“And there are also many other things


which if they were written in detail,

I suppose that even the world itself would not contain

the books which were written.”

—John 21:25

 

Daar is nog baie ander dinge wat Jesus gedoen het.

Maar as dit een vir een beskrywe moet word,

dink ek, sou die hele wĂȘreld nie genoeg plek

 vir die boeke hĂȘ nie.

—Johannes 21:25

 

It’s been exactly 10 years since this book was first published, and that version didn’t include this Epilog.

Dit is presies 10 jaar vandat hierdie boek eers gepubliseer is, en daardie weergawe het nie hierdie Epiloog ingesluit nie.

First, praise God, I never spent any time in jail. The credit card company graciously dropped the charges, after they transferred the credit card debt into my name in order for me to pay it off.

Eerstens, prys God, dat ek nooit enige tyd in die tronk spandeer het nie. Die kredietkaart maatskappy het genadiglik al die aanklagte laat val, nadat hulle die kredietkaart skuld in my naam oorgeplaas het vir my om dit af te betaal.

Secondly, my mountain finally fell, not just crumbled, and was cast into the sea.

Tweedens, my berg het finaal geval, nie net verkrummel nie, en was in die see gegooi.

As I predicted, it did not fall as I’d ever imagined it would. After I had the opportunity of giving my house back to the mortgage company, something so unheard of at the time (yet a year later everyone was walking away from their homes,) I received a surprising phone call from one of my dearest friends who lives overseas. She asked me where I was going to go, after hearing I’d given my house back and I said, “I have no idea.” She got very excited and shouted, “You’re coming to live here! I wondered why I couldn’t find a one-bedroom and why God had given me two—it was for you!!!” To confirm this was His plan, He led me to find a flight that was so cheap my friend couldn’t believe I was serious. So, a few weeks later I packed just 3 suitcases, gave everything I owned away to family, and I flew to my new brand-new home that had a view of Lake Geneva in Switzerland!

Soos wat ek voorspel het, dit het nie geval soos wat ek my voorgestel het dit sou nie. Nadat ek die geleentheid gegun was om my huis terug aan die verband maatskappy te gee, iets wat ongehoord was destyds (tog ‘n jaar later het almal weggeloop van hulle huise af,) het ek ‘n verrassende telefoon oproep van een van my liewe vriendinne ontvang wie oorsee bly. Sy het my gevra waarheen ek sou gaan, nadat sy gehoor het dat ek my huis terug gegee het en ek het gesĂȘ, “ek het geen idee nie.” Sy het baie opgewonde geraak en geskree, “Jy gaan hier kom bly! Ek het gewonder waarom ek nie ‘n eenslaapkamer kon vind nie en waarom God vir my twee gegee het—dit was vir jou!!!” Om te bevestig dat dit Sy plan was, het Hy my gelei om ‘n vlug te vind wat so goedkoop was my vriendin kon nie glo dat ek ernstig was nie. So, ‘n paar weke later het ek net 3 tasse gepak, alles wat ek besit het vir my familie gegee, en ek het na my splinternuwe huis gevlieg wat die uitsig gehad het van die Lake Geneva in Switserland!

This all happened after my deepest valley of all time. My husband took our children for a visit, then refused to return them. Very soon, after some unimaginable stunts to stop me from trying to get the children back, it was clear that for me to remain in this country wasn’t at all safe for me or for my children. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it’” (Matthew 16:24-25). “Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him” (Matthew 5:25 KJV). “Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel” (Proverbs 20:3). “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2–3).

Dit het alles gebeur na die diepste vallei van alle tyd. My man het ons kinders geneem vir ‘n besoek, en toe geweier om hulle terug te bring. Baie gou, na sommige ondenkbare toertjies om my te keer om die kinders terug te kry, was dit duidelik vir my dat om in hierdie land te bly glad nie veilig vir my of vir my kinders was nie. “Toe sĂȘ Jesus vir sy dissipels: “As iemand agter My aan wil kom, moet hy homself verloĂ«n, sy kruis opneem en My volg, want wie sy lewe wil behou, sal dit verloor; maar wie sy lewe ter wille van My verloor, sal dit terugkry”’ (Matteus 16:24-25). “As iemand 'n regsaak teen jou begin, kom betyds tot 'n skikking solank jy nog saam met hom op pad hof toe is” (Matteus 5:25 Afr 83). “Dit is eerbaar om 'n rusie te vermy; enige dwaas kan 'n rusie begin” (Spreuke 20:3). “ My broers, julle moet baie bly wees wanneer allerlei beproewings oor julle kom, want, soos julle weet, as julle geloof die toets deurstaan het, stel dit julle in staat om te volhard” (Jakobus 1:2-3).

Yes, these were very dark days, but I knew He’d sent me to a country that is known for safety, surrounded by the most majestic mountains, the Alps, that are beautifully snow-capped throughout the year. While there I was blessed to travel throughout Europe, bless my sister who only had a year to live with a trip to Europe, her dream, and in the midst of all this, back in the states, my mountain fell with a huge splash!

Ja, daardie was baie donker dae, maar ek het geweet dat Hy my na ‘n land toe gestuur het wat bekend was vir veiligheid, omring deur die mees manjifieke berge, die Alpe, wat dwarsdeur die jaar pragtig sneeu bedek is. Terwyl ek daar was was ek geseĂ«n om deur Europa te reis, my suster wie net ‘n jaar gehad het om te lewe met ‘n reis deur Europa te seĂ«n, haar droom, en in die middel hiervan, terug in die state, her my berg met ‘n groot geplas geval!

The courts granted me freedom from all my debt, due to Him causing the courts to actually file a case of bankruptcy on my behalf—something I’d never heard of before or since!

Die hof het my vryheid van al my skuld toegestaan, as gevolg van Hom wat die hof veroorsaak het om eintlik ‘n saak van bankrotskap om my onthalwe aanhanig te maak—iets waarvan ek nooit gehoor het voorheen of sedertdien nie!

Even though I tried every which way to stop the process, nothing I tried would stop the momentum. Even when I was told I’d have to return to the states to come to the final hearing, and I told them I couldn’t—I was so sure the process would stop. It didn’t. Instead, I was notified that they were appointing a proxy to stand in on my behalf. Each and every time I tried to stop the process, something outrageously unheard of would happen, keeping the process going.

Alhoewel ek alles probeer het om die proses te keer, niks wat ek probeer het sou die momentum keer nie. Selfs toe daar vir my gsĂȘ is ek moet terug state toe kom vir die finale verhoor, en ek vir hulle gesĂȘ het ek kon nie—was ek so seker die proses sou stop. Dit het nie. In plaas daarvan, was ek ingelig dat hulle ‘n volmag sou aanstel om om my onthalwe in te staan. Ieder en elke keer wat ek probeer het om die proses te keer, sou iets verregaande ongehoords gebeur, en die proses aan die gang hou.

It wasn’t until after I got the final papers in my hand that my Husband told me what I never understood. As He loves to do, He asked me several questions, “Whose debt was this anyway, Michele? Did you run up credit card bills? Did you spend everything on vacations with another man while you were married? Did you apply for all those loans that you never intended to pay? Or was all of it someone else’s debt?” Tears of relief just flowed down my face as He went on, “You were willing to take the debt, lose everything, your own children, even your country, be humiliated and yet transparent. Now you are free my Love
” and very soon after, I was on a flight back to the states to attend my son’s wedding. And believe it or not, God wasn’t done.

Dit was nie totdat ek die finale papiere in my hand gehad het dat my Man my vertel he wat ek nooit verstaan het nie. Soos wat Hy lief is om te doen, Hy het vir my verskeie vrae gevra “Wie se skuld was dit in elk geval, Michele? Het jy die kredietkaart rekeninge opgehardloop? Het jy alles op vakansies saam ‘n ander man spandeer terwyl jy getroud was? Het jy aansoek gedoen vir al daardie lenings wat jy nooit beplan het om te betaal nie? Of was dit alles iemand anders se skuld?” Trane van verligting het by my wange afgerol soos wat Hy aangegaan het, “Jy was gewillig om die skuld te neem, alles te verloor, jou eie kinders, selfs jou land, en om verneder te wees en tog deursigtig. Nou is jy vry my Liefde
” en baie gou daarna, was ek op ‘n vlug terug na die state toe om my seun se troue by te woon. En glo dit of nie, God was nie klaar nie.

Even though I indented to return back to Europe to live, I was given a home by former neighbors of ours.  Yes, given! At first it was discussed to give me the deed, then my Darling spoke to me as I was driving home one evening, saying that taking the house, meant taking on a mortgage, which was far from debt “free.” Banks own homes, most people don’t. There are a few who do, like a couple of testimonies I shared in this book where God’s plan was to buy a home free and clear—and someday that may be His plan for me too. Yet, for now, I love that I am free to move about, without the burden of taxes to pay. Once a door opens for me to live by one of my children or somewhere else entirely—like when I moved to the beach and each of my children came with their families to enjoy the sand and sea--each time I’ve moved, I never needed to try to find a buyer for my home. Every home on this planet God owns, and as our Husband’s bride, He just wants me to live there and enjoy it as my own for as long as I’m there. I’ve lived where I’ve paid no rent at all, or at such a reduced rate it shocked people when they found out. Everywhere He’s given me favor, sometimes trials (to keep me close to Him as my Husband), but each time where He’s had me live has Wowed those who are watching. “You are our letter [an epistle] written in our hearts, known and read by all men” (Corinthians 3:2).

Alhoewel ek voornemens gehad het om terug Europa toe te gaan om daar te bly, het my vorige bure vir my ‘n huis gegee. Ja, gegee! In die eerste plek was dit bespreek om vir my die akte te gee, toe het my Liefling een aand terwyl ek besig was om huis toe te bestuur gepraat, en gesĂȘ deur die huis te vat, het beteken om ‘n huislening te neem, wat ver van “skuldvry” was. Banke besit huise, meeste mense doen nie. Daar is ‘n paar wat doen, soos ‘n paar getuienisse wat ek in hierdie boek gedeel het waar God se plan was om ‘n huis vry en klaar te koop—en eendag sou die ook Sy plan vir my wees. Tog, vir nou, is ek lief daarvoor dat ek vry is om rond te beweeg, sonder die las om belasting te betaal. Sodra ‘n deur vir my oopgaan om saam een van my kinders te bly of ĂȘrens heeltemal anders—soos toe ek na die strand toe getrek het en elkeen van my kinders saam hulle families gekom het om die sand en see te geniet--elke keer wat ek getrek het, het ek nooit eens nodig gehad om te probeer om ‘n koper vir my huis te soek nie. God besit elke huis op hierdie planeet, en as ons Man se bruid, wil Hy net hĂȘ dat ek net daar moet bly en dit geniet as my eie vir solank as wat ek daar is. Ek het gebly waar ek glad geen rente betaal het nie, of teen so ‘n verminderde koste dat dit mense geskok het wanneer hulle uitgevind het. Hy het vir my oral guns gegee, somtyds beproewings (om Hom naby my as my Man te hou), maar elke keer waar Hy my gekry het om te bly het dit die wat besig was om dop te hou verstom.  “Julle is self ons aanbevelingsbrief, geskryf op ons harte, vir almal om te lees en te verstaan” (KorintiĂ«rs 3:2)

This verse I’ve known so well for years, “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty” (Haggai 2:8). But it took on an entirely new meaning once I was debt free and committed to Him to remain that way no matter what. We all know He owns everything, so why would I or any of His brides choose to be in debt to anyone, not to a bank or mortgage company or credit card company or to drive a car. He has set me free to focus on simply loving others. “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another” (Romans 13:8).

Die vers wat ek al vir so baie jare ken, “‘Aan My behoort al die silwer, aan My al die goud, sĂȘ die Here die Almagtige” (Haggai 2:8). Maar dit het ‘n hele nuwe betekenis aangeneem toe ek skuldvry was en aan Hom toegewy om so te bly maak nie saak wat nie. Ons almal weet dat Hy alles besit, so waarom sou ek of enige een van Sy bruide kies om aan enigiemand te skuld, nie ‘n bank of ‘n huislenings maatskappy of kredietkaart maatskappy of om ‘n motor te bestuur. Hy het my vrygestel om eenvoudig te fokus om ander lief te hĂȘ” (Romeine 13:8).  

Each time my Husband tells me it’s time for us (the two of us, He and I) to go, I just give my notice and off we go, following His lead again and again and again. When something breaks, I notify my landlord whose job it is to get it fixed for me, because He’s my Husband and owns it all.

Elke keer wat my Man my vertel het dat dit tyd is (vir die twee van ons, ek en Hy) om te gaan, gee ek net kennis en ons gaan, en ek volg Sy leiding weer en weer en weer. Wanneer iets breek, gee ek my verhuurder kennis wie se werk dit is om dit vir my reg te stel, omdat Hy my Man is en dit alles besit.

“The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalms 24:1).

'n Psalm van Dawid. Die aarde en alles wat daarop is, die wĂȘreld en diĂ© wat daar woon, alles behoort aan die HERE” (Psalms 24:1).

 “And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:19).

en hom geseĂ«n: “Mag Abram geseĂ«n word deur God die Allerhoogste, Skepper van hemel en aarde” (Genesis 14:19).

“‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:8)

“‘Aan My behoort al die silwer, aan My al die goud, sĂȘ die HERE die Almagtige” (Haggai 2:8)

“You shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess” (Numbers 33:53).

“Neem die land in besit en gaan woon daar, want Ek gee die land aan julle as besitting” (Numeri 33:53).

“Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine” (Job 41:11).

“Daar trek rook uit sy neusgate, soos uit 'n kokende pot op 'n vuur” ((Job 41:11).

“For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness” (Psalms 50:10-12).

“want al die diere in die bos is Myne, die wild op duisende berge. Ek ken al die voĂ«ls van die berge; al wat roer op die veld, is Myne. Ek sou jou nie vra as Ek honger sou kry nie, want die aarde en alles wat daarop is, behoort aan My” (Psalms 50:10-12).

“Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).

“Weet julle nie dat diĂ© wat tempeldiens verrig, uit die tempel lewe, en dat diĂ© wat die altaar bedien, uit die offers hulle deel ontvang nie? So het die Here ook bepaal dat diĂ© wat die evangelie verkondig, hulle lewensonderhoud uit die verkondiging van die evangelie moet ontvang” (1 KorintiĂ«rs 9:13-14).

“Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine” (Exodus 19:5).

“As julle My gehoorsaam en julle aan my verbond hou, sal julle uit al die volke my eiendom wees, 'n koninkryk wat My as priesters dien, en 'n gewyde nasie. Die hele aarde behoort immers aan My.’ Dit is wat jy aan die Israeliete moet vertel.” (Eksodus 19:5).

‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me” (Leviticus 25:23).

“Geen grond mag permanent verkoop word nie, want die land behoort aan My. Julle is slegs vreemdelinge en bywoners by My. (Levitikus 25:23).

“Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it” (Deuteronomy 10:14).

“Die hemel, selfs die hoogste hemel, behoort aan die HERE jou God, ook die aarde en alles daarop” (Deuteronomium 10:14).

Dear bride, if you are still waiting for your Mountain to fall or at least begin to crumble, I hope what I’ve shared will give you the faith to trust that it will happen at the appointed time.

Liewe bruid, as jy nog steeds wag vir jou Berg om te val of ten minste te verkrummel, hoop ek dat dit wat ek gedeel het jou die geloof en vertroue sal gee dat dit op die vasgestele tyd sal gebeur.

“Then the LORD answered me and said, ‘Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that he one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, WAIT for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay’” (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

“Die HERE het toe vir my gesĂȘ: Skryf wat Ek aan jou gaan openbaar duidelik op kleitablette sodat mense dit sommer in die verbygaan kan lees. Die openbaring geld vir 'n bepaalde tyd; dit sal gou kom want dit kom beslis. Jy moet net geduldig bly WAG as dit nie gou kom nie, want dit kom beslis, dit sal nie uitbly nie. (Habakuk 2:2-3)

It will also happen His way, not yours.

Dit sal ook op Sy manier gebeur, nie joune nie.

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8–9).

“‘My gedagtes is nie julle gedagtes nie, en julle optrede nie soos Myne nie, sĂȘ die Here; soos die hemel hoĂ«r is as die aarde, so is my optrede verhewe bo julle optrede en my gedagtes bo julle gedagtes”’ (Jesaja 55:8-9).

And when it happens it will come with the sort of freedom you never imagined could be yours.

En wanneer dit gebeur sal dit met die soort vryheid kom wat jy jou nooit verbeel het joune kan wees nie.

“Whom the Son has set free is free indeed” (John 8:36).

“Eers as die Seun julle vrymaak, sal julle werklik vry wees” (Johannes 8:36).

Let me close my epilog with my newest favorite verse that should unleash your imagination into what I know He has for you, dear sweet bride.

Laat my my epiloog toemaak met my nuutste gunsteling vers wat jou verbeelding in wat ek weet Hy vir jou, liewe soete bruid het, behoort te ontketen.

“Now glory be to God, who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (Ephesians 3:20 TLB). Dream big!

“Aan Hom wat deur sy krag wat in ons werk, magtig is om oneindig meer te doen as wat ons bid of dink” (EfesiĂ«rs 3:20 Afr 83) Droom groot!

“You will say to this mountain,

‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move;

And nothing will be impossible to you.”

— Matthew 17:20

“sal julle vir hierdie berg sĂȘ:

‘Gaan staan daar anderkant!’ en hy sal gaan.

 Niks sal vir julle onmoontlik wees nie.”

— Matteus 17:20

Joernaal