HOPE, HONESTY AND OBEDIENCE
“One or more problems require my response.”
This is what comes up for me regarding the protection measures on the lap top that show me they have lapsed and expired. What am I to do?
I have no more protection.
Eddie tells me that if ever I need protection in any regard to politics, I am to call him.
He told me that the Lord is coming. He doesn’t know how I am hearing what he is saying.
Ishmael tells me to take HOPE as I leave the shop. I have introduced Ishmael to Eddie telling him that I call Ishmael - Obedience and I call Kerry - Honesty. I drop this nugget into Eddies head only after we have had some exchange of words.
You see Eddie returned a bag of grey biltong to the shop, this morning, and he left his business card asking my attendants to request that I call him. I did so DESPITE the fact that I have very little money and very limited air time. I call Eddie and communicate my situation and ask whether he can call me back. He does so immediately and begins by telling me who he is, that my biltong comes highly recommended by his son, who regularly buys from my shop, and that it made him sick. I simply ask back, “What do you want” He is surprised and quick to reply while not losing his feet, he responds “Nothing”. So I ask him, “What do you expect?” and he tells me that all he wanted to do was tell me that one of my pieces of biltong is not right.
Now let me put you into the picture. Eddie is not a anybody. He has high rank among the rulers, authorities, delegated powers and officials governing the Country. Realizing that it is not in the interests of this Eddie the elder, to either send me any doctors bills, trip up my business or hurt me in any way, I feel the urge to invite him back. I asked him if he wanted to return to the shop to receive some more biltong. Eddie accepted after explaining that he would be able to be at the shop within the hour. I had never met Eddie before today.
I went to my attendants, Kerry and Ishmael, and we put our heads together. I listened to their thoughts about the matter and then asked them to divide the grey biltong into one cabinet and the red biltong into another cabinet. That took some doing and finally when it was done, I returned to discern how much grey biltong was in the shop. I was grateful that it was not too much and the next step became apparent. We had to make a test so I took two pieces of biltong from the new stock. The one piece looked as though it could be grey and the other looked to be red. The red piece from the new stock, did not receive the same verdict from Obedience who thought it was grey. We had to cut it. I wanted to be wrong about the piece of biltong I thought was grey that was out of the new stock. Honesty, was sure that both pieces were red as they were from the new stock.
We went to the cutter and to our joy, both cut red from the new stock although one looked grey to me and the other looked grey to Obedience. Only Honesty knew they were both red and he knew why too!
Happily we prepared a new piece of biltong to be cut for Eddie’s arrival. I fetched a straw ribbon and label to gift wrap the biltong. I retired to my office and asked Honesty to call me when Eddie arrived.
It was not soon after that I was alerted by Honesty that Eddie was waiting. I collected a plastic glove on my way down the stairs to the shop and walked in. There he was. His photo on his business card did not prepare me for the less younger person standing in my shop. Neither did it give away the stature of a man that appears to be carrying the world on his shoulders. I sent out my hand to greet him feeling he was all too wearied, worn down by formal handshakes. The breath of fresh air set the tone. Noticing my formal had was gloved and with my left hand out reached he quickly switched hands and tentatively offering his left hand, I acknowledged him and we greeted and I took his hand in welcome.
I began to inform him that due to his effort and endurance, we had identified the problem and that it would not happen again. He asked, rather like in a knee jerk reactive way, what the problem was. I responded that he did not need to know my business and proceeded to show him the piece of biltong I was preparing to cut him. He approved.
I swiftly cut a portion and Obedience, standing by suggested I request him to taste it. We have a strange relationship, Obedience and I. He keeps telling me what to do and I know now that it is better to instruct Obedience via Honesty if I want him to comply.
It was a helpful idea and so I went along with it and Eddie enjoyed the biltong but was there for much more than a piece of meat. I was happy with the look of the meat and put it into a brown bag, tied up the straw ribbon around it and placed the sticker on the bag.
Whilst doing this, Eddie had almost urgently begun to speak of his experiences in the world. Who he knew, what he was doing, that there was a tornado in Tarlton just up the road from where I live, two weeks ago. He said the food is going to run out suddenly. I commented on the break in two nights ago noting my source as Anton at the Art Shop who told me that Chicken Lichen, Pep Stores, Zenobia and Olli the mechanics Butchery had been broken into. Eddie said he was not looking so much at the rising crime that could not be abated. He was looking at the food.
He commenced to share that these things come….then I added, slowly. He denied this and said no. The food will run out suddenly. That it will not creep up on anyone, it will be sudden.
I noted back that on CNN this morning, there was news of the fighting that had begun by the starving people who were fighting to get food. I saw the broadcast thinking, I don’t want to fight. I don’t prefer to starve either. Eddie expressed some pretty nasty fears before sighing, when finally he observed, that it is all because the Lord is near and His coming is imminent.
Very slow, I added but never late I said as I reached across the counter and touched his wrinkled hand.
Smiling, I offered him the gift wrapped biltong and walked him outside as another customer had come in to make a purchase. I confessed to Eddie that all I want is The Lord. I do not want to look anymore at the world. Then he responded saying that God knows when to stop giving us a hiding. He confirmed that God loves me and that God is in me.
Tears welling up in both our eyes, he got into his car and Eddie offered to protect me if I need any political protection ever. I did not want to reject his kind offer so I simply thanked him. I put both my hands to my lips and blew him a kiss. He returned the same with one right hand. The formal hand.
I said to him, I thank God that He is in charge. Eddie agreed.
I told Eddie it is because of people like him, that I am in business. Only when he was in his car and ready to leave, I shared with him that the recipe I use to prepare the biltong I prayed to receive. I don’t think Eddie will care much about the color anymore. Well, I hope he has overcome his objections.
Both Honesty and Obedience agree that there is nothing wrong with the biltong. Just one is grey and the other is red. Both taste the same. If we had put a blind fold on Eddie and asked him to taste, he would not have known the difference. It was the appearance, the color that put him off.
How often have we been put off by how a thing appears to be? How often are we prejudiced to the point of getting sick, are we about the different colors of people?
Obedience could not help himself from being drawn to Eddie. Obedience is a black native of South Africa. He was drawn to Eddie in empathy and what appeared to me to be slight awe.
What a beautiful thing happened in my shop today. Eddie told me that God tells us to not stop. To keep on….He knows too that without God we cannot keep on…………That is what he may have needed to hear. I affirmed that what he had told me went beyond what he said and was deeper than he could think. God bless Eddie and all the Eddies out there….
On returning to the shop with my son I find Ismail sitting languidly on one of my wooden chairs outside the shop. I notice too, that my Landlord is on the driveway. This is not okay. My contract tells me that the chairs are only for me and not for any staff either my own or the driveway staff. I stop to check the oil in the car and go over to Ishmael. I tell him that he should not be there and instruct him to take the chairs and the table into the shop. I inform him again, that I have a contract and that his actions how breach of my contract with is not okay. I advise him to set up the chair inside the shop at the window instead.
Ismail then tells me that Eddie was in the shop to cause trouble and that the majority rules. So that makes Eddie the minority? I ask Ishmael who doesn’t know where I am coming from. I remind him that many are called and the few are the minority. I remind Ishmael that I am witness with him to the blessing that Eddie brought. I ask Ishmael to whom does he belong, to the kingdom of God as obedience or to the kingdom of the world as disobedience. I do not wait for the answer he has to receive from God and noticing his lifted spirits and smile returning to his face, I feel free to go.
“One or more problems require my response.”
This is what comes up for me regarding the protection measures on the lap top that show me they have lapsed and expired. What am I to do?
I have no more protection.
Eddie tells me that if ever I need protection in any regard to politics, I am to call him.
He told me that the Lord is coming. He doesn’t know how I am hearing what he is saying.
Ismail tells me to take HOPE as I leave the shop. I have introduced Ismail to Eddie telling him that I call Ismail Obedience and I call Kerry Honesty. I drop this nugget into his head only after we have had some exchange of words.
He left a bag of grey biltong this morning, and he left his card asking my attendants to request that I call him. I did so DESPITE the fact that I have very little money and very limited air time. I call Eddie and communicate my situation and ask whether he can call me back. He does so immediately and begins by telling me who he is, that my biltong comes highly recommended by his son, who regularly buys from my shop, and that it made him sick. I simply ask back, “What do you want” He is surprised and quick to reply while not losing his feet, he responds “Nothing”. So I ask him, “What do you expect?” and he tells me that all he wanted to do was tell me that one of my pieces of biltong is not right.
Now let me put you into the picture. Eddie is not a anybody. He has high rank among the rulers, authorities, delegated powers and officials governing the Country. Realizing that it is not in the interests of this Eddie the elder, to either send me any doctors bills, trip up my business or hurt me in any way, I feel the urge to invite him back. I asked him if he wanted to return to the shop to receive some more biltong. Eddie accepted after explaining that he would be able to be at the shop within the hour. I had never met Eddie before today.
I went to my attendants, Kerry and Ishmael, and we put our heads together. I listened to their thoughts about the matter and then asked them to divide the grey biltong into one cabinet and the red biltong into another cabinet. That took some doing and finally when it was done, I returned to discern how much grey biltong was in the shop. I was grateful that it was not too much and the next step became apparent. We had to make a test so I took two pieces of biltong from the new stock. The one piece looked as though it could be grey and the other looked to be red. The red piece from the new stock, did not receive the same verdict from Obedience who thought it was grey. We had to cut it. I wanted to be wrong about the piece of biltong I thought was grey that was out of the new stock. Honesty, was sure that both pieces were red as they were from the new stock.
We went to the cutter and to our joy, both cut red from the new stock although one looked grey to me and the other looked grey to Obedience. Only Honesty knew they were both red and he knew why too!
Happily we prepared a new piece of biltong to be cut for Eddie’s arrival. I fetched a straw ribbon and label to gift wrap the biltong. I retired to my office and asked Honesty to call me when Eddie arrived.
It was not soon after that I was alerted by Honesty that Eddie was waiting. I collected a plastic glove on my way down the stairs to the shop and walked in. There he was. His photo on his business card did not prepare me for the less younger person standing in my shop. Neither did it give away the stature of a man that appears to be carrying the world on his shoulders. I sent out my hand to greet him feeling he was all too wearied, worn down by formal handshakes. The breath of fresh air set the tone. Noticing my formal had was gloved and with my left hand out reached he quickly switched hands and tentatively offering his left hand, I acknowledged him and we greeted and I took his hand in welcome.
I began to inform him that due to his effort and endurance, we had identified the problem and that it would not happen again. He asked, rather like in a knee jerk reactive way, what the problem was. I responded that he did not need to know my business and proceeded to show him the piece of biltong I was preparing to cut him. He approved.
I swiftly cut a portion and Obedience, standing by suggested I request him to taste it. We have a strange relationship, Obedience and I. He keeps telling me what to do and I know now that it is better to instruct Obedience via Honesty if I want him to comply.
It was a helpful idea and so I went along with it and Eddie enjoyed the biltong but was there for much more than a piece of meat. I was happy with the look of the meat and put it into a brown bag, tied up the straw ribbon around it and placed the sticker on the bag.
Whilst doing this, Eddie had almost urgently begun to speak of his experiences in the world. Who he knew, what he was doing, that there was a tornado in Tarlton just up the road from where I live, two weeks ago. He said the food is going to run out suddenly. I commented on the break in two nights ago noting my source as Anton at the Art Shop who told me that Chicken Lichen, Pep Stores, Zenobia and Olli the mechanics Butchery had been broken into. Eddie said he was not looking so much at the rising crime that could not be abated. He was looking at the food.
He commenced to share that these things come….then I added, slowly. He denied this and said no. The food will run out suddenly. That it will not creep up on anyone, it will be sudden.
I noted back that on CNN this morning, there was news of the fighting that had begun by the starving people who were fighting to get food. I saw the broadcast thinking, I don’t want to fight. I don’t prefer to starve either. He expressed some pretty nasty fears before sighing when finally he observed that it is all because the Lord is near and His coming is imminent.
Very slow, I added but never late I said as I reached across the counter and touched his wrinkled hand.
Smiling, I offered him the gift wrapped biltong and walked him outside as another customer had come in to make a purchase. I confessed to Mr Slone that all I want is HIM. I do not want to look anymore at the world. Then he responded saying that God knows when to stop giving us a hiding. He confirmed that He loves me and that He is in me.
Tears welling up in both our eyes, he got into his car and offered to protect me if I need any political protection ever. I put both my hands to my lips and blew him a kiss. He returned the same with one right hand. The formal hand.
I said to him, I thank God that He is in charge. Eddie agreed.
I told Eddie it is because of people like him, that I am in business. Only when he was in his car and ready to leave, I shared with him that the recipe I use to prepare the biltong I prayed to receive. I don’t think Eddie will care much about the color anymore. Well, I hope he has overcome his objections.
Both Honesty and Obedience agree that there is nothing wrong with the biltong. Just one is grey and the other is red. Both taste the same. If we had put a blind fold on Eddie and asked him to taste, he would not have known the difference. It was the appearance, the color that put him off.
How often have we been put off by how a thing appears to be? How often are we prejudiced to the point of getting sick, are we about the different colors of people?
Obedience could not help himself from being drawn to Eddie. Obedience is a black native of South Africa. He was drawn to Eddie in empathy and what appeared to me to be slight awe.
What a beautiful thing happened in my shop today. Eddie told me that God tells us to not stop. To keep on….He knows too that without God we cannot keep on…………That is what he may have needed to hear. I affirmed that what he had told me went beyond what he said and was deeper than he could think. God bless Eddie and all the Eddies out there….
On returning to the shop with my son I find Ismail sitting languidly on one of my wooden chairs outside the shop. I notice too, that my Landlord is on the driveway. This is not okay. My contract tells me that the chairs are only for me and not for any staff either my own or the driveway staff. I stop to check the oil in the car and go over to Ishmael. I tell him that he should not be there and instruct him to take the chairs and the table into the shop. I inform him again, that I have a contract and that his actions how breach of my contract with is not okay. I advise him to set up the chair inside the shop at the window instead.
Ismail then tells me that Eddie was in the shop to cause trouble and that the majority rules. So that makes Eddie the minority? I ask Ishmael who doesn’t know where I am coming from. I remind him that many are called and the few are the minority. I remind Ishmael that I am witness with him to the blessing that Eddie brought. I ask Ishmael to whom does he belong, to the kingdom of God as obedience or to the kingdom of the world as disobedience. I do not wait for the answer he has to receive from God and noticing his lifted spirits and smile returning to his face, I feel free to go.
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Topic: Hope, Obedience and Honesty (Read 6420 times)