Written by: Sarel Esterhuizen
Article source: JOY! Magazine

It was a Saturday morning on Braklaagte, our farm in Damaraland in the old South West Africa. Dad had to drop off drinking water for the shepherd at an outpost and we all went with because we could then have a picnic at the river. I was only a toddler at the time.

A big drum full of water
A 220 ℓ drum full of water was loaded onto the yellow Willys Jeep, as well as a few smaller drums of water. Matous, the Ovambo help, was tasked with fixing the big drum so that it would not move, because the farm track was bumpy.

We were all on the Jeep – dad, mom, and Marie in the front and us three boys and Matous in the back. The Jeep did not have bars or a flap and everyone held on wherever they could. I clung to the edge of the 220 ℓ drum of water. At the river, our picnic spot, mom and Marie got out to make a fire while the men drove the last two kilometres to the outpost.

The rope broke
When we exited the river’s steep bank, the Jeep only made it halfway. Dad engaged the low gear and when he released the clutch, the Jeep lurched forward and jerked so hard that the rope that held the drum down snapped. The drum went flying with me holding on for dear life, the other water cans following. Everyone leapt clear to avoid getting hurt.

Picture in your imagination how the heavy drum reached the end of the truck bed, snagged on the edge, overturned, and hurtled to the ground with a little three-year-old hanging on underneath the drum.

Indescribable grace
Then the Father stepped in. Matous’ hand shot out, lightning-fast, and he yanked me out from underneath the drum and tossed me aside. In an instant, the drum flattened another 20 ℓ drum with water. When the dust settled, I stood up, dazed but unharmed! I experienced indescribable grace.

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Date published: 04/09/2023
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork from www.pexels.com

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