Title:  Circumstances

Francois Sieberhagen

I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him^. He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated.  Psalm 62: 5-6

In Bujumbura, Burundi, I visited a centre that cared for orphans.  These children were orphaned by HIV/Aids and when you spend time with them they really touch your heart.  At a young age they are all alone without any parents.  Alone, so early in their lives.

As children are, they also just want to chat.  They spoke Kirundi and the staff translated for me.  They had so much energy and were always ready to pose for a photo.  And when they could see the pictures immediately on the screen of the digital camera, they jumped with joy.

I photographed a young boy.  It was clear that he did not have the same energy that the other children had.  I realised that this boy could be HIV positive.  And indeed that was the case.  I took pictures as he received his medication but I realised that these pictures would never be published.  This story would not be told, it was just too sad.

As a parent I was touched.  I struggled not to get emotionally involved and I tried to focus on getting a very unique photograph.  But this was almost impossible.

Psalm 62 went through my mind as I worked.  I have shared the message of this text with so many families when they were going through tough times.  This Psalm is comforting as it speaks of an anchor.  And we all need an anchor when life gets rough and tough.

Due to the nature of life, we all need a rock and a safe haven at times.  We need that one place where we can go and hide when the wind around us gets too strong.  We should be able to take our sadness, doubts and uneasiness to that place.  The Psalmist reaffirms the truth, God is that Rock.  He is that safe haven we yearn for and the invitation is always there to go to Him.  Dare we let it pass us by?

Prayer: Thank you Lord for being there for me no matter what my circumstances may be.  Amen.