Come Christmas time, one cannot help but reflect on the past year. For the FF Plus. it was a busy year full of challenges and success stories. A year of hard work and a year that, in my opinion, marks a turning point for our party.
For the FF Plus, 2018 was a year of tremendous success and growth of up to 73% in the by-elections.
And so each and every one of us has had a year with personal challenges that were either successfully overcome or that ended in disappointment. For some it was a year full of joy and for others, a year filled with sorrow. It is time to reflect on it all.
Our political environment is characterised by uncertainty and that stirs up doubt in many people's hearts. The issue of expropriation without compensation lies at the core of the uncertainty regarding the future. The following questions are being asked more and more: What does our future hold? Will we be able to survive economically? Will I still have a job? Some people have already lost their jobs and are left wondering if they will be able to find another job so that they can fend for their families.
"We can only find renewed courage and strength in the true message of Christmas"
The end of the year is, however, also a time to be grateful. The FF Plus is grateful for its loyal supporters and voters who are proud to follow our Christian and minority-rights approach. They are the ones who truly understand what it is all about in South Africa. Their support makes us stronger.
It is wonderful to know that we can look forward to celebrating Christmas before the year finally draws to a close. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to save us – that is the true Christmas message and it is meant to fill our hearts with courage and the knowledge that there is always hope.
Many people think that they can overcome the current challenges and uncertainties we face in their own power, but that is not true. The truth is that we can only find renewed courage and strength in the true message of Christmas.
"He can change absolutely everything overnight – also for us here in South Africa"
That is why we should bow down in all humility before our Heavenly Father and lay all our cares at His feet for blessed is the one who puts his hope in the Lord according to the Bible.
Psalm 146 (CEV) says it beautifully: "You can’t depend on anyone, not even a great leader. Once they die and are buried, that will be the end of all their plans. The Lord God of Jacob blesses everyone who trusts Him and depends on Him."
That is also the what the FF Plus believes.
We are grateful because we know that we can overcome our disappointments and sorrow with God's grace. There are no words to express how truly grateful we are.
Two thousand years ago, God completely changed the course of history with the birth of Jesus Christ. It is comforting to know that we do not have to build a better future on our own, because He holds the world and the future in His hands. In one move, He can change absolutely everything overnight – also for us here in South Africa.
Next year we will have the general elections. People cannot save us. But being instruments in God's hand and with your support, the FF Plus will do its utmost best to make 2019 a great year for everyone starting from ground level, through all the provincial legislatures and all the way up to Parliament. May we be granted the strength and wisdom to do so.
May you and your loved ones experience the true message of Christmas and may you face all the challenges that the new year holds with renewed courage and hope for the future.
