Hobbling North in Faith

Six weeks since AJ injured his back. The initial three weeks spent in our friends’ house in Tandur were a blur. But it gave us the opportunity to get used to new routines and requirements as a result of AJ’s injury. We will forever be grateful to them for making it possible for us to stay.

All too soon it was time to move on. A helpful friend from church came to our rescue to tow the caravan to our in-law’s property outside Gympie. I was not confident enough to do it myself. That was a huge blessing. I had it hitched and prepped for him with AJ’s verbal assistance … a first for me. (It was time I learned what he does, wasn’t it?!) 

We then moved into the van for 4 nights where it was parked on a driveway in front of the house. 

I had a bad cough, our in-laws were ill with the same bug, and so were our children and family over the hill, from whom we had all picked up the bug. Consequently, we embarked on the road trip from  Gympie to Rockhampton without seeing any of them to say goodbye. 😒

I cannot begin to describe the process of deciding what to take along and what to leave in the caravan. That final morning was hectic – packing the car and making sure the van was in storage mode. AJ, still in extreme pain, couldn’t do a thing and was super frustrated at having to watch. The doctor had warned us to stop often. Along with my loathing of the Bruce highway, and the doctor's warning, there was enough excuse to stop overnight after only two hours of driving. 😅 AJ, being heavily medicated and with movement severely restricted, could not drive, so all the driving was mine to do. 

The first stop was at a B & B … a charming place in a little hamlet called Apple Tree Creek. We arrived at about 3 pm and spent the rest of the afternoon just chilling and enjoying the local wildlife outside the cottage. Until then, AJ had never slept through a night since injuring his back. Never longer than 2-4 hours. That night he slept through for the first time! We rejoiced. They reckoned they would use it as a marketing tool … “Man with back injury slept a full night in comfort on our cottage bed.” 😄 Here are some pics of our stay and the gardens.

We left at 10 am the next day and arrived at Gin Gin 30 mins later, where we stopped for tea. The country town bakeries all vie for awards; one bakery’s pies and sausage rolls outdo the next. AJ reckoned that Gin Gin Bakery’s sausage roll was the best he’s had! Ever! 😄

Moving on, we arrived at Miriam Vale in time for lunch. We stopped at a ‘Country Kitchen’ style diner, which proved to be a great choice for deliciousness. Decorated with family farm mementoes, it was also a trip down memory lane. The coffee was seriously good too.  

The next stop was Benaraby (pronounced Ben-ARAB-y). 😊 We had booked at a motel there and were pleased for the stop. Having arrived quite early, we decided to take a 10 km drive to view Tannum Sands on the coast.  

It was a cold, cloudy day, but the place must be a hit in the summer! It’s beautiful there. Another town that reminded me of Amanzimtoti, Kwa Zulu Natal, where I grew up.

The usual motel-equipped room was all we needed. AJ slept through another night. Clearly, he had turned a corner! Yay! The next morning, we enjoyed our oats-yoghurt-fruit (in jars) that we had carted along for breakfast, and after a cuppa, hit the road to Rockhampton.

Having heard all manner of horror stories of this portion of the Bruce ‘Highway’, I must admit that I felt queasily nervous. (Bear in mind, this ‘highway’ is only one lane north and one lane south, on a very narrow strip in places. 

The first two days on the Bruce had gone surprisingly well. I could only hope that it would continue. And it did! Yes, the road surface was a horror story – rough, potholed, uneven on the shoulder – but when I had to avoid potholes, nothing was coming from the front. We had so many people praying for our journey. Once again it was evident that prayer helps.

We arrived in Rockhampton and navigated our way to the house. It’s quite the city, Rocky (Aussies shorten every single pronoun 😄). Although it was mid-morning, the traffic was dense. The homeowners, David and Thelma, had made it very clear that they would be offended if we bought lunch in town. We were spoiled with a delicious lunch and later on an equally delicious dinner. I was able to get the run-down/intro on what was expected, and we were introduced to some of the neighbours. The next day, at 9 am they were collected for the airport and our 3-month stint here began. The next few hours were spent emptying the car and settling in. 

David and Thelma, both 79, are now in Italy for a 3-month holiday. They are fit, active and full of flair! A lovely couple who are also expats, having emigrated from the UK many years ago. They too toured around Australia in a caravan for 3 years while working on and off as they travelled, and they loved it. Our plans are now on hold, but we look forward to possibly beginning early next year. God willing.

AJ still struggles to walk and to lie down. But at this point, although he is in pain, he is able to walk around the garden and do some physio-prescribed exercises 3 times per day. We had heard from David and Thelma that the nearby university trains Physiotherapists and runs a clinic for the public. They recommended that we give them a call because they are really good. Third-year students are put to the test, overseen by trained therapists, all for a lower fee if you agree that the students can work with you. Physio treatments are very expensive in Australia, so we jumped at the chance. But when I phoned, I was told that they cannot help us until the end of September. AJ was in agony at that point. (He has one good day, and then two bad.) I requested to be put on a waiting list, only to be told that it was full. My spirits were down, as we had so looked forward to getting some help while we were here. I mentioned, very quickly, that David and Thelma had thought we might be helped there. Did I detect a slight change in the tone of voice on the other side of the phone? No, I thought, I had imagined it. I proceeded to make an appointment for the end of September.

That night, the cold weather brought the rain. And did it rain?! The next day it rained for hours. It rained for 2 nights and 2 days straight. A huge weather event had built up and was hanging over the Rockhampton region, just bucketing down. The day after my call to the uni clinic, we got a phone call from them, “There has been a cancellation due to the rain. Can you make it?” “YES!”, said I. It’s only 10 km down the road, and it wasn’t driving, gale-force, rain. So, AJ and I made our way over and he got to have a physio session! What a blessing. They spent 2 hours assessing and working out what would help him, for a mere $35, compared to $175 per hour at a private clinic. We were overjoyed. 

A rather wet Kangaroo, taken from the physio room's window

Once again, we could see the hand of the Lord. He knew we would need an affordable service, close by, so he brought us here. God used the rain cancellations. And perhaps David and Thelma's name played a part. Nevertheless, God knew AJ needed at least 3 months to heal under supervision, and this housesitting is the perfect opportunity. He's already had 3 treatments, all due to cancellations. Yesterday, the therapist noted that he was the 'luckiest' patient, since he's already been able to fill THREE cancellations! Could it be God? 😊

The garden is low maintenance – only watering – easy for me to cope with. The grass never grows because they don’t usually get rain here (go figure 😆), so mowing is never necessary. (However, because of the rain, if it is needed, the neighbour has volunteered his service. People are so kind.) 

A bit of a backstory ... this housesitting gig was booked a year ago, long before AJ stopped work in October 2023. We applied for it because it was further north than we had been, and we wanted to explore. It’s also warmer here at this time of the year compared to Gympie. They let us know a few days later that we were on the short list of candidates, but they wanted two references and a police clearance. (Their two previous house sitters had been horror stories. 😣) One morning we received a call from them to say we were chosen; did we still want to house-sit for them? Yes, we replied. Then AJ’s contract ended.

When it became apparent that AJ was not going to make inroads here in Australia for Aviation work, we decided that we should cancel. It’s a five-hour drive, petrol is expensive, and we needed to find work, not housesit. The first time we began thinking of cancelling was while minding the cows in December last year. The second was in April while we were in Mt Marshall. But each time we wanted to contact them re cancellation, David and Thelma beat us to it, almost to the day, calling to check if we were still coming. They sounded so sweet, so welcoming and we could hear they were elderly. Twice we had not quite made up our minds and were still trying to determine if our finances would hold out for this trip. So, on both occasions, we said yes, through gritted teeth, hoping against hope.

Eventually, when it got to June this year, we knew we would have to come regardless. With tickets booked to go overseas, and preferring someone they could vet thoroughly, they would have struggled to find new house sitters. We couldn’t put them through that. God would help, we said. And he did! Just before we left Gympie, we received news of a tax rebate that we had thought we, as new immigrants, would never qualify for. The funds set aside for the tax man became the funds to travel to Rocky. How amazing is our Father? He knows all the details and organises the little as well as the big things. Then AJ injured his back!

I have never seen someone suffer so much pain. It has been awful to observe and to feel at a total loss on how to assist him. 6 weeks on, he still battles to walk more than 20-30 steps. We are aware of the need to be patient and think positively. Projections just for feeling better are 6 to 12 weeks, and apparently, it can take up to 6 months to have no pain. Our plans may be shelved and/or constantly changing, but we do not doubt that God is in control. Priorities and the approach to daily tasks will also have to change. Even in these circumstances AJ willingly testifies as to how God is working in our lives and in his heart. His faith has been strengthened, regardless of his adversity and suffering. I admire his courage.

Suddenly, all my plans also seem feeble. My priorities have shifted. My tasks have doubled, but it’s been amazing to feel how my Father has equipped me with the energy and abilities I need. Seldom is there a moment to sit still, but I am acutely aware of the need to watch out and not overdo things. We have seen how fickle life can be, and how mortal we are. How powerless we are vs the Creator’s plans for us. Suffice it to say, He has our attention. We are listening! Yet unsure of how our future will unfold.

Again, Psalm 23 pops up in my mind …  in this life, this temporary abode, He will provide all that we need. “The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need.” (NLT version.)

Sometimes God brings us to a point where He is forced to ‘hobble us’ as it were, like the Eastern shepherds do with that self-willed sheep (see my last blog post). In this way, He gets our attention. If only we would listen to Him before He needs to take drastic action.

“He makes me to lie down beside still waters … He restores my soul.”

A few days ago, I read in a devotional that, as Christ’s followers, we are not promised an easy, trouble-free life…

“In this world you will [note the auxiliary verb ‘will’ ] have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16 v 33.)

and

“If you want to be my disciple, you must pick up your cross and follow me.” (Matt 16 v 24 and 25.) As an aside, this was before Christ was crucified … the Israelites were familiar with the crucifixion torture imposed by the Romans, so the analogy must have filled them with revulsion. The whole concept is sanitised for us … we blithely quote that verse, not considering the actual horror of what it encompasses. But Christ knew how he would die, and He chose to equate the difficulties of this life with ‘carrying a cross’.

However, as His followers we can proclaim, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, all the days of my life …and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” What more could one want than eternal life in the presence of the Triune God? Here on earth, we are beset with troubles, but with Him, we can see it through. His mercies are new every morning. With each sunrise His grace is visible.

Until next time.

Thanks for stopping by. 🌼

 

 

Clues and Signs ... Everywhere

Clues and Signs

Last Sunday saw our departure from Greens Creek to stay at (what we refer to as) ‘home base’ in Tandur for 2 weeks. It is always like coming home when we stay at this property that belongs to friends. During this stay, we will mind their French Bulldogs for a few days as they take a camping trip for a much-needed break. We love their Frenchies… they are such fun to be around!

When we arrived in Gympie from Mt. Marshall and moved into the property at Greens Creek, the clues of winter’s approach were visible. Ever lowering temps, misty mornings, yellowing leaves. It’s hard to believe how 2 months sped by.

We were aware that we had been called to WAIT! Wait, said Father God. Wait! How many times hadn’t the word come to us that we should take one day at a time, and as we wait, to strengthen our walk with Him. The clues were there that we were arriving at that place of thankfulness under all circumstances: peace that passes understanding; feeling hope, regardless of apparent gloom. Hope! That quiet confidence in His ability to work it all out for our good because we love Him and feel that we are called according to His purposes. Surety, that nothing happens without His consent and that the waiting period we were in had a reason, a purpose. Yes, we finally began to feel at peace, regardless.

However, I can be a ‘Mary’, sitting at the feet of the Lord at the start of my day for an hour or so, but I very quickly transition into a ‘Martha’ who cannot sit still and wait. So, apart from last week when I set up our new bookkeeping system, the entire period in Greens Creek was spent setting up our website store and creating content for it. I’m hoping to turn the love I have for designing stationery on Canva into a form of income that may help keep the wheels turning.

After pouring out my heart to my Father one morning in Mount Marshall, I felt that He was ok with what I intended to do. (Prov 16 v 3.) I leave it in His hands. All set to open a store on Etsy, I noticed that many creators were abandoning Etsy due to changes in the terms and conditions. I felt it best to give the platform a miss. Their problems need to be ironed out. I don’t have the energy to deal with apparent dramatic decisions to close people’s accounts and the withholding of funds on a whim. 

So, to our website I turned my attention. Hosting the store on our website means the marketing falls solely on me, whereas with an Etsy-like platform, it is all done for you. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the secret to making money online, and that part I have yet to learn and apply. But because I can’t pay someone to set this up for me, I DIY and learn as I go along. What do I know about setting up an online store? Diddly-squat! Anyhow, I hope people will look past the amateurish look of the store and check out the content that took hours to create. Perhaps someone will find something useful.

Recently, I registered LibSandy as a business for proofreading services. I then used those registration details to set up payments for digital items created by SBCreative (my pseudonym for the stationery design) on our Undeserted website. 😆This is what happens when you do things back to front! You get tangled in the details. In the end, it was all accepted and payment forms were successfully tested.

Connecting bank accounts to third-party online payment services (PayPal, etc.) was nerve-wracking! Going through verification checks; testing to see if they worked; waiting to see if said third parties had found any problems with my account and/or website. The website must comply with legal privacy requirements, but thankfully it is hosted by the reputable Wix platform which offers good explanations and help towards wording.

While at Greens Creek, AJ kept himself busy around the property. Mowing the steep lawns was a nerve-wracking idea until he began and found that the mower wouldn’t topple and handled very well. 😅 

The van always needs attention, as does the vehicle, and who better than pernickety AJ to correct things and find new ways to load our stuff?  In the interest of safety, AJ invested in and installed a new dash cam that has reverse capability too, as well as a weigh scale for the caravan and car. The scale is a game-changer! Now the guesswork is taken out of the packing and loading each time, so we can travel more safely, and IF we get pulled over by zealous traffic police, we won’t be too nervous, as we’ll know that we are within our weight limit. Weight and balance, weight and balance! That’s the secret to safe caravanning.

Surviving on one’s reserve funds makes you cringe every time a dollar is spent. But we have managed to keep it to a minimum and 10 months on here we still are, by God's grace. For our 43^rd anniversary, we decided to splurge a little and enjoyed a light pub meal at the Kandanga Hotel, originally constructed in 1914. 

Our Children blessed us with a lovely bouquet.

Five weeks into our stay at Green’s Creek, I began to feel stressed about the level of the rainwater tanks. We still don’t really know what ‘normal’ use is and we seriously try to conserve water. But when you’re using someone’s valuable water source, the responsibility runs high. I prayed a couple of times – Lord please send rain. But I shrugged off the request as fast as I made it since this is NOT the season for rain. Well, the Lord complied. "Look what I can do," I imagined Him saying with a smile. Don’t you just love it when He pulls off the improbable? We received 35 mm of rain over 5 days! The tanks were full again. Praise you, Jesus! With the rain, the temps also eased off, and instead of 1- and 2-degree mornings, we moved to 11 and 12 C. That was a blessing! One can think when it’s not that cold. 😊

Shortly after arriving at Greens Creek, we discovered a delightful walk of about 5 km along a country road winding through dairy farms. What bliss! There were two hills on this route – the kind of steep hill that makes you want to bend your back as you ascend because you can’t remain straight up. Phew! Did that get our hearts pumping. Great cardio! 

After 2 weeks we began to improve in performance, climbing without resting halfway.  On one occasion we were simultaneously discussing a political issue quite animatedly all the way up the hills. 😄 

Sadly, many a morning was just too damp and misty to walk, and by the time the sun burnt the mist away the morning was well underway with a to-do list waiting. 

With only months to go before we will no longer be housesitting but pursuing paid employment, we have also registered AJ’s business name. He will be AJ-unDESERTED at your service. 😊 At this stage, the signs are that we may move into caretaking of tourism properties, aka caravan parks and/or motels, of which there are thousands in this country. We will focus on preparing ourselves for that while we are at our next housesitting in Rockhampton. 

The next step for me is a food handlers’ course which is, thankfully, delivered online. Finally, after 43 years, I might put my Diploma training to good use. 😆 After that, I’ll need to learn to operate a few types of Reservation Software. It’s still going to be a tough walk.

We have a 2-week trip coming up (God willing) to get to Rockhampton for our 3-month housesitting. Because it’s still quite chilly and because we’re planning to divert inland to take our trip north, we invested in a diesel heater for the caravan. Delivered yesterday, it will be a welcome addition for those bitterly cold mornings when the inside temp of the van has had time to match the outside temp when it’s between 0 to 6 C. *Shiverrrrrs* (Queensland’s interior can get c-c-c-cold.) AJ's looking forward to installing it himself. Common consensus is that it is a must-have for quality of life during the winter. After spending a few winter nights in the van, we believe them!

Scriptural clues

Early in May, after the 3^rd occasion of coming across a verse or a reference to Psalm 23, I had the feeling that God was trying to say something. This made me sit up and take notice. A few days would pass, and sure enough … there was another. And another a few days later. The clues were there … God was drawing our attention to Psalm 23. I recalled a book I have in storage, “Treasures in the Psalms”, by Henry M Morris. I dug it out and AJ and I enjoyed a few wonderful reminders:

• The Lord is our Shepherd. We shall not want. (He knows best! All our needs are met.)
• He causes us to lie down in green pastures. (How real that was! There we were, surrounded by green pastures in a lovely home, and at no cost.)
• He leads us beside still waters, restores, indeed refreshes, our souls. (Finally, we were experiencing peace in our circumstances.)
• He guides us along right paths … (I love how the Amplified Bible puts it: [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake. Constantly we ask Him to show us the way, and constantly we feel the return reply of ‘Have no fear’. Wait.)
• Even though we walk through the valley, (that deep dark [sunless] valley of anxiety, of fear of the unknown, of facing steep financial commitments later this year …  that valley of shadows that threatens to engulf you at your weakest moment …) we will fear no evil. (Why? The rod of protection and the staff to guide is an ever-present symbol that He is never far off … always with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.)

      

Also, what sheep spends hours in anxiety and sleepless nights wondering where he will get grass to eat the next day? No, he knows it's the shepherd's task to lead and that shepherd has never yet failed to lead. 

The writer also pointed out that if a sheep was prone to wandering off, Eastern shepherds of old would lame that prone-to-wander sheep, and then carry it upon his shoulders until it healed. After that, it would never leave, as it knew the sound of his voice, and sought to remain near the comforting, protective presence of the shepherd.

This is where we find ourselves at present … we only find comfort in His presence and His promises. Some days we feel as if we are hobbled. No, knackered! But He carries us through to the next.

• He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies … (we are not aware of any enemies, except those spiritual ones who wish to bring about our downfall. They are ever snapping at our heels. Eager to scupper the purpose that our God has for us. The enemy of doubt is the worst. Somewhere I read that the opposite of faith is not doubt … it is unbelief! God forbid that we are filled with unbelief. )
• You honour me by anointing my head with oil. (We were "marked" with the oil of His Holy Spirit the day that we placed our trust in Jesus.)
• My (our) cup overflows. (Even as we minimize our spending, we have no shortage of anything. In fact, we have recently been challenged to give up even that which we have – to cast our bread upon the waters, as it were. It’s not ours anyway … everything we have is from His hand and remains His to direct.)
• Only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me (us) all the days of my (our) life, and through the length of my (our) days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my (our) dwelling place. (How we long for that eternal home! Here, on earth, we are merely travellers passing through.)

To wrap up, a quote from AW Tozer: 

“In natural matters, faith follows evidence and is impossible without it, but in the reality of the spirit, faith precedes understanding; it does not follow it. The natural [hu]man must know in order to believe; the spiritual [hu]man must believe in order to know.”

We are constantly aware of the signs of His presence. Of blessings all around. The memory of His faithfulness in the past. The answers to our prayers of last month, last week, yesterday and today. Even the ‘No, not now’ response is still a reply.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55, v 8.

Thanks for reading this far. Until next time. 🧡

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Current update:

The above was written ready for me to post on the blog the minute we arrived here in Tandur 10 days ago.  

Well, we had our plan for this time, but the Lord allowed another. 😢

As we arrived in Tandur on Sunday and AJ exited the car he became aware of increasing agony. An hour later he was doubled over, unable to come upright, and in extreme pain. He had been aware of hurting his back three days before leaving Greens Creek, but we thought it was muscle spasm. (He had lifted a lawnmower and simultaneously twisted his body to put it down to stow it.)

After a sleepless, agony-filled Sunday night, it became apparent that it was worse than muscle spasm. I took him to the emergency department the next morning early. After several tests and investigation, they assured us it was muscle damage and to rest at home.

But after another night where he could neither sit, stand, walk, lie down, much less sleep, we rushed to the doctor on Tuesday. He was sent for a CT scan, and sure enough, the doctor’s prognosis was confirmed. AJ had a slipped disc.

Agony is a meek word for what he was (and still is) enduring. With heavy medication, we were told that all he could do was rest and …. wait! There is a 50/50 chance that he would heal with no lasting pain. If not, a future operation would be the way to go. We are praying for a healing touch from the Lord.

Words fail me for the turmoil of emotions that beset us in the following days. What about work prospects? What about our van life? Will he come right? Why did this happen? If only he didn’t do that activity that day …! All the usual questions and thoughts came flooding in that beset a person after an injury. 

The dogs arrived for 4 days, but they were a welcome distraction that had me running and operating to a routine. After 4 days, their owners picked them up and promptly insisted that we stay in the house until the 2^nd of August, as they were not planning to come up for the next weekend. Speechless, we accepted. This huge blessing will give AJ a chance to remain in bed as much as possible and to heal for a good 3 weeks instead of 2. God is so good to us through this couple’s generosity. 

Many more blessings abound ... the Lord is our Shepherd, right? All our needs are met! 

• We had just recently found a South African doctor, who has been incredibly supportive towards us. 
• We have State Medicare, so we have only paid small amounts for medication.
• We have friend's rallying to support and to pray. 
• AJ was able to load, hitch and tow before the worst pain kicked in. If it happened while we were at Green's Creek things would've been so much more difficult. 
• We are able to stay here where it is peaceful and comfortable, and we have all we need. (Green pastures ... quiet streams.)

It's a week on and AJ still cannot come upright and walk properly. We are assured that it will improve, but only over 4 to 6 months. I first thought that I would need to go on to the next housesitting alone. But he wants to go along. However, the van will be stored for the 3-month duration. We have a friend willing to tow the van to store it at our in-laws' property. AJ cannot drive or risk operating anything mechanical, and the van requires a lot of manual labour. 

Our two-week trip into the western reaches of Queensland will have to wait for another day. Now is the time to heal. Fortunately, the next housesitting is light work with no pets. We are solely there to care for the home. Time to heal indeed.

Thanks for stopping by. We appreciate your prayers at this time. 

AJ and Sandy 🌼

Permission granted, devastation followed

 Where are we now? 

Still in Hervey Bay ... trying to make sense of it all. Healing. 

The thief

First, truth: “The thief’s purpose is to kill steal and destroy,” said Jesus. He continued, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10 v 10, NLT.)  Another translation says: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may  have it  more  abundantly.” (NKJ.)

On 28/10/2022, at 08:45 the thief was permitted to steal and destroy, but not to kill. In the story of Biblical Job, the thief (Satan) had to ask for permission to test Job. It was granted. Similarly, we believe, permission was granted to test us … devastation followed.

En route to Brisbane, driving on the notorious Bruce Highway to pick up our shipment of boxes from Qatar, we looked ahead and easily a kilometre away we could see the traffic jam. Traffic was stationary. We switched on our hazard lights to warn the driver behind us that we were going to slow to a stop.

We stopped. He stopped.

We relaxed.

Then, the cabin exploded around us. Brain-shattering noise. I heard myself screaming. My beloved hubby shouting. I recall wondering why it wouldn’t end – it seemed to go on forever. But, I guess it was just a few seconds long.

And. Then. Silence. 

For a few seconds the world seemed to stand still.

A huge semi-articulated truck, towing 2 trailers, had rammed into us at speed from behind. Where had he come from? He was nowhere to be seen when we came to a stop!  We had only seen the Landcruiser behind us. We had already had time to switch off the hazard lights and had started to relax because the driver behind us was also stationary. We heard nothing, zilch! Then all hell broke loose. He hit the Landcruiser twice, ramming it into us, the force ramming us into the car in front.

We had bounced off the car in front.

Smoke! I panicked! A fire? My first thought was for my phone and iPad because that is where all our info is contained. Groping for my bag, Andries’ glasses, his phone, my phone and my iPad, I fell out of the Ute quicker than a flash. My glasses had flown off my face and I could only see a blur. Not because I didn’t have my glasses on … there was something wrong with my eyes. They were burning intensely. It was as if I was looking through a frosted glass pane in heavy rain. The highway had come to a standstill. I stumbled to the left margin of the road. Andries also extricated himself and was surveying the damage. He was on the opposite side in the lane blocked by the crash.

Disbelief rushes in like a wave. The first words out of my mouth were, "Yet will I praise You! Yet will I praise You!" Broken-hearted, I almost shouted at God. I would not, would not allow the enemy to destroy my faith in my God whom I know to be a good, good Father!

No, I am not super spiritual. No, I am not blowing my own bugle. I was angry. Hurt. "Why?", every cell in my body cried out. My mind was screaming at God, "why!!!!????" Faced with a choice to curse at Him or to trust Him, I chose the latter. Why? Because I know Him. I know how good, how faithful, how loving, how kind, how wonderful He is. I know Him. 

The traffic in the left lane began to move past me. Life goes on, life must go on.

My first thought was to phone my son-in-law. Others would call 000, but I needed to hear David’s voice. He would tell me what to do. But as I looked at my screen my eyes were burning, completely blurred. Something was very wrong. Somehow, through a pinhole of sight, I found his number … as he answered I remember saying ‘There’s been a terrible accident and I need you to tell me what to do.” He was so kind. So very calm, reassuring. And his precious family were with him in the car. They heard it all on speakerphone. What miserable timing! 

The kindness of people around them kicked in. They called for help, and the two older children were collected from the vehicle and counselled at school. David's parents took care of the youngest, so that they could rush to be at our side. An hour away.

Dodging the slow-moving traffic, Andries came over to me. "Are you ok?", he asked. "I couldn’t find my glasses", was all I could get out. He went over and found them on the floor of the cab. Someone said the smoke was not a fire, it was powder from the airbag's deployment. Later it was found that the powder had gone into my eyes. The airbags deploy at 25 - 55 milliseconds; before one can blink the substances within could be in the eyes. The jolt from behind had thrown me forward. Consequently, the airbag exploded in my face. Bruising and swelling were instantaneous. 

Andries was hit by something on the arm, on his leg and his body. Blood was oozing from his arm injury, but otherwise, all of us involved seemed free of serious injury. It was a miracle! Andries was astonishingly calm ... taking photos, taking details. Keeping a level head. 

That very morning we had asked our Father to place angels at the four corners of our vehicle as we left Hervey Bay. Those angels were bruised, for sure.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10.

That was the promise we received a few months ago. Over and over again, in one way or another, that promise was spoken into our spirits. Today we know why.

The Landcruiser driver later told Andries that his car had stood on its nose at one point as it was rammed into the back of our vehicle. He had seen the semi coming at speed and had braced himself, trying to turn into the middle of the road to get away, but it was too fast. He was hit twice. The driver in front of us, in a Suzuki, said she heard nothing but suddenly saw us 'dancing' towards her in her rear-view mirror and she braced herself, but could go nowhere. It was too fast. Some say all three vehicles are write-offs. And yet … we all came away with minor injuries. A miracle!

The Ute did its job. It kept us intact.

The fire department arrived first. The police and ambulance services followed. The "firies" and "ambos", as they are known here, were astounded and said they usually carry bodies away from an accident like that. People were talking to us, checking on us. A stranger was talking me through my breathing … so kind. The folk who stopped to help were amazing. 

The truck driver – a middle-aged man – was wilfully uncooperative! He would not give his name. He would not show his licence. He would not allow himself to be breathalysed. The drivers all had to take a breath test. He refused. The police took him away. 

The Landcruiser is a foot shorter after being rammed.

Eventually we were transported to the new State hospital 20 mins away. We were observed and tested for the day. X-rayed, given CT scans and ECGs, had blood tests done, and tested for neck and chest injuries – thoroughly cared for. At sunset, we were discharged. We walked away from the hospital with our beloved children. Words failed us. (Just two weeks before the accident we received our State Medicare cards in the mail.) 

People’s kindness had overwhelmed us. David and Nadya’s care and assistance had been our biggest blessing, their lives having been put on immediate hold as they sped over to spend the day by our side, their children safely in the care of David's parents.

Back home in Gympie we went to bed and slept. Fitfully. Sore, in pain and disbelief. Just like that, no vehicle. Just like that, plans change. 

Why?

"What are you trying to teach us, God?" The big ‘why?’ hung heavily in front of us.

Why were we on that highway? Why didn’t we organise to just have our shipment transported to Gympie? Why did we try to save extra expense by doing it ourselves? The why’s and if only's had begun.

Two days later we keep reminding ourselves … we had not done anything wrong … we had followed all safety measures … we were plunged into a situation that God had allowed, for reasons that only He knows.  

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8 v 28.

On this promise we stand. Because we know Him.

Job of the Bible answered his wife when she encouraged him to curse God … 

“Should we receive good from God and not receive trouble?” Job 2 v 10

I pray that we, too, do not sin against God and question His love.

Know Jesus, Know Peace

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay 

In the midst of chaos we want to be faithful because Jesus was faithful – He carried out the task assigned to Him for our sake, when He hung on that cross. To give us life in all its fullness. Not necessarily here on earth ... but in eternity.

The morning after the accident our children were in town for groceries. They bumped into the family from Tandur whom we had house-sat for. They were shocked to hear what had happened. We immediately received a phone call insisting that they would pick up our caravan for us and store it on their property until we could tow it. They had remembered that we were due to pick up the van in a week from now. How astounding is the kindness of people?  

This week the insurance claim goes in. This week we will arrange for the shipments to be sent. This week we have reservations to cancel and plans to change. Suddenly things take on a very different perspective.

However, our God is on His throne. He is with us. Comforting, healing, whispering into our spirits.

For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us! Rom 8 v 18, Amplified version.

We feel we have been tested as though through fire. However, we are resigned – because He is God, He does not need to provide an explanation. In future, perhaps He might. For now, healing. 

Until next time … thanks for your prayers. 

May God be with you all. xx