Kelp and Dolphins

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we went to the beach and found an abundance of seaweed.

Getting into the water meant walking through the hidden stuff. Once I got out of depth, it improved. Out at the barrel it was much better but still not the best day to swim.  It didn’t deter too many people. Lots were swimming today.

I did my day’s work and then later in the afternoon Riana came with one of her oldest friends Marysia. We had tea on the balcony and were graced with an abundance of enthusiastic dolphins who found shoals of fish.

They were fun to watch.

The other news of the week that I haven’t mentioned is that Courage has been off. He first got a flu kind of virus. He came back to work and then stepped off the ladder awkwardly and hurt his foot. It started improving but now seems to have got some sort of infection. He’s booked off ’til Monday. Today he said he was already improving after an antibiotic kicked in. Mike  has been working on the site office on his own, trying to get it water tight before any significant rain. And today Julian arrived.

Hard to believe it is almost the end of January. It’s been a long month.

Psalm 24:1
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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We Are Next…

Posted on January 28, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

This is probably going to depress someone! Recently, I’ve been thinking about the brevity of life. I’m 60 and the years ahead are far less than those behind. As I started the book of Exodus the other day, I was struck by the starkness of a single verse that in one fell swoop, wiped out an entire family & their parents. Dozens of people, rich with life and heritage, movement and wealth, heartache and joy, facing life and death, gone. It’s Exodus 1 verse 6 that says “Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died…” Pretty much died and forgotten because 2 verses later, “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.” All of Joseph’s wealth and power in Egypt is forgotten. How fleeting life is. I know my  great grandmother’s name was Aga. I have her trunk which is easily 140 years old now.

But I know nothing more about her. Elsie, you will grow up knowing something about me, but very little about my Mother – your great grandmother. Let me tell you about her. Her name was Elizabeth Ann Davies and she was born on 23rd April 1932. I know she lived in Croydon, just outside London. She was the youngest of 4 children, with 3 older brothers named Peter, Michael & Ian. Earliest photo we have of her from Julian’s collection is with her 3 brothers.

As a young girl…

Peter moved to Canada. Michael died very young – in his 40s of a heart attack, but not before having about 4 or 5 children.  Ian married Rosemary, but they never had kids. My Mom met my Dad when he rented a room in the building next door to her home. It was the mid 1950s. My Mom came from a somewhat well-to-do family and my Dad didn’t. Their relationship blossomed but, we believe, was frowned upon by my Mom’s family. As a result, she left England for Canada and went to stay with her brother Peter. My Dad upped sticks and joined her. They married in Canada in October 1956. They were both 24 years old.

They planned a large family but my Mom’s first pregnancy was an ectopic. She lost a fallopian tube but it didn’t stop my sister Anne arriving in December 1958 and my older (late) brother Arnold in June 1960. Both were born in Toronto. When Arnold was 6 months old, in the grip of winter, they packed up their little family and they emigrated to what was then Rhodesia. Julian was born in October 1962 and I followed 2 years later in November 1964. Their family was complete. More early photos of her, most of them from the year they married.  The baby is Arnold.

Financially, life was hard and it took its toll on their marriage. They split in 1977.  I left for Cape Town in late 1982. By then Anne had married Derek and they, along with Arnold and Julian had all moved to Johannesburg. Eventually, “Ma” as she liked being called, joined them.  Ma’s life changed when she was 60 (my age!). She started going to church and found a wonderful community of ladies with whom she shared many happy times of fellowship and friendship. She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was about 62. She had a mastectomy and chemo and recovered well, but after 5 years, she had to come off tamoxifen, as it’s not recommended for longer than that. Some time later, the cancer returned in her other breast and she had more surgery. It was very hard. The cancer spread and eventually, on this day, 28th January 2004, she slipped away.

Elsie, now you know a little about your Great Grandmother. I think there are a lot of characteristics I inherited from her. She was good with people. She was good with words. She loved life. I think my eternal optimism is from her. There is always hope.  She finished strong – she’s in heaven. One day, we will meet again.

Like the Bible verse, I can say “all that generation died”. We are next!

As I sat at my Mom’s bedside while her life ebbed away, I read to her Psalm 23.  Every 28th January, the Psalm from my Bible reading is this very psalm.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Death – I fear it not.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Windiest Day of January

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today we blew vigorously into the new week. A fierce south-easter – 50km/hour came roaring through. Photos don’t do the strength of the wind justice.

The birds are struggling to fly. The beach looks like a washing machine and it pretty much is altogether unpleasant outside. Needless to say, no exercise was done today. I did do 2 loads of washing and worked for almost 9 hours. Raiku did not like the wind. Every time I got up from my chair, this happened.

When I went to sit down, he would squirm and eventually jump off, until he didn’t.

I think it’s the wind. He really doesn’t like it.

And that has pretty much been the day. This evening, the plan is to watch Mrs Harris goes to Paris.

Proverbs 5:21
For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all his paths.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Very Busy Working Sunday

Posted on January 26, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was a busy working day. Ruth came and we got stuck into the Seaview Apartment. I cleaned the bedroom and washed the bedroom windows. She did the rest. Then she moved down to the Loft as those guests had left. They were a couple of older gents in from Norway to surf-ski. A 3rd arrived today, so they were moving to a bigger place. There were a few things I needed to put in the Seaview Apartment before the guest came this afternoon, so I walked down to Fish Hoek to pick them up. I went really slowly because it was the heat of the day and very humid. Nice views though. The nippers doing their training…

Busy beach…

I got everything up to scratch and at about 3.30pm my new guest arrived. She’s doing her doctorate and is living in Mozambique where, she said, it’s frightfully hot. Despite the humidity today, she was loving the sea breeze. She is here for 2 weeks. Tomorrow afternoon, the Loft guests arrive.

Later this afternoon I did some work and now we are in for a quiet evening. One of the things that also happened today which was very, very nice was I slept in! Seldom do I wake up at 7am, but today I did. I was awake around 5am, but went back to sleep again and woke up to the (wonderful) sound of the coffee machine. I had coffee in bed.

This time last year when David was still feeling the effects of severe long covid, I read this verse. This is is how we felt for much of 2023. We felt so helpless.

Psalm 22:11
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

It was not long after this that a turning point came. David went to see a Haematologist (the consultation kindly paid for by good friends). While the Doctor didn’t have a clue what he was dealing with (and hinted that maybe this was caused by depression), he did call for a bunch of blood tests that David hadn’t had. This revealed anaemia (caused by triple therapy) and Vitamin D deficiency (David spent a year hardly going outside). Once he started on iron and Vit D supplements, there was a significant improvement. 2024 turned out to be so very much better than 2023. David is still not perfect. He still can’t exercise. He still needs to manage his energy levels carefully. He still has crashes if he overdoes it, but he can do so much more than a year ago. He can walk a couple of kilometers, he can ride his bike about 5km on a flat road. He can go out; he’s been away for weekends and of course, he has his girlfriend Anna, who a year ago today, I would never have believed was possible for him to find!

God is not far from us when trouble is near – He is always there to help.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Walking from Ou Kaapse Weg to Home

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I had a nice long chat with your Mom and I caught up with all your news. You have been doing very well in Grade 1. You like your teacher and are super obedient, although your sense of humour is evident. When the teacher told the class not to put their heads down on their arms on the desk, you did, just to see what your teacher would do! She gave you a funny look and you grinned back! That’s as far as your class rebellion has gone!

For us, today we got up early and at about 6.45am, we drove across (with David) to the Ou Kaapse Weg/ Silvermine Rd intersection. We hopped out and David took the car home. We walked the Silvermine Valley.

It was very quiet and peaceful.

We passed Sunbird Centre. That’s one part of the complex behind Mike.

A little further on a few cyclists came past and we crossed a bridge. The river is the one that comes down from Silvermine Waterfall.

Looking back, there is Chapman’s Peak.

We got to the entrance to Clovelly Country Club

And then came the beauty of Clovelly Golf Club. It is in such good condition. This is the 2km mark.

It was 3km from the start to the clubhouse. We walked through Clovelly down to the Silvermine wetlands. I was interested to find out if the bridge had been repaired. It hasn’t.

So we went left…

Until we got to the spot where there are stepping stones and we crossed there.

The river is low.

From there it was a short walk to the Main Rd which we crossed, over the railway line to the beach.

We walked along the beach for a short way before taking the board walk through to the red-roof houses.

And finally, 6.5km later, we arrived at our destination.

Swimming was wonderful! The walk home slightly slower than usual.

We’ve had a restful day. Guests checked out late. I started the laundry and most of it is dry.

It’s been another beautiful day in Cape Town. Yesterday evening, Mike and I were watching something on TV. I happened to look outside and to my amazement, there was a whale! It’s so unseasonal to have them at the end of January. We saw 2 but apparently there were more. Today I saw one splashing further out in the bay. Perhaps they are going to be a more permanent residents of False Bay. Quite a treat.

This was a good Saturday.

Psalm 21:4
“He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—length of days, for ever and ever”

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

 

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Good Last Working Day of the Week

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie,

Today was a good last working day of the week. We started the day by going to the beach. I try not make too many appointments on a Friday. It leaves the day less busy and I can catch up on any work I wasn’t able to get to in the first 4 days. Besides, last night, I went to bed after midnight because of the late night guest.  He arrived perfectly on time with no delays but still on got in at 11.30pm.  As a result we woke up a little later and got to the beach at 7.30am.  When you look at photos like this, we could be on the Med.

The day did not change. It was warm, sunny and windless. We had after work drinks on the balcony.

Mike bought some of the tasty cheese (he got the same for my birthday) and we had some of that as well. It’s really good. Fish for dinner on the balcony in Fish Hoek.

Listening to the TV reporter talking of the freezing cold weather hitting the UK and seeing reports of snow in Florida, while the sun is shining brightly in Cape Town. It does make me wonder what kind of winter will come our way in June, July & August 2025.

A good solid week.

Psalm 20:4
May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Interesting Moment

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today was a busy day with a few interesting moments. When we moved into this house, we quickly learned a few rules – never go upstairs empty handed. This rule we tell the guests. The stairs are long, rugged & uneven. There are about 60 of them to the Seaview Apartment and 85 to us.

The inclination of the guests is to first see the apartment and then go get their luggage, but with 60 steps up the hill, you never go empty handed. Then, take care not to leave anything essential in the car ie cell phone, reading glasses, milk. After 4 years we have become good at keeping these rules.

Today, after work, tired and hungry, I set off down the stairs to drive to the shops for some milk. I got in the car and tried to turn it on, but it threw out a message saying to put the fob on the ignition. I went to do that and realised I’d picked up the wrong keys! I sat there for a moment. Groan! David had come home and Mike had met him at our old house where they parked the big car in the garage. Q3 keys were put on one of the key hooks. I had picked up the first keys I saw and didn’t think twice.  When it happens, there’s nothing to be done except claim more exercise and head back up the 85 steps, which I did. I took advantage of the extra trip to bring down the rubbish for tomorrow is bin day. When I opened the bin to put in our rubbish – maggots! Eww. The neighbours use the bin cleaning team so tomorrow when I hear that machine come on, I’ll rush downstairs with R50 & ask them to wash ours.

Courage hasn’t been at work since Tuesday. He twisted his ankle (pretty much like I did in Copenhagen) and can’t put too much pressure on it. It’s not broken, just swollen and sore. Mine took about 3 days before I could start walking normally. He’s been booked off until Monday. Meantime, Ruth came to clean. The Loft guest moved into the Little Lookout. The Loft was cleaned and the guest arrives (hopefully) not later than 11.30pm tonight.

This morning, I jogged my 4.3km route and did a better time than last.  Maybe tomorrow, I’ll swim.

Another important milestone this week: our ‘as built’ plans go to Council. Finally! 🥳

One of my favourite Psalms today.

Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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A Day That Was Cooking!

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie,

Today was a day that was cooking! It was warm and sunny. The breeze blew refreshingly through the house. We opened all the doors.

Outside it was hot.

I went to the beach alone this morning. Mike stayed back – to conserve some energy for the day’s building activities. I swam and then walked to the shops to find pawpaw. Pick n Pay didn’t have but Woolworths did. On the way home, I took a photo of the beach from the other side of the railway line, by Dolphin Park. There was a lot of seaweed in the water. You got a free seaweed wrap.

A full day’s work and then this evening, we had a couple come to see the Little Lookout. Their house is not quite finished and they need a place to lay their head for a week to start. We only have the LL available. They move in on Friday 31st Jan. It’s been a busy month on the rental side.

I’m up to the story of Joseph in Genesis. It is no surprise that his brothers didn’t recognise him when they came to Egypt during the famine. The Governor of Egypt, just one below Pharoah was named Zaphenath-Paneah. That was what Pharoah called Joseph. Fear, respect and reverence of him must have been wide spread. He held so much power. He must have had so many people approaching him for grain that for him to pay special attention to a small unknown group of brothers must have left them bewildered. It’s a couple of decades since they sold Joseph into slavery. Once they had done that, the guilt didn’t go away. The secret remained. The brothers all knew and there, in Egypt, under the scrutiny of the second most powerful man in the land comes this verse…

Genesis 42:21-22
They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us”

What’s interesting is, in Genesis 37, the account of Joseph being sold to the Midianite merchants is covered in one verse (verse 22) and it does not cover Joseph’s distress or his pleading for his life. All it says is, “So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for 20 shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.”

Joseph prospered as a slave, was unfairly imprisoned, yet also prospered as a prisoner. He stayed in jail for longer than he ever expected. At the  perfect time, he was released and his rise to power and fame was meteoric and God ordained. God’s plan is always for redemption and He doesn’t waste pain.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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No Exercise, Lots of Work

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I did no exercise but a lot of work. The wind was blowing & Julian was leaving so instead of walking or going to the beach for a swim, we stayed home & had a last conversation with Julian. David took him to the airport and then he (David) also left for a couple of days away with friends. I worked the whole day.

Mike did too, overseeing the site office that is coming together, albeit looking rustic. Shack with a view.

The wind is forecast to drop tomorrow which is when it should get a roof.

I didn’t order from Freedom Foods today either. I defrosted salmon trout that was in the freezer. After work, I put on my rucksack and headed off to the shops to pick up some salad ingredients. When I got back and Mike saw how much I’d bought, he was surprised that I had carried it all home. What he didn’t know was that I took the car keys and went by car! He thought I’d walked. So it truly was a no exercise day. I’ve only done 4100 steps. I made a salad, cooked the trout and it was delicious.

With Julian back in Johannesburg & David in Greyton, the house is suddenly very quiet. I’ve been looking for accommodation in Istanbul. I’m not sure whether to book close to the airport or close to the port.

Now I must stop dilly-dallying and do some Airbnb work.

Psalm 18:30
As for God His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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RATScallion

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day, we didn’t go to the beach. I went for a walk but decided to break into a job, trotting down the hills and mostly walking up them.  According to my watch, it’s the kind of exercise I should be doing to get fitter

That got the day off to a good start. I was grateful too, this morning, that I didn’t encounter one of Raiku’s offerings on the lounge floor. This happened on Saturday morning, when he left a huge rat for me to find. Without thinking about the consequences, I used a piece of toilet paper, picked it up and with a good tennis action, tossed it into the neighbour’s bush. This morning Mike went outside and found Raiku on the stairs with the remains of above mentioned rat. Arghhhh! Raiku! Courage retrieved the rodent and gave it a burial. This cat, he is a ratscallion. True hunter.

Mike and David are currently listening to President Trump giving his inauguration speech. There is much laughter coming from the lounge!

Julian and I walked to the end of the road & encountered the City Sewerage department. There’s always something. This time it’s a blocked sewer. This guy has the eww job – yet he very cheerfully jumped in front of my camera keen to be snapped – 5.30pm and still smiling!

The wind has picked up and will blow through tomorrow before dropping on Wednesday.

And that’s the day.

Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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A VERY Productive Day

Posted on January 19, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today turned out to be a solid day of work. If yesterday was a day of rest, today was the opposite. Late yesterday evening, we had a last minute booking for the loft for a guest arriving today by 12noon. Only issue was, the loft had not been cleaned since Gareth left yesterday! I was determined to get to the beach first, so we headed down at 7ish & had a wonderful swim. Just see this outdoor paradise.

 

The water was so warm, so clear, so still. It was like a swimming pool. Fish Hoek Beach at its best.  It doesn’t get better than this!

Home for breakfast and then to the Loft to get stuck in. As soon as I walked in, I knew the guest could come as early as she liked. Gareth left it in excellent order. We started cleaning at 9am and finished at shortly after 10am. The lovely guest arrived & is safely settled. It’s the first time we have every unit occupied. We have 3 that we use, but only 2 are on Airbnb. The Little Lookout is the overflow and tomorrow is when George leaves. George is from the UK and was staying nearby. I stopped to speak to him on the street one day and when he heard we had rental units, he took down my number. He needed 2 nights when his booking ended & we were happy to help.

Finally by 12 noon, the linen was washed and on the line & I could have my second cup of coffee. By then I was getting a few work messages, so I jumped on line and dealt with those. I ended up working for almost 3 hours. It feels so good to be up to date and to start the week not overwhelmed.

We then walked to Harbour Bay for dinner. We are now home and watching Art We There Yet – a YouTube channel by a couple who make an epic road trip in an old renovated bus from Alaska to Argentina. Quite the adventurers. The production is a professional one.

That was a good weekend.

Matthew 13:23
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Coffee BloC at Buitenverwachting

Posted on January 18, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we had a wonderful breakfast at the Coffee BloC at Buitenverwachting. It was the final hurrah for my 60th birthday as it was paid for by a very generous gift voucher! What a super gift! This spectacular farm in Constantia lives up to its name of Beyond Expectation.

It was built in 1796

Breakfast view…

Coffee at the Coffee BloC…

The breakfast was huge.

Afterwards, we took a walk around…

A super memory was made. Thank you! What a treat.

We managed a swim this morning. We left early – the weather was beautiful, the water was balmy and the beach was busy. It was a lovely 40 minute swim I had. This evening, Julian and I walked down to the beach again and did a loop back up Daisy Lane.

Dinner has been eaten and now we are going to watch a Grand Design. A good Saturday.

I always find psalms I want to try memorize. Psalm 16 with its 11 verses is such a psalm, but it’s hard work. I have to be super intentional about committing anything to memory.

Psalm 16:2
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Helicopter Rescue Training

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day there was helicopter rescue training at Fish Hoek beach again. The last one was on the 7th December. We watched from our balcony as over and over again, the helicopter picked up the ‘patient’ and raised them from the water. The helicopter pilots have to learn how to do these things. They have to see the effect of the chopper on the water and acquire the skill of lowering the rope and guiding it to the patient.  Then to carry the dangling pair to safety. The first attempt was a wide circle. By the end, it was far more direct. The emergency medics have to learn how to jump into the water to get to someone in distress. While we watched from our balcony we saw just a snippet of what was happening.

Down on the beach was professional photographer Alyson Ison and she got some amazing photos. She posted them all on Facebook.

Chopper hovering…

Guy jumping out…

Helicopter letting the rope down…

Lifting the rescuer and the patient.

The whole team on the grass.

We are so blessed to have such skilled emergency workers. When I went to the end of our road the night a car dramatically crashed down the mountain, I was in awe of how many emergency personnel arrived and how much expertise, time and energy was put into saving these two youngsters. I don’t take this level of competency for granted.

That was the excitement of the morning. I had got up and by 7am, I headed out the door for a walk. I decided to go down Zoutendyk steps. Valerie Gail had sent me a link to a FB story of a mural that had been painted on the wall.

It’s the steps between Highway and Hillside that you find this lovely piece of art…

After the steps, I went to Simon’s Town road to Glencairn and back and added a bit of jogging to get my heart rate up. It was a great way to start the day.

Friday! Weekend.

Proverbs 3:21
My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion;

Sound judgment and discretion – good to remember.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Family Strife

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

I’ve been reading about a family’s strife. It’s quite a story of conflict and bitterness and it continued through at least 3 generations. Things started becoming tense when the husband took on a mistress because his wife couldn’t fall pregnant. It sounds like such a bad idea, but that’s what happened with Abraham and Sarah. Hagar entered the equation, was given to Abraham and  Ishmael was the outcome. The Bible gives us such a large perspective of life. This  epic account covers the highs and lows of the lives of the major players of the time. Sarah tolerated Hagar and Ishmael until after Isaac was born. When he was weaned they threw a massive feast, but during it, there was an incident that clearly resulted in tempers flaring. “Sarah saw the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking”. What that entailed is not divulged but it left Sarah fuming, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son,” she instructed Abraham.  Abraham didn’t know what to do because Ishmael was his flesh and blood after all. He was reassured that God would take care of him & he send Hagar and Ishmael away.

Fast forward 40 years and Isaac is now 40 and needs a wife. The account of Rebekah is one of the Bible’s great sweet love stories. It takes Rebekah about 20 years to fall pregnant, so I guess she was 40 when she had the twins Jacob and Esau. It was when they were young adults that the first cracks appeared. On a whim, back from a trip and starving hungry, Esau asked Jacob for some of the food he was making. Jacob who was born second, said “first sell me your birthright.” Esau, weak and feeling like he was going to die, agreed & so the privilege that came with the firstborn was passed to Jacob. It included leadership of the family and a double portion of the father’s inheritance.

Time passed. Esau did not marry within the family faith as was hoped for. He found himself two Hittite wives. With new foreign daughters-in-law in the family, angst was at an all time high. “They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah”. Things were about to get worse. Isaac was on his death bed when Rebekah manipulated circumstances so that Isaac gave Jacob his blessing instead of Esau. The deceit created a deep hatred and Esau planned on killing Jacob. When the plot was overheard, Jacob left post-haste heading for Rebekah’s brother Laban. Safe at Laban’s, Jacob fell in love with Rachel. Laban, also one to be deceitful, snuck Rachel’s sister Leah into the marriage tent and Jacob found himself having married the wrong girl! A week later he married Rachel as well.

Two wives don’t work. There was such conflict between Leah and Rachel as they vied for the affection of Jacob & tried to grow his family through themselves and their maidservants. The conflict & jealousy knew no bounds. And, then there was Laban, Jacob’s father-in-law. There didn’t seem to be teamwork between them either. Eventually, Jacob takes his whole family and leaves. Rachel even steals her father’s idols on the way out. 12 sons are born to Jacob and this massive family with huge numbers of livestock head back to where Jacob first lived – and in that region is his brother Esau, who hears he is coming.

Decades had passed since Jacob deceitfully took his brother’s inheritance and Esau wanted to kill him for it.

Talk about strife in the family.

Jacob was very uncertain about meeting Esau again. When he heard Esau was coming with 400 men, he was petrified. He allocated 550 animals plus the young of the camels as a gift for Esau.  “Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him”. They wept. Esau accepted all the livestock and then they parted. They do meet again when Isaac dies and even after that there is a reference, “He (Esau) moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob. Their possessions were too great for them to remain together.”

As I read this whole account what occurred to me is:

  1. Family strife is normal, not ideal, but normal.
  2.  There is nothing new under the sun.
  3. Time can heal relationships.
  4. Even in the messiness God revealed Himself.
  5. Regardless of family strife, God can use the people involved & it doesn’t stop Him working out his plan.

What’s tough is the strife in Abraham’s family is recorded for all time. Those chapters in Genesis are something to chew over.

For me today, I took off for an early morning windy walk.

There were still people in the sea – the regulars enthusiastically using their body-boards and enjoying the waves. For me, I need a flat sea to enjoy a swim. I walked 6.66km, so that got me my steps easily enough.

8 hours of work later, my blog is done and now it’s time for dinner.

It’s always good to encounter this Bible verse in my reading.

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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The Site Office

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Your first day of ‘big school’ today as you donned your new school uniform and headed for Grade 1. Well done my girl! The best is yet to come.

For us, it rained this morning, so no walking was done. The rain gave way to sunshine, but by then I had showered and was sitting at my desk working. Nine hours later I stopped.

We walked down to Fish Hoek to pick up some groceries, passing the beach, where there was a horse on the sand.

Julian had arrived so he got to see how far the site office has got. Mike has been calling around to find roofing and wall sheets, so that will be next. Here are the photos…

This is where it’s up to…

We are now waiting for the walls and roofing to arrive.

Work has been abundant. I am not lacking in things to do. I could be working now, there is just so much of it. I have to put the breaks on and try pace myself. Tomorrow is another day.

Matthew 10:30
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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