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Being Bold… Chapter 1

When I initially started this entry, I thought by myself that it is actually artificial (is that the right word to use here? Or is superficial a better word….?) to write about something like this. It is almost like my entry about the centimeters that I had lost, that can be seen as superficial. Though someone told me that the particular entry that I wrote just motivated her to push through with something else….so then it cannot be THAT superficial, can it…?

With the sky covered with clouds, raining ever so lightly, at Magalies Park holiday resort (where we are currently finding ourselves), I reckoned that this is a good place to get the fire burning in the fireplace, to snuggle under a blanket, taking on (and finishing) this entry that I have had doubts about.

As I was showering the other day, I thought about so many things, this entry as well as the one about the unplanned weight loss. I feel a movement in my spirit and the word transformation is all that I can think of.

I realise that the Holy Spirit is showing me that which I had written about, is actually part of a transformation process, to change me Elsie Potgieter. From a normal letter in a document that just flows with the rest to a Capital Bold letter, one that stands out above the rest and is more noticeable.

The point I am trying to make is that I feel that God is busy with a transformation in and through me and of course that is going to manifest in the flesh (in a good way, not the bad manifestation that we normally link to the word manifest).

You see, the world that we live in is a fast paced, fast moving place these days. Almost everything happens on social media. There are so many platforms available that people actually feel overwhelmed by everything and don’t even always know what to look at that is meaningful.

As you may know, I attended a Masterclass hosted by Alétte Winckler in April. During this presentation, she gave a lot of stats about things. How long it takes to create an impression, that woman actually dress to impress other woman rather than their husbands – purely because we live in this very competitive space.

Mrs. So and So MUST be thinner than the one next to her, must have better, prettier hair, make up, clothes, you name it, it must be better. And let me tell you, if Mrs. This and That is not feeling up to her standards and because she fetched her kids from school in her slippers, she does not hesitate to comment and discuss someone else that is dressed better than her on that day that she chose to not put her make up on or even shoes for that matter!

Back to the point that I want to make. The transformation is busy happening. I did not get up one day and decided that by a certain date in 2022 I have to loose this amount of centimeters. And by that date in 2020 I was supposed to have this, that and the next done to transform on the outside.

No, it is almost like my one teacher at school said – every day’s little bit every single day. Bit by bit God is busy stretching me, moving me out of my comfort zone so that I can do His work that He has called me for.

If you do not risk it, you will not win it. I don’t know if this makes sense, in Afrikaans we say Wie nie waag nie sal nie wen nie. My previous sentence was just a direct translation but I am sure you catch my drift here. Sometimes we have to move out of the little block we have placed ourselves in. You know – out of your comfort zone. It starts with something simplistic as changing your hair, that gives you just that little bit of confidence that is needed.

My blog articles that I write, has a purpose and that purpose is to motivate others and to build them up. We are all caught up in this rat race. The balance I feel is just not there! Between work, kids, exercising, preparing meals, eating healthy and everything in between, leaves very little room to truly spend time with God.

Yet the time with Him is so much more important than all our earthly and fleshly needs. Many people that read my entries are working mothers. Full time in a very demanding line of work. Time to exercise is non-existent! Let alone eating healthier AND spending time with God! Not even touching on all the other things we have to spend time on, demands that must be met!

My prayer stays the same – that which I write about will encourage people, letting them know you are not alone. We are all in the same space. We have to MAKE time! I feel if I can do it, then anyone can! It makes me think of a song written by Josh Wilson – That was then, this is now. We all were somewhere and over time we have changed, (hopefully) moving closer to God in the process.

To be continued….

Om “Bold” te wees… hoofstuk 1
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Om “Bold” te wees… hoofstuk 1

Toe ek aanvanklik hierdie inskrywing begin doen het, het ek by myself gedink dat dit eintlik oppervlakkig is. Amper soos wat dit vir my voel my inskrywing oor my sentimeters wat ek verloor het as oppervlakkig gesien kan word. Tog het iemand vir my gesê daardie spesifieke inskrywing het haar net weer gemotiveer om deur te druk met iets anders…. so dan kan dit seker nie SO oppervlakkig wees nie… kan dit?

Met die wolke dig toegetrek en reën wat liggies val by Magalies Park vakansie oord (waar ons onsself tans bevind) het ek gereken dis eintlik ‘n goeie plek om die kaggelvuur te laat aansteek, onder ‘n kombers in te kruip en die inskrywing, waaroor ek so baie twyfel maar tog aan te pak en klaar te maak.

Soos wat ek een oggend in die stort staan en dink oor so baie goed, insluitend hierdie inskrywing (en die een oor my onbeplande gewigsverlies) voel ek ‘n roering in my gees en die woord transformasie kom by my op.

Ek besef die Heilige Gees wys my dat dit waaroor ek geskryf het eintlik deel van ‘n transformasie proses is om my, Elsie Potgieter, te verander. Van ‘n doodgewone letter in ‘n dokument wat net saam met ander vloei en nie regtig uitstaan nie, na ‘n hoof vetgedrukte (in Engels noem ons dit Bold en ek weet eerlik nie wat die mooi Afrikaans vir Bold is nie) letter toe wat uitstaan bo die ander en meer opvallend is.

Sjoe, die vorige sin het my skoon uitasem en ek het dit nie hardop geuiter nie! Ek hoop die kommas is almal op die regte plekke sodat die leser dit kan lees EN asemhaal. Nie te min. Die punt wat ek probeer maak is, die Here is besig met ‘n transformasie in en deur my en dit gaan natuurlik in die vlees begin manifesteer (op ‘n goeie manier nie die slegte manifestasies nie, soos ons geneig is om te koppel aan die woord manifesteer).

Jy sien, die wêreld waarin ons leef is deesdae ‘n fast paced, fast moving plek. Amper alles gebeur op sosiale media. Daar is soveel platforms tot ons beskikking, dat mense eintlik oorweldig voel deur als en eintlik nie weet eers waarna om te kyk wat sinvol is nie.

Soos julle dalk mag weet, het ek ‘n Masterclass by Alétte Winckler in April bygewoon, en in hierdie voorlegging het sy ‘n klomp stats gegee oor goed. Hoe lank dit vat om ‘n indruk te skep, dat vrouens eintlik aantrek om ander vrouens te beindruk, eerder as hul mans (want ons bly in hierdie kompeterende spasie).

Mevrou So en So móét maerder wees as die een langs haar, mooier, beter hare, grimering, klere, you name it, dit moet beter wees. En laat ek jou vertel, as Mevrou Dit en Dat nie op standaard voel nie, want sy het haar kinders by die skool gaan afhaal in haar slippers (dit klink net beter as pantoffels) huiwer sy nie om enige iemand anders wat beter as sy geklee is te bespreek en kommentaar oor te lewer nie. Die gesprekke begin bloot omdat sy daardie dag gekies het om nie grimering aan te sit nie en dalk ook skoene ontbreek en nou voel of sy afsteek teen ander.

Terug by my punt wat ÉK wil maak. Die transformasie is besig om te gebeur. Ek het nie op ‘n dag opgestaan en besluit – teen hierdie datum in 2022 wil ek soveel sentimeters verloor nie. En teen daardie datum in 2020 moes ek nou al dit, dat en die volgende gedoen het om te transformeer in die uiterlike nie.

Nee, dis amper vir my soos my een juffrou op skool gesê het – elke dag se bietjie elke liewe dag. Bietjie vir bietjie is die Here besig om my te rek en strek en uit my gemaksone te skuif sodat ek Sy werk kan doen waarvoor ek geroep is deur Hom.

Wie nie waag nie sal nie wen nie. Soms moet ons uit die blokkie wat ons om onsself getrek het tree. Jy weet – uit jou comfort zone uit. Dit begin by iets eenvoudig soos om jou hare te verander wat jou net die bietjie confidence gee (ek kan nie dink aan die Afrikaanse woord nie en die Engelse woord maak net ‘n beter indruk voel dit vir my).

Dit waaroor ek skryf, se doel is om ander te stig en te motiveer. Ons almal is in hierdie rot-resies vasgevang. Die balans voel vir my is net nie daar nie. Tussen werk, kinders, oefen, kos maak en gesond eet en alles tussen in, is daar bitter min tyd om werklik tyd saam met God te spandeer.

Tog is die tyd saam met Hom belangriker as al ons vleeslike behoeftes. Baie wat my inskrywings lees, is werkende mamma’s. Voltyds in ‘n very demanding line of work. Tyd vir oefen is daar nie! Wat nog te praat van gesonder eet EN dan nog tyd saam met die Here? Nie eens al die ander goed wat ons aan moet voldoen en tyd aan spandeer in ag geneem nie!

Ek bid steeds dat dit waaroor ek skryf mense sal bemoedig en laat weet you are not alone. Ons is almal daar. Ons moet die tyd maak! Ek voel as ek dit kan doen, kan enige iemand dit doen! Dit laat my dink aan ‘n liedjie geskryf deur Josh Wilson – That was then, this is now. Ons almal was iewers en het met tyd verander en (hopelik) nader aan God beweeg in die proses.

Word vervolg…

Being Bold… Chapter 1