There was a time of our lives when we were really struggling financially. We had to get used to new work circumstances and many a time I did not know how we will make ends meet. I had a few chicken and soon a number of eggs too. A neighbour lent me a gadget to assist the chicken eggs to hatch. It was heated with paraffin burning all the time, providing the heat that the eggs needed to hatch. Although this seemed like a good plan, it did not work and I was so disheartened by the idea of food, which we could have eaten, and money for paraffin, all wasted!
My two year old son often witnessed my tears of desperation and frustration. When I prayed he would repeat after me. One specific night I prayed: “Here, bewaar asseblief my ouers” (as said in Afrikaans, for explanatory reasons, meaning – please protect my parents). He repeated: “Here, bewaar ons eiers” (please protect our eggs). I found a lot of assurance and comfort in the fact that our child was feeling and believing with me.
One Monday my prayer was for a bit of meat as we haven’t had any for a while and I knew that God really understood my needs. On that Friday afternoon, as I sat sewing next to our caravan, I saw a man approaching, not at all steady in his drunkenness. He had a parcel wrapped in brown paper under his arm. He stopped in front of me, held it out and said: “Here is your meat.” He explained that as he got to the bar that morning, ready to order his first beer, a voice said to him: “Before you start drinking today, first go and buy those people in the caravan some meat.” It was a big piece of beef that he gave to me, enough to last us a number of days! Our makeshift fridge, a box covered in wired mesh with coal in between the layers, which we kept wet and in the shade, made it possible to preserve the meat for as long as it lasted.
Later we got to know uncle Jaap quit well, an alcoholic, who insisted that, on that day, God (a Voice) told him to buy the meat for us.
God not only uses donkeys, but even alcoholics too!
All glory to God.
Helena