Hoofstuk 19 “Dal Van Vernedering”

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me”

— Psalm 23:4

“Al gaan ek ook in 'n dal van doodskaduwee,

ek sal geen onheil vrees nie; want U is met my”

— Psalms 23:4

 

When I began this journey on the road to being debt free, I conveniently forgot a portion of all my previous journeys when the Lord has asked me to walk with Him through—the Valley of Humiliation. I have been down this humble road before, many times. Some have been deeper and darker than others, but I know now that I never really know how deep it’s going to be, not even when I have turned the corner to see that God, once again, is calling me down into a dark hole.

Toe ek hierdie reis op die pad om skuldvry te wees begin het, het ek gerieflik ‘n deel van al my vorige reise vergeet toe die Here my gevra het om saam Hom deur—die Vallei van Vernedering te loop. Ek was al voorheen in hierdie nederige pad af, baie kere. Sommige is dieper en donkerder as ander, maar ek weet nou dat ek nooit regtig weet hoe diep dit gaan wees nie, nie eens wanneer ek om die hoek gegaan het om God te sien nie, weer, roep hy my af in ‘n donker gat.  

“The LORD … raises up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14).

"Die HERE help almal op wat geval het. Hy ondersteun dié wat bedruk is” (Psalms 145:14).

It is human to fear this dreaded valley, and often we do, so that as a result of our fear we find we add to our fear guilt since everyone knows that as a “Christian” we shouldn’t fear, right? Yet, God knows our frailties and that is why He doesn’t send us down through the valley alone, instead, He promises to send Someone very special to come with us.

Dit is menslik om hierdie gevreesde vallei te vrees, en dikwels doen ons, sodat as ‘n resultaat van ons vrees vind ons dat ons skuldgevoelens by ons vrees voeg aangesien almal weet dat as ‘n “Christen” ons nie behoort te vrees nie, reg? Tog, God ken ons swakhede en dit is waarom Hy ons nie alleen af na die vallei toe stuur nie, in plaas daarvan, belowe Hy om Iemand baie spesiaal te stuur om saam ons te kom.

“Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a Son of the gods!” Daniel 3:25 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Having our Heavenly Husband walking with us is the main reason He leads us down. He wants us to know that what we naturally fear is something we really don’t need to fear.

“Hy sê toe: “Maar ek sien dan vier manne wat vry en ongedeerd rondbeweeg in die vuur, en die vierde lyk soos 'n hemelwese!” Daniël 3:25 “Selfs al gaan ek deur donker dieptes, sal ek nie bang wees nie, want U is by my. In u hande is ek veilig” (Psalms 23:4). Om ons Hemelse Man te hê wat saam ons loop is die hoof rede wat Hy ons af lei.  Hy wil hê ons moet weet dat dit wat ons van nature vrees is iets wat ons nie regtig nodig het om te vrees nie.

Time and again we prove that we are simply children, His child bride, and not so grown up after all. So, God, like many fathers, will walk us through the dark places in life to show us that everything is really alright. And depending on the sort of relationship we have with our Father will determine how we are able to sleep at night while traveling into these dark places. Am I right?

Keer en keer bewys ons dat ons eenvoudig kinders is, Sy kinder bruid, en nie so volwasse na alles nie. So,  God, soos baie vaders, sal ons deur die donker plekke in die lewe loop om vir ons te wys dat alles regtig goed is. En afhangende van die soort verhouding wat ons met ons Vader het sal bepaal hoe ons in die aand slaap terwyl ons na hierdie donker plekke reis. Is ek reg?

During my first real walk through that well known “valley” that so many of us dread, I was really just getting to know the Lord on a deeply intimate level as my Husband. He was my Savior, sure, but this is when He became my Lord. It happened during the period of my life when I was young and had just been abandoned by my husband, alone with four small children, and no future in sight. That’s when He chose me to take a little walk with Him. Unfortunately, for almost two years I didn’t sleep well at all. Many of you are there right now, aren’t you?

Gedurende my eerste egte wandel deur daardie wel-bekende “vallei” wat so baie van ons vrees, ek was regtig net besig om die Here op ‘n dieper intieme manier as my Man te ken. Hy was my Redder, sekerlik, maar dit is toe Hy my Here begin word het. Dit het gedurende die periode van my lewe gebeur toe ek jonk was en my man het my so pas verlaat, alleen met vier klein kinders, en geen toekoms in sig nie. Dit was toe dat Hy my gekies het om ‘n klein wandel saam Hom te neem. Ongelukkig, het ek vir amper twee jaar nie goed geslaap nie. Baie van julle is nou reg daar, is julle nie? 

Darling, if that is you, please don’t beat yourself up about it. God is only saying that to rid yourself of that fear and those sleepless nights, you simply need to get closer to Him, to the point that you feel safe. So, simply snuggle up, listen to Him, and soon you will feel that safety that is yours because He loves you, because you are His, which is nothing you have to earn. If you are not sure just how to go about “cuddling up” with Him, tell your Husband or your Father that too, and He will accomplish it without you having to figure it out. I know.

Liefling, as dit jy is moet jouself nie verslaan daaroor nie. God sê net dat om ontslae te raak van daardie vrees en daardie slapelose nagte, moet jy eenvoudig nader aan Hom word, tot op die punt waar jy veilig voel. So, raak snoesig, luister na Hom, en gou sal jy voel dat veiligheid joune is omdat Hy lief is vir jou, omdat jy Syne is, wat niks is wat jy hoef te verdien nie. As jy nie seker is hoe om te werk te gaan om snoesig te raak met Hom nie, vertel dit ook vir jou Man of jou Vader, en Hy sal dit volbring sonder dat jy dit hoef uit te pluis. Ek weet.   

Now back to that valley. It was many years after my first valley experience, when all of a sudden, I turned a corner and found myself facing the downward slope again. This valley of humiliation was very similar to the one I was all too familiar with, but this time there was much more at stake. However, during those years, I had gained a real intimacy that radically changed the way I walked that walk with my Husband—we were now Lovers. If you want to learn more, the best way is to read Finding the Abundant Life (by losing it, based on Matthew 16:25), and then Living the Abundant Life. Both are available for free on one of RMI’s websites: www.RestoreMinistries.net.

Nou terug na daardie vallei toe. Dit was baie jare na my eerste vallei ondervinding, toe ewe skielik, het ek om die hoek gegaan en myself gevind dat ek weer daardie afwaartse helling in die gesig staar. Hierdie vallei van vernedering was baie dieselfde as die een wat ek al te familiêr mee was, maar hierdie keer was daar baie meer op die spel. Nietemin, gedurende daardie jare, het ek ware intimieit gewin wat die manier wat ek saam my Man geloop het radikaal verander het—ons was nou Minnaars. As jy meer wil leer, die beste manier is om Vind die Oorvloedige Lewe te lees (deur dit verloor, gebaseer op Matteus 16:25), en dan Leef die Oorvloedige lewe. Albeis is gratis beskikbaar op een van HMI se webwerwe: https://uiteindelikhoop.com/

Another Valley?
Nog ‘n Vallei?

It was only two years later that my ministry and life took a surprising turn when, out of nowhere, my website suddenly got shut down—alas, another “new” valley was waiting for me to discover. When I realized what was ahead, I can’t say I began to fear, but I will say that, unfortunately, I did begin to dread. And that dread is a lot like fretting, and fretting, Psalm 37 says, leads to all kinds of things that I didn’t want to get myself caught in.

Dit was net twee jaar later wat my bediening en lewe ‘n verrassende omkeer geneem het toe, uit nêrens, my webwerf skielik afgesluit is—helaas, ‘n “nuwe” vallei het gewag vir my om te ontdek. Toe ek besef het wat vorentoe lê, kan ek nie sê ek het begin vrees nie, maar ek sal sê dat, ongelukkig, het ek begin angstig raak. En daardie angs is baie soos ontsteltenis, en ontsteltenis, sê Psalms 37, lei tot allerhande soort dinge waarin ek myself nie opgevang wil kry nie. 

About the same time, I noticed something else even more alarming: the real “in love” feeling with my Husband that I had experienced during and after my divorce that lasted for nearly two glorious years, was really not there! Oh, of course, I loved my Husband dearly and could feel He loved me too. But that “in love” feeling that I thought would last for all eternity had begun to fade as it does with most married couples: the awe and wonder began to be less intense. I knew it was all due to the stress and busyness of my day-to-day living, and no doubt due to the trials that now plagued my life.

Omtrent dieselfde tyd, het ek iets meer kommerwekkend agter gekom: die regte “verliefde” gevoel met my Man wat ek ervaar het gedurende die egskeiding wat vir amper twee glorieryke jare gehou het, was regtig nie daar nie! O, natuurlik, was ek ontsettend lief vir my Man en kon ek aanvoel dat Hy my ook lief gehad het. Maar daardie “verliefde” gevoel wat ek gedink het sou vir ewig hou het begin om te vervaag soos wat dit doen met meeste getroude paartjies: die ontsag en verwondering het begin om minder intens te word. Ek het geweet dit was as gevolg van al die stres en besige dag-tot-dag lewe, en geen twyfel as gevolg van die beproewings wat my lewe nou geteister het nie.   

I cannot tell you how desperately I wanted to be “in love” again; I wanted that feeling and intimacy back. So, as I always say you should do, I simply asked my Husband, just like the first time. “Darling, how can I get closer to You? How can I feel that ‘in love’ emotion we women love to drench ourselves in?” Funny thing is, I guess God’s solution happened just two days later when I took a turn along my journey that headed down through this new valley.

Ek kan nie vir jou sê hoe desperaat ek weer “verlief” wou wees nie; ek wou daardie gevoel en intimiteit terug hê. So, soos wat ek altyd sê jy behoort te doen, het ek eenvoudig vir my Man gevra, net soos die eerste keer. “Liefling, hoe kan ek nader aan Jou word? Hoe kan ek daardie “verlief” emosie voel waarin ons vrouens onsself inweek?” Snaakse ding is, ek raai God se oplossing het net twee dae later gebeur toe ek ‘n draai langs my reis geneem het wat oppad was na hierdie nuwe vallei toe.

Who of us doesn’t realize that our intimacy (how close we feel to our Husband) is due to the valleys in our lives? And, the deeper the valley, the deeper the intimacy we get to experience. Our heads know it, but our hearts often faint within us when we are asked to take a similar journey since there is naturally a fear of the unknown.

Wie van ons besef nie dat ons intimiteit (hoe nader ons aan ons Man voel) is as gevolg van die valleie in ons lewens nie? En, hoe dieper die vallei, hoe dieper die intimiteit wat ons kry om te ervaar. Ons koppe weet dit, maar ons harte word dof wanneer daar van ons gevra word om ‘n eenderse reis te neem aangesien daar van natuur die vrees is van die onbekende.

Of course, God is faithful—you and I both know that. So, He chose to start my journey by sending me someone else who needed encouragement. Why? Because there is no better way to get encouraged than to encourage someone else. Did you know that? And that’s why so many people are running around without courage—they fail to embrace this principle and many other principles written in the Bible as solutions to their problems.

Natuurlik, is God getrou—jy en ek weet dit albei. So, Hy het gekies om my reis te begin deur vir my iemand anders te stuur wie ook bemoediging nodig gehad het. Waarom? Omdat daar geen beter manier is om bemoedig te word as om iemand anders te bemoedig nie. Het jy dit geweet? En dit is waarom so baie mense rond hardloop sonder moed—hulle misluk om hierdie beginsel en baie ander beginsels wat in die Bybel geskryf is as oplossings vir hulle probleme te omhels.

The main principle, once you really know your Bible, is this: “Everything in the kingdom of God is the opposite of the world.” We might know it, but we don’t live it. So, when we need money, we hoard it instead of giving it away. When we are hurt, we hurt back rather than bless our enemies. And when we need encouragement, we get all wrapped up in ourselves not realizing that our encouragement comes in the form of encouraging someone else. So, when someone needs something and is sent by God to “come’a knocking at our door,” we pretend we are not at home! You understand I am saying this figuratively, but it could even be applied literally.

Die hoof beginsel, sodra jy jou Bybel regtig ken, is dit; “Alles in die koninkryk van God is die teenoorgestelde van die wêreld.” Ons mag dit weet, maar ons leef dit nie. So, wanneer ons geld nodig het, gaar ons dit op in plaas daarvan om dit weg te gee. Wanneer ons seerkry, maak ons ander seer eerder as om ons vyande te seën. En wanneer ons bemoediging nodig het, raak ons heeltemal in onsself toegedraai en ons besef nie dat ons bemoediging in die vorm om iemand anders te bemoedig kom nie. So, wanneer iemand iets nodig het en deur God gestuur word om “aan ons deur te klop,” maak ons asof ons nie by die huis is nie! Jy verstaan ek sê dit figuurlik, maar dit kan selfs letterlik aangewend word.

The same principle that “in the kingdom of God everything is the opposite of the world” goes for when we are given a promise that we know is from God, that He is calling us to do something really awesome for Him. And this thing He is calling us to do will “eventually” promote us, and possibly put us in the limelight—but first, God faithfully calls us to descend into greatness. For far too many Believers, this descent, without their understanding of this foundational principle, convinces them that this can’t be from God; therefore, they refuse to “lower themselves,” or “stoop so low” missing the point that the journey begins with descent.

Dieselfe beginsel dat “in die koninkryk van God alles die teenoorgestelde is van die wêreld” gaan vir wanneer ons ‘n belofte gegee is wat ons weet van God af kom, dat Hy ons roep om iets regtig ongelooflik vir Hom te doen. En hierdie ding waarna Hy ons geroep het om te doen sal ons uiteindelik “bevorder”, en moontlik in die kollig plaas—maar eerstens, God roep ons getrou om in af te daal na grootheid toe Vir hopeloos te veel Gelowiges, oorreed hierdie daling, sonder hulle verstandhouding van hierdie fundamentele beginsel, hulle dat dit nie van God af kan wees nie; daarom weier hulle om hulself “te verlaag,” of  “so laag te buk,” en mis die punt  dat die reis begin met daling. 

Even though we are Christians, which means followers of Christ who should appear peculiar, and in particular, humble, we use all the same excuses and lingo (such as self-esteem or self-respect, etc.) as every other human on the planet would use to refuse the descent, all because we haven’t learned the fundamental principle that “in the kingdom of God everything is the opposite of the world.” Are you getting it? Good, now we let’s move on.

Alhoewel ons Christene is, wat beteken volgelinge van Christus wie eienaardig behoort voor te kom, en in  besonder, nederig, ons almal gebruik dieselfde verskonings en lingo (soos self-esteem of self-respek, ens) soos wat enige ander mens op die planeet sal gebruik om die afdaling te vermy, net omdat ons nie die fundamentele beginsel dat “in die koninkryk van God alles die teenoorgestelde van die wêreld is nie” geleer het nie. Het jy dit? Goed, kom ons beweeg nou aan. 

Dear bride, since you are reading this book, I have to assume that you are more like me: You know this principle, but it’s so easy to forget when it comes around again; isn’t it? Just remember, your Husband loves you along with all of your frailties, every single one of them. He is only trying to rid you of anything and everything that stands in the way of the sort of happiness only a bride has: the joy that is unspeakable, so full you could burst. And the way to rid yourself of the fear that is surely trying to take hold of you is to draw ever closer to your Husband, and to also use what He said He’d send us—testimonies to overcome what your mind and what other people want to tell you.

Liewe bruid, aangesien jy hierdie boek lees, moet ek aanneem dat jy meer soos ek is: Jy ken hierdie beginsel, maar dit is so maklik om te vergeet wanneer dit weer omkom; is it nie? Onthou net, jou Man is lief vir jou saam met al jou swakhede, ieder en elke een. Hy is net besig om te probeer om jou van enigiets en alles wat in die pad staan van die soort geluk wat net ‘n bruid het; die vreugde wat onuitspreeklik is, so vol dit kan bars. En die manier om ontslae te raak van die vrees wat sekerlik probeer om jou beet te kry is om selfs nader aan jou Man te kom, en om ook te gebruik wat Hy gesê het Hy vir ons gaan stuur—getuienisse om te oorkom wat jou gedagtes en  ander mense vir jou wil vertel.

“And they overcame him [the wicked one] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death” (Revelation 12:11).

“Hulle het self die oorwinning oor hom behaal danksy die bloed van die Lam en die boodskap waarvan hulle getuig het; en hulle het nie hulle lewens so liefgehad dat hulle onwillig was om vir Hom te sterwe nie” (Die Openbaring 12:11).

Most of the time God uses my own testimonies to encourage me. He reminds me of things He has already done for me, and that’s just what He did this time. This time He told me that the freedom that I experienced after going through my divorce was what it would be like when I was done going through this financial valley. Before being divorced again, there were many things I couldn’t do like I can do now. It is an entire life full of freedoms—just one was to be free to fly around the world several times! When I was married, my husband (at the time), wouldn’t even allow me to go to New York for my fiftieth birthday even though he asked what I really wanted to do.

Meeste van die tyd gebruik God my eie getuienisse om my aan te moedig. Hy herinner my aan dinge wat Hy alreeds vir my gedoen het, en dit is net wat Hy hierdie keer gedoen het. Hierdie keer het Hy vir my gesê dat die vryheid wat ek ervaar het nadat ek deur my egskeiding gegaan het sou wees soos toe ek klaar deur hierdie finansiële vallei gegaan het. Voordat ek weer geskei het, was daar baie dinge wat ek nie kon doen soos wat ek nou kan doen nie. Dit was ‘n hele lewe vol vryheid—net een was om vry te wees om vele kere om die wêreld te reis! Toe ek getroud was, wou my man (destyds), my nie eens toelaat om New York toe te gaan vir my vyftigste verjaardag nie alhoewel hy gevra het wat ek regtig wou doen.  

Yet, less than a year later, I was walking freely on the streets of New York, and walking all over Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America! Reminding me of my own testimony made it easy to see what was up ahead, but I also needed to remember that the freedom I have now took me descending into the valley of humiliation when my restored marriage fell apart. When my husband once again fell into the pit of adultery, I was asked for another divorce that I had to go through, but that's what brought me undue freedom and blessings into my life, as well as new testimonies to encourage others and to ultimately encourage me.

Tog, minder as ‘n jaar later, het ek vrylik op die strate van New York geloop, en oor Afrika, Europa, Asie, en Suid Amerika geloop! Om my te herinner aan my eie getuienis het dit maklik gemaak om te sien wat vorentoe lê, maar ek moes ook onthou dat die vryheid wat ek nou het het my gekos het om in die vallei van vernedering te gaan toe my herstelde huwelik uitmekaar geval het. Toe my man weer in die put van owerspel geval het, en ek gevra was vir nog ‘n egskeiding waardeur ek moes gaan, maar dit is wat vir my oormatige vryheid en seëninge in my lewe gebring het, sowel as nuwe getuienisse om ander te bemoedig en om my uitermatig te bemoedig.

Can I break away to say something that will help you remember how important it is for you to share each of your testimonies: big and small? I think of our own personal testimonies in the same way that people today are able to give blood or bone marrow to themselves so it’s ready for when they need it later. Many parents save their babies' cord blood in blood banks for future needs. There are so many of my own testimonies, some large and others small, which have kept me going through the worst or hardest of times! And each one of my testimonies was shared and was designed to encourage others—so give life by allowing and sharing testimonies—because they will someday return to overflow and encourage you! “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return” (Luke 6:38).

Kan ek wegbreek om iets te sê wat jou sal help onthou hoe belangrik dit is vir jou is om elke een van jou getuienisse te deel: groot en klein? Ek dink aan ons eie persoonlike getuienis op dieselfde manier wat mense vandag in staat is om bloed of beenmurg aan hulself te skenk sodat dit gereed is vir wanneer hulle dit later gaan nodig kry. Baie ouers red hulle babas se koord bloed in bloede banke vir toekomstige benodighede. Daar is so baie van my eie getuienisse, sommige groot en ander klein, wat my deur die ergste of moeilikste tye aan die gang gehou het! En elkeen van my getuienisse was gedeel en ontwerp om ander te bemoedig—so gee lewe deur getuienisse toe te laat en te deel—omdat hulle eendag terug sal keer om jou te oorvloei en te bemoedig! “Gee, en vir julle sal gegee word: 'n goeie maat, ingestamp, geskud en propvol, sal hulle in julle hande gee. Met die maat waarmee julle meet, sal ook vir julle gemeet word” (Lukas 6:38).

It was when my neighbor came to tell me that she was losing her home that my testimonies came in handy. In our neighborhood, it has become an epidemic, as it has all over our nation. The thought has crossed my mind, I must admit, especially since my ministry had basically shut down and I currently have no real income. I mean, why not me? And yet, each time I spoke to my Husband about it, He’d ask me, “Michele, do you really think you are going to lose your house?”

Dit was toe my buurvrou gekom het om my te vertel dat sy haar huis sou verloor en dat my getuienisse handig te pas gekom het. In ons buurt, het dit ‘n epidemie geword, soos oral oor ons nasie. Die gedagte het by my opgekom, moet ek erken, spesiaal aangesien my bediening basies afgesluit het en ek huidig geen inkomste het nie. Ek bedoel, waarom nie ek nie? En tog, elke keer wat ek met my Man daaroor gepraat het, het Hy vir my gevra, “Michele, dink jy regtig jy gaan jou huis verloor?”

Why is it that the Lord loves to answer a question with a question?

Waarom is dit dat die Here lief is daarvoor om ‘n vraag met ‘n vraag te beantwoord?

My answer has always sort of been, “Well, yes and no, or should I say no and yes? No, I don’t believe that I will” I say that in faith. And yet, I didn’t think that the freedom to be His bride, which I enjoy now, would have come from going through divorce again; therefore, maybe it does mean that I will have to go through losing my house, and everything in it, to find financial freedom. Honestly, it takes someone a lot wiser than I am to know what is up ahead, and just how deep the valley that I am heading down really is.

My antwoord was nog altyd soortvan, “Wel, ja en nee, of moet ek sê nee en ja? Nee, ek glo nie ek sal nie” ek sê dit in geloof. En tog, ek het nie gedink dat die vryheid om Sy bruid te wees, wat ek nou geniet, sou gekom het deur weer deur ‘n egskeiding te gaan nie; daarom, miskien beteken dit dat ek moet deurgaan om my huis en alles daarin, te verloor om finansiële vryheid te vind. Eerlik, dit neem iemand wat baie wyser as wat ek is om te weet  wat vorentoe lê, en net hoe diep die vallei waarin ek oppad af was regtig is.

Yet, no matter how deep it goes, one thing is certain—on the other side it will be everything my Husband promised to me, and even more importantly, I get to walk through it close to my Beloved Husband, which makes the journey ever so sweet. And when I have doubts, all I need to look at is the very recent testimony of another bride, the missionary I spoke about in previous chapters, who submitted her praise report. Her valley was so deep, so dark, so full of mocking, jeering, rejection, and every other horrible thing, some unimaginable, but it was down in this valley that led her to the mountaintop—singing the sweetest of praises.

Tog, maak dit nie saak hoe diep dit gaan nie, een ding is verseker—aan die ander kant sal dit alles wees wat my Man my belowe het, en selfs meer belangrik, ek loop naby my Beminde Man daardeur, wat die reis so soet maak. En wanneer ek twyfel, al wat ek nodig het om te doen is om na die mees onlangste getuienis van ‘n ander bruid te kyk, die sendeling van wie ek gepraat het in vorige hoofstukke, wie haar lof verslag ingedien het. Haar vallei was so diep, so donker, so vol gespottery, uitjouing, verwerping, en elke ander aaklige ding, sommige ondenkbaar, maar dit was af in hierdie vallei wat tot haar bergpiek gelei het—en die soetse van lof sang.   

When this bride was just a young teen, she went to see a woman who had escaped (barely alive) from an eastern country in Africa. After hearing her incredible and moving testimony she went up to meet her, when in the middle of our talking her companion from Africa got down on her knees in front of her, laid her hands on her feet and said, “These feet will walk on African soil bringing hope.” From that day, she said she felt called to go to Africa. But the road to get there was meant to prepare her for what she would face when she arrived.

Toe hierdie bruid net ‘n jong tiener was, het sy ‘n vrou gaan sien wie (skaars lewendig) uit ‘n oostelike land in Afrika ontsnap het. Nadat sy van haar ongelooflike en hartroerende getuienis gehoor het het sy gegaan om haar te ontmoet, toe in die middel van die gesprek het haar metgesel uit Afrika af op haar knieë voor haar gegaan, haar hande op haar voete gelê en gesê, “Hierdie voete sal die Afrika grond loop en hoop bring.” Van daardie dag af, het sy gesê het sy gevoel dat sy Afrika toe geroep is. Maar die pad om daar te kom was bedoel om haar voor te berei vir wat sy sou tegemoet kom wanneer sy arriveer.

This summer, she said, seemed so close to fulfilling her dreams, everything was in place, all doors were opened, then suddenly one door, where she was to reside while in Africa, slammed shut. Week after week she waited and wondered if she would ever go. It was during this waiting period that she learned firsthand some of what our Savior experienced in betrayal. In addition, she had two near-death experiences, which made many of her closest friends tell her that what she was trying to do was too dangerous, that the enemy was after her, and to reconsider.

Hierdie somer, het sy gesê, het sy so naby gekom om haar drome te vervul, alles was in plek, alle deure was oopgemaak, toe skielik een deur, waar sy sou bly terwyl sy in Afrika was, het toegeslaan. Week na week het sy gewag en gewonder of sy ooit sou gaan. Dit was gedurende daardie wagperiode dat sy eerstehands sommige van wat ons Redder in verraad ervaar het geleer het. Ter aanvulling, het sy twee naby-aan-die-dood ervarings gehad, wat baie van haar intieme vriende vir haar vertel het dat wat sy probeer het om te doen te gevaarlik was, dat die vyand agter haar aan was, en om te heroorweeg.  

Yet, GOD, YET GOD, in His lovingkindness, His very nature, had a love story that had been written just for her from the beginning of time, that you will read in the next chapter, “My Johnathan.”

Tog, GOD, TOG GOD, in Sy liefdevolheid, Sy einste natuur, het ‘n liefdes verhaal gehad wat net vir haar geskryf was van die begin van tyd, waarvan jy in my volgende hoofstuk sal lees, “My Jonatan.”

“Thank you my precious Lord, Savior, and my Beloved for blessing me with my own valley and the courage to trust You as I do. I love You more every moment of every day!”

“Dankie my kosbare Here, Redder, en my Beminde dat jy my geseën het met my eie valleie en die moed om Jou te vertrou soos wat ek doen. Ek is elke oomblik van elke dag meer lief vir jou!”