The Fence, The Mother and Her Son

Justin Fraser talks about opportunities to serve.

It was early. The sun was just rising as I arrived outside the library at Avondale College. There I met Gavin, Daniel and Nick. Before we left, we read a short Bible passage and prayed. Today, we wanted to serve.

The drive to the rural property took just under two hours. As we drove, those of us who had already visited Sonja* shared her story with those who hadn’t.

She had two children, two horses and a big Dalmatian dog. Her alcoholic husband had left her years ago. Now, she struggled to balance the bills and care for her children. Recent rain had softened the ground, making it easy for the horses to push the fence over. Her neighbours began to complain about the horses in their fields.

She was frustrated and worried. She didn’t have the funds to build a new fence and she didn’t want her horses escaping into her neighbours’ properties.

That’s where we came in. We spent all Sunday pulling out crooked posts from mushy ground and putting them back in again. We detangled and restrung the wire, and installed an electric line through the fence. No horse would be breaking out now.

By the end of the day, we were exhausted. The sun was low on the horizon as Gavin and I sat talking with Sonja on her veranda. She explained her confusion about the existence of God. She shared difficult, unanswered questions. We didn’t clear them up. All we could tell her was we believed in God and that He inspired us to help others.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nick building a bush hideout with Sonja’s son.

A mother given practical help and encouraged to consider a loving God, and a son given an afternoon of fun with role models who care. God is amazing, I thought.

* Not her real name