Providence saves

Going through the papers a particular news item caught my eye and reminded me of providence.

It seems a Sri Lankan trawler was detained in South Africa earlier last month after it had docked at a South African port to pick up bunkers.

The ship was scheduled to depart for Sierra Leone, however, after an ad hoc inspection by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) the ship was detained because it did not have any safety equipment on board.

The owner argued that such was not a requirement as part of Sri Lankan rules only to be told that at a South African port the ship had to meet South African rules. The owner reluctantly bought the requisite safety equipment and had it installed to be allowed to set sail.

Act of God or Smarts?

Hot on the heels of divine intervention and human stupidity there is another story of a California (naturally) man who attempted to fix a hernia in his stomach trying to cut it off with a six-inch butter knife.

Police were called in to intervene only to find the man naked and sprawled out on a lawn chair, with a butter knife protruding from his abdomen.

The man's wife, who had called the police, told them her husband was “sick and tired of waiting to get surgery for his rupture” and had thus decided to take matters into his own hands.

The 63-year-old California man has since been admitted into the Los Angeles County USC Medical Centre's psychiatric ward and is now recovering.

The police officer who had responded to the call was quoted in the local paper that "whether they have insurance or not is not a matter anymore, seeing that he is in the care of the county. Because of that, he will get the removal or repair of the hernia at taxpayers' expense."

One wonders whether the Lord works in mysterious ways or that the man was actually really not that stupid. Any guesses?

Jokes aside, obviously the man in question had to be pretty desperate to do what he did, and one cannot truly judge him without firsthand knowledge of the excruciating pain and/or extreme discomfort that he might have suffered before attempting the surgery himself.

He was of course a cautious man, since he opted to use a butter knife rather than anything sharper or more unwieldy, lest he lose his grip and the knife plummet further downward and damage (or seriously wound) a better cherished appendage.

Divine intervention and human stupidity

Every now and then I see a story in a newspaper that reminds me that God is as kind as man is stupid – and, thankfully, by that definition there is no limit to God's kindness as there isn't to man's ultimate stupidity.

According to a new item from southern California a motorcyclist rear-ended a minivan and was thrown through a window into the back seat. It would have been an amazing enough story that the unfortunate man had escaped unhurt.

However, the story grows more amazing because after the incident the driver of the minivan continued to complete his journey and pulled into his own driveway, about half a block away, completely unaware that he had a new backseat passenger.

The minivan driver only realised that he had a stowaway when saw the stunned motorcyclist in his back seat as he was preparing to return to the scene of the accident.

The accident occurred when the motorcyclist failed to stop in time behind the minivan as it slowed down to make a turn. The motorcycle crashed into the van, throwing the rider through the minivan’s rear window as the motorcycle itself skidding beneath the larger vehicle.

One wonders how it was possible for the minivan driver to at least not look back (even in the rear view mirror) when he or she heard the BANG as the motorcycle hit the vehicle, or the CRASH of shattered glass as the rider smashed through it.

The local newspaper that carried the story reported that no charges were filed in the case and that neither man required medical attention, other than that the motorcyclist had requested for some ice for one of his hands.

The motorcycle helmet took most of the impact in the crash, the real casualties were the motorcycle and the minivan' rear window both of which sustained severe damage. You think?

Divine guidance... from an 'herb'

My last post three days ago (apologises for regular readers who found no activity over the weekend) was about God speaking to some people and how most of us perceive it (or my assumptions about it).

The following post was scheduled for Saturday, but couldn't get published. Divine retribution for my tongue and cheek gall, do you think?

Anyway, along the lines of justifying ones actions “because God said so,” comes a story from Connecticut where a man was has been accused of breaking into a stranger’s home because God made him do it.

He didn't break in to steal anything but proceeded to use a fireplace poker to smash statues — including a Roman soldier figurine — and a marble table.

The homeowner returned to find that the man had also taken a shower and dressed himself in the clothing of a former resident who had died. When confronted he said "a light from above told him to do this," and that "God wants me to help the world." He told the homeowner that he meant no harm.

When the homeowner fumbled with the phone as he attempted to call 911, this “actor of divine instruction” proclaimed that it was proof that “God will not let you use the phone.”

I think God later changed His mind because the call did go through and the police made an appearance without any more incident.

When questioned by police in custody he told the cops that he'd smoked "a strange strand of herb." You think?

The man was charged with burglary and criminal mischief. He has since been released on $50,000 bond and is due back in court on July 6.

God Willing.