consists of mainly coloured and black South Africans, who are very poor. education levels are horrific, literacy is very low and there is no money - most people survive on social grants from the government and cleaning a house once a week, or doing an odd job. because of the low literacy, we decided to start our own library at the church - the library in town has been closed for over a year for renovations, the school libraries have SCHOOL books, some teachers who are teaching the children can hardly read themselves etc etc. so, when i was doing a bible study with my teenagers last year, and realised Bronwyn, who wants to become a doctor, and is in grade 5, could not read a single word, we knew our children needed help. so, we decided on the spur of the moment, to start a library at church. it sounds easy, but it actually involved some effort.

firstly, we needed books. we got a few donations of old books from some people and the neighboring town's library. then we had to decide where to have the library, how to do the hand out process, and HOW are the kids going to take care of the books? you have to realise - these kids live slightly different from most of us. they live in government housing, which consists of 2 bedrooms, a very small kitchen/living area, and a toilet. the whole area is about 180 square feet in total (60 square metres) in most houses there are three generations, sometimes four. SO, if you take out a library book, you don't exactly have the luxury of going to lie on your bed and read it undisturbed - you are constantly surrounded by people, you share a bed, you don't have your own cupboard (most people don't even have a cupboard) and the biggest problem with books are baby brothers and sisters. one child told me last year that he does not take books home to read, because his little sister will eat it!! i know it sounds funny, but these young childen have to take care of their younger siblings - the adults work, or drink and are never around - it is very sad.

anyway, so we decided to make drawstring bags. at least 70 of them. all the kids from grade 1-7 could get a bag, and take out books. BUT, who was going to make the bags???? i don't own a sewing machine, but Hester, who works next door to me, already knitted about 70 scarves last winter for the kids, and i felt that i could ask her. her only son is at University, and she has the time. so, i asked her and she said yes. in 5 days she worked full day, cut out and sticthed 68 drawstring bags (the material was finished after that) and marked them all and delivered them to our church at 2:30 this afternoon.

it was a sweltering day. over 110 degrees - no wind, and humid. no airconditioning in our church building, and it has a Zink roof. it was SWELTERING. but, the church, as usual, was full. Hester made a remark - "i doubt that there would be this many people in my church on a Sunday afternoon in this heat - they would all be at the beach!" - and i knew it was true. trust me, it was HOT. uncomfortably hot. the younger kids were all sleeping on the carpet after the Sunday School lesson, and the rest of us were sitting dead still - making sure we minimized movement!

the sermon was about choices. how Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit, and how she and Adam passed the buck. also about the consequences of choices. how the devil is the best salesman in the world...............come on, you know you need that new car, new house, new lounge suite..............come on, it is ok to sleep together before you are married, it is ok to take a little extra out of the till, it is ok to have an affair, it is ok to tell that little white lie........................BUT he does not give a damn about the consequences of your choice. when you have to make the payments on the new house, car, lounge suite, or when you are pregnant and all alone, when you are arrested or lose your job because you stole, when you lose your spouse and children because you were having an affair or when you destroy people with your lies - he is nowhere to be found, and he does not care one bit. and you are left with the consequences.............all alone. sometimes we make such small choices - they seem insignifficant. we can choose to be rude to the person behind the counter or on the other end of the telephone, or we can be patient and kind. do you know what effect your behaviour has on other people? do you even care? luckily we serve a God of second, third, fourth and 20th chances, and He is ready to forgive and let you move on - leaving the past in the past. the consequences of your wrong choices can never be undone, but you can look forward to a new future - filled with HOPE!!

so Hester, thank you, for selflessly making those drawstring bags and sitting through 2 hours with us to hear what God wanted to say to us today. we welcome you with open arms and so does Jesus - He welcomes everyone who is burdened and needs a break - go to Him - he wants your load!! shed it - it costs nothing!

this week i will be thinking about my choices - i will be aware of even the most insignifficant. and i will remember that every day is a NEW DAY that the Lord made - Glory be to Him!!!