By Anton Rautenbach
Many years ago, an old man advised me to cast my bread on the water, and it will come back to me. I read somewhere that words such as “please” and “thank you” are short, but their echoes can be endless.
A short while after I had moved into my new home, I met the young married couple, who are my neighbors. We exchanged introductions and small talk over the shoulder-high wall between our properties; and I was thankful that they were quite pleasant.
One day they came to my door looking rather hesitant. I invited them to come in as I could sense they were uncomfortable about something. That day, the young lady had received a notice of a disciplinary hearing at work.
The first time we met, I told them that I was a corporate lawyer; and so, they had come to me for advice on the matter. I perused the notice, which contained the charges against the young lady, and the company’s disciplinary policy that contained the disciplinary procedure.
Having considered the information at hand, I was able to put my neighbors’ minds at ease, as the company hadn’t followed their own procedure correctly; and the charges, as formulated in the notice, were defective in that it didn’t reveal any wrongdoing on the part of the young lady.
Being able to help them made me feel good, although I had to be careful not to make them think the matter wasn’t serious. Speaking from experience, I explained to her that it would be difficult to find alternative employment in the current economic downturn. She should be mindful of being on time and doing her work to the best of her abilities to keep her job.
Today, I went next door and asked my neighbor what the outcome of the hearing was. Well, it was heartwarming to see that he was relieved. His wife gave her defense to the chairperson, who agreed with my opinion on the matter; and she was given a written warning as she admitted guilt to a lesser charge.
I had done something good – I had followed an old man’s advice whose words echoed in my mind: “Cast your bread on the water ...” Now I can look forward to it coming back to me.
When we can do something for another person, who is in need – on the spur of the moment and unplanned – let us not forget what Jesus had done for us on the Cross at Calvary. It also means we can live without care (1 Corinthians 7:32). Jesus is our advocate before God (1 Timothy 2:5) to whom we should confess our sin in full and without reserve (Psalms 32:5; 51:3; 106:6); and it will be followed by pardon (Psalms 32:5; 1 John 1:9).
Prayer thought: Let me never ignore the echoes of God’s Word. Amen.
By Anton Rautenbach
