Load Shedding

by Becky Brain

When the seven of us from Hopewell arrived in Cape Town, we met Deon, a member of the Mosaic staff who kindly picked us up at the airport.  As we neared Wellington and the place that we would temporarily call home, we decided to quickly stop and say hello to the Mosaic ma's.  ("Five minutes!" said Cammy.)

By the time we left (five minutes x 3!), it was dark.  We were making the brief trip to the house when I noticed that the traffic lights were not working.  "Load shedding," said Deon. "No power for the next two hours."

Load shedding, regular widespread blackouts of electricity supply, occurs in South Africa to prevent the failure of the entire system when a demand for electricity strains the capacity of the country's power generating system.  

This blog is NOT a commentary on the rights and wrongs of load shedding.  It's just that the words "load shedding" perfectly describe one of my intentions in preparing for my trip to South Africa - to shed the load of work commitments, hectic schedules and numerous distractions so that I can truly focus on making the most of my time here; a focus on building new relationships and learning new things.  

We are more than halfway throughout our time here with Mosaic and Ma's of Wellington.  We have had many adventures, incredible experiences, and I, personally, have witnessed faith in ways that are new and inspiring. I have quickly come to understand the challenges faced by those who serve and those who receive - and who, in turn, receive and give.  

I have also come to appreciate that in every circumstance, we all have loads that we should attempt to shed, and that often, the only way we can do that is to turn them over to God.  My fears, worries and distractions are very different to the "loads" that I have witnessed from the beautiful people I have met in Port Elizabeth and Paarl Valley.  Here, the fears and worries can be all-consuming and focus in the most basic of needs. Yet, as I have seen, are often handled in turning over concerns to God.  

At church on Sunday morning, the message included reference to Matthew 6:33: Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  Now I know that, when you are ready to hear, God's Word can speak to you in amazing ways.  This verse, which I have read and heard many times, spoke to me in a totally different way and will stay with me through our final days here, and when I return stateside.  

And although Load Shedding has a totally different meaning to the people of South Africa, how fortunate it is for me that, every time there is a temporary blackout, I am reminded to keep the distractions of home at bay, and soak in the goodness of this amazing country and its people.  

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.