Back With God

BACK WITH GOD

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Living and working in Bloemfontein turned out to be a bit dull. I remember one Saturday evening. I drove into the city centre, parked, and walked to the post office to use the phone booth. I noticed that almost everyone with a car was descending on the city centre.
 
Wow! I sensed something big was about to happen. I had stumbled upon it before it began. I stood there waiting for about half an hour with all the other people. I noticed some cars leaving and decided to leave too. Maybe the event had been cancelled at the last moment, so I headed home.
 
On Monday, I asked one of my colleagues at work what had happened that Saturday night. The woman stared at me as if I were an alien from outer space. "Why?" she asked. I explained what I had observed.
"Nothing," was her simple answer. “That is what we do here on a Saturday night.” Well, slap me with a wet fish!
 
Standing next to my car in the city centre for hours on a Saturday night wasn’t my idea of fun. I decided it would be better to reconnect with church life, so I visited the local Dutch Reformed Church. I found a wonderful group of young believers there. I felt encouraged to discover that the church leader was Spirit-filled. Through this community, I met a lady who became a good friend. Her friends soon became mine as well.
Due to boredom during the week, I decided to start studying part-time at the local university. Since I had before worked in finance and enjoyed it, I chose to pursue Commerce. However, after six months, I began to wonder if I was heading in the right direction.
 
I made use of the university's free counselling service. In an interview with me, the counsellor said, "You haven't mentioned marriage or family." I was shocked to realise that they were out of my vision.
“I do think you should continue with your studies,” he advised, “but you need to get back to your passion, which is art.”
 
The only unanswered question was: Should I study art at a more theoretical university? Or, should I return to the College of Art and Design in Johannesburg, which is more practical? I made a swift decision to enrol in the three-year diploma course in Johannesburg. It was the same college I had attended when I left school. At the height of the hippie era, I found it a dangerous place. Drugs flowed like milk and honey among the students.
 
After two years in Bloemfontein, I packed my little brick-red Mini and left for Johannesburg. Reuniting with my old friends was wonderful. I moved back into the same apartment complex where I had lived before moving to the coast. This time, they offered me a part-time job as a caretaker in the complex. It helped me meet my financial needs during my three years of study. The complex resembled a large Spanish villa. It had a pool, BBQ area, gym, and a restaurant in the centre. The villa was very popular among young people and at times it could be difficult to maintain order.

 

 

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