Chapter 1 & 3rd Entry

Chapter1 & 3^rd Entry

What about the time when I ran through a glass door at full tilt smashing it to pieces while playing a game of catches with my little sister Laverne. We were visiting my uncle Robbie, I was seven and she must have been four years old. We were playing downstairs; the block of flats had large swinging double doors at the entrance. I recollect trying to cut her off by taking a short cut through the door on the right as she had just run through the door on the left. However as I was at full sprint I had not noticed that the door was closed and because the regulation back then for plate glass doors were not in effect, I ran straight through the glass but also tripped at the same time as the wooden frame at the bottom of the door prevented any further progress. Down I came screaming at the top of my voice with total dismay and absolute horror. Within seconds I was in my grandfather’s arms as he rushed me off to hospital for stitches.

On our return there was much discussion around the fact that the remaining intact glass at the top of the door was hanging on by a thread and as I lay there immobile and calling out for help, if the glass had given way it may have really cause me some damage. Yet, another account of the goodness of God’s mercy evident in my life, today I still walk with both my legs.

During those early years I found life confusing, not that I now have worked out all of life’s challenges but what I will saved by the grace of God, I am learning, howbeit ever so slowly, to trust and believe in God’s promises. Whenever challenged by other boys throughout those early years of life I would fight my way out of difficult situations, I knew no other way!

Primary School was nearing its end and High School beckoned. The question I now faced was what school would it be? With my determination and persistent temperament with somewhat of a nagging nature, I needed to get away as far as possible from my current environment. Having won my mother round, Potchefstroom Boys High would be my home for the next four years.

In Primary School I desperately strove to find respect and acknowledgement from both my colleagues and my peers. I achieved some form of recognition through sport and when I could not rely on those accolades, I confess to my distaste that I would use a strong arm and bully acceptance from those who would not give it to me. Now life had come full circle as I was no longer a senior with everyone looking up to me, whether the other boys feared or respected me, it was irrelevant, either way I had been the king of my castle, however now I was the small fry and away from the comforts of home. My first year at boarding school was terrible as I tried to buck the system. Half way through my first year, standard six, I decided that if my mother would not take me out of this terrible place, even though I had insisted on coming to boarding school, I was now going to show everyone that I seriously wanted out, so it was time now to pack a bag and run away. This would have to get my mother’s attention. With a penknife in my pocket and a small backpack I snuck out of my dorm in the early hours of the morning. My destination was about 120 km away, my nonna’s (grandmother) house. At the age of thirteen here I was with my thumb out, on a national road and a penknife in my pocket, just in case. What was I thinking, or should I more aptly say, what wasn’t I thinking? A young kid alone believing I was tough enough to handle anyone who would dare to confront me, on a deserted road with nobody conscious of my whereabouts. Once again by God’s grace I made it to my nonna’s house. The first thing she said to me “what if someone attacked you?” I remember pulling out my little folded blade and looking at her with a smile on my face. She looked at me as if to say, sure pip-squeak.

As I think about my frame of mind then, how dumb can one be, like I said earlier, “dumb, dumber and dumbest” things hadn’t changed much from my early encounter with petrol. And yet God in His mercy chose to send His Son to die for me, yes me, it is almost unbelievable! But let the truth be known to all those who will repent from their sin and turn to Jesus confessing their sin, will find forgiveness! Regardless of how many times you make the same mistake. I serve an awesome God, He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He is my God and I will bow to no other!

You may say, yes Tyrone I have often seen you repeatedly bow down to sin, and have walked as an unbeliever and my retort will be, well said! However sin has been my downfall through life, I have always lacked self-control, I have never really had a grip on clear reformed biblical teaching and often I have walked as the hypocrites do, I acknowledge my example of the Christian life has been a shocker, it will become far more apparent to those who do not know me, as this “my story” unfolds, but I do trust regardless of your opinion of me, you will come to see and understand God’s faithfulness, despite the lack of mine. Sin may also be your weakness, and you may also feel like a bruised reed at times but God who is rich in mercy came to rescue us from our sin, even if there seems to be no hope, there is hope in Him, but God has forgiven me and because of His faithfulness, let me say again, I will bow to no other, praise His name! Let us not confuse the two issues! Although my light was almost extinguished, it was never completely removed and I have the scars in my body to prove that. There will always be consequences to insubordination. Disobedience has occupied far too much of my life, I pray that I will now redeem the time, however long that could be, God Knows!

Now back to my grandmother’s house, I then fell asleep exhausted from my trip and I was abruptly woken up by my mother. Before long I was back at school, regarded as a hero by some but a wimp who missed his mommy and couldn’t cut hostel life by most. Not long after that episode I settle into life at boarding school and found the will to achieve. It was back to what I knew the sports field. I tackled whatever came my way and I eventually excelled in rugby. It amazes me how we accept achievement as the norm to the exclusion of the will of God.