“Eye hath not seen,

 Nor ear heard,

Neither have entered into the heart of man,

The things which God hath prepared for them

That love Him.”

— 1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV

 

 “Wat die oog nie gesien en die oor nie gehoor het nie,”

en wat in die hart van 'n mens nie opgekom het nie,

 dit het God gereed gemaak vir dié

wat Hom liefhet.”

— 1 KorintiĂ«rs 2:9 AFR 83

 

It’s been just a few days since we arrived home from an amazing and a completely unexpected trip to Orlando, Florida. Every morning as I looked out over our view from our resort, just days before Christmas, while sipping freshly squeezed orange juice, I asked the Lord, “Why?” Why did He bring us there? His answer was life-changing, and His answer is for you my dear—it was our Jonathan.

Dit is net ‘n paar dae vandat ons by die huis arriveer het na ‘n ongelooflike en heeltemal onverwagste toer na Orlando, Florida. Net dae voor Kersfees, het ek elke oggend oor die uitsig van ons oord uitgekyk, terwyl ek aan vars uitgedrukte lemoensap teug, ek het vir die Here gevra, “Waarom?” Waarom het Hy ons soontoe gebring? Sy antwoord was lewens veranderend, en Sy antwoord is vir jou my skat—dit was ons Jonathan

Well, just who, you ask, is Jonathan? In the last chapter I promised to share a love story with you that emerged during the valley of humiliation our first missionary was asked to go through. As I began to tell you, it happened so suddenly when light began to shine in her dark, terrifying tunnel.

Wel, net wie, vra jy is Jonathan? In die laaste hoofstuk het ek belowe dat ek ‘n liefdesverhaal met jou sou deel wat uit die vallei van vernedering wat ons eerste sendeling gevra was om deur te gaan na vore gekom het. Soos wat ek begin het om jou te vertel , het dit so skielik gebeur toe die lig in haar donker, skikwekkende tonnel begin skyn het.

In the midst of her pain, there was a young man from South Africa who was looking for a bloke (guy friend) to correspond with while he was living in London and suddenly stumbled on her social media page saying she was going to be a missionary to Africa to work in an orphanage, so he reached out to see if he could help find somewhere to live when he realized it was a she. Jonathan wrote again recommending a “fantastic church” that he said she should attend when she arrived. When she saw the name of the church, she was amazed to see that it was the very same church where I did a radio program while ministering in South Africa, and where her hostess worked—this “coincidence” got her attention.

In die middel van haar pyn, was daar ‘n jong man uit Suid Afrika wie vir ‘n ou (‘n mans vriend) gesoek het om mee te korrespondeer terwyl hy In Londen gebly het en het skielik op haar  sosiale media bladsy afgekom en gesĂȘ dat sy ‘n sendeling na Afrika toe sou wees om in ‘n kinderhuis te werk, so toe het hy uitgereik om te sien of hy kon help om ĂȘrens te vind om te bly toe hy besef het dit was ‘n sy. Jonathan het weer geskryf en ‘n “fantastiese kerk” aanbeveel wat hy gesĂȘ het sy moet bywoon wanneer sy arriveer. Toe sy die naam van die kerk sien, was sy verstom om te sien dat dit deiselfde kerk was waar ek ‘n radio program gedoen het terwyl ek in Suid Afrika geminster het, en waar haar gasvrou gewerk het—hierdie “toeval” haar aandag getrek. 

The young man began praying for her via email and on her social media page. Very soon these two young people began praying 2 to 3 hours each and every day!!! I found out from her mother that her daughter would miss dinner because no one could find her; later, she realized that her daughter was on the floor of her closet PRAYING with this young man rather than eating.

Die jong man het deur epos en op haar sosiale media bladsy vir haar begin bid. Baie gou het hierdie twee jong mense 2 tot 3 ure ieder en elke dag begin bid!!! Ek het by haar ma uitgevind dat haar dogter aandete sou mis omdat niemand haar kon vind nie; later, het sy besef dat haar dogter op die vloer van haar kas besig was om saam hierdie jong man te BID eerder as om te eet.   

When she would get off the phone, her mom would ask what they were talking about. Rather than the normal things a young couple would talk about, she said, their conversations were always centered on spiritual issues. It seemed as if every day she would tell her that he had said something “radical,” then said, “Wow, that’s what Michele always says in her ministry!”

Telkens wanneer sy van die telefoon afkom, het haar ma haar gevra waaroor hulle besig was om te praat. Eerder as die normale goed wat ‘n jong paartjie oor sou praat, het sy gesĂȘ, dat hulle gesprekke altyd gesentraliseerd was op geestelike kwessies. Dit het gelyk asof sy elke dag vir haar sou vertel dat hy iets “radikaal” gesĂȘ het, en dan gesĂȘ het, “Wow, dit is wat Michele altyd in haar bediening sĂȘ!”

On one occasion, I heard that they had been chatting for about 30 minutes when he cut in on her to tell her that they had spoken all that time, but it was not centered around God!! He told her that their relationship had to be based on Him or it was a worthless relationship. Clearly that was when our sweet missionary was convinced that this young man was for her, her parents were also convinced (and I was convinced too when I heard)!

Op een geleentheid, het ek gehoor dat hulle vir omtrent 30 minute gesels het toe hy ingesny het op haar om vir haar te sĂȘ dat hulle al daardie tyd gesels het, maar dit was nie om God gesentraliseer nie!! Hy het vir haar gesĂȘ dat hulle verhouding op Hom gebaseer moes wees of dit was ‘n waardelose verhouding. Duidelik was dit toe hierdie skattige sendeling besef het dat hierdie jong man vir haar was, haar ouers was ook oorreed (en ek was ook toe ek gehoor het)!

Once their relationship was solid, the Lord opened the doors for her to go to Africa just as easily as He had closed them. And when He did open the doors, He let in a beam of light into this young missionary’s life. Where there was once pain, there was joy; where there was once ridicule, there was praise. Where there was once abandonment, there was acceptance. God blessed her with Jonathan. 

Toe hulle verhouding standvastig was, het die Here net so maklik deure vir haar oopgemaak om Afrika toe te gaan as wat Hy hulle toegemaak het, Hy het ‘n ligstraal in hierdie jong sendeling se lewe geskyn. Waar daar eens op ‘n tyd pyn was, was daar vreugde; waar daar eens op ‘n tyd bespotting was, was daar lof. Waar daar eens op ‘n tyd verlating was, was daar aanvaarding. God het haar met Jonathan geseĂ«n.

Though she was told that as a foreign volunteer she would not be caring for the orphans herself, but work in the office, our missionary spent many hours holding, caring and loving these helpless, hurting babies. Though the door had been shut to her residing with the hostess she originally had, a new dear friend of mine opened her home when God turned the heart of her husband and she was able to stay in the very same room where I had been; the very room where my friend and I had first spoken of sending a missionary to Africa!

Alhoewel daar vir haar gesĂȘ was dat as ‘n buitelandse vrywilliger sy nie self die weeskinders sou versorg nie, maar in die kantoor werk, het ons sendeling het baie ure gespandeer deur hierdie hulpelose babas, vas te hou, te versorg en vir lief te wees. Alhoewel die deur toegemaak is sodat sy nie by die gasvrou wie sy oorspronklik ghead het kon bly nie, het ‘n nuwe liewe vriendin van my haar huis vir haar oopgemaak toe God die hart van haar man gedraai het en sy in staat was om in dieselfde kamer waar ek was te bly; dieselfde kamer waar ek en my vriendin eers begin praat het om ‘n sendeling Afrika toe te stuur! 

Then something so wonderful and precious happened, something so dear to my heart—Jonathan’s mother and father insisted that she spend her weekends with them—opening their home and hearts to her. As with so many of us, I’d written in other books how we mothers want our children to have what we did not have because one relationship that caused me much pain was the rejection of my in-laws when I was married. Though the Lord healed that hurt (after, that is, I finally took it to Him rather than expecting my husband at the time to mend it, which I wrote in one of my books), I love to see young couples have in-laws who love and cherish their children's spouses as their own.

Toe het iets so wonderlik en spesiaal gebeur, iets so na aan my hart—Jonathan se moeder en vader het aangedring dat sy naweke saam hulle spandeer—en hulle huis en harte vir haar oopgemaak. Soos met baie van ons, ek het in ander boeke geskryf hoe ons moeders wil hĂȘ dat ons kinders moet hĂȘ wat ons nie gehad het nie want een verhouding wat my baie pyn veroorsaak het was die verwerping van my skoonouers toe ek getroud was. Alhoewel die Here daardie seer genees het (dit is, nadat ek dit uitindelik na Hom toe geneem het eerder as om te verwag dat my man dit destyds moes heelmaak, wat ek in een van boeke geskryf het), ek is lief daarvoor om jong paartjies te sien wie vir hulle kinders se gades so lief is as hulle eie.    

God has graciously blessed my own married children with just that—in-laws who love and treat them as their own children! So, for this sweet missionary, her soon-to-be in laws purchased a ticket for her to travel with them to London to spend the holidays with Jonathan and meet him face-to-face for the first time. This is just a picture of what is ahead for many of you when you believe for amazing things!

God het my eie getroude kinders genadiglik met net dit  geseĂ«n—skoonouers wie hulle as hulle  eie kinders liefhet en behandel! So, vir hierdie skattige sendeling, het haar voormalige skoonouers ‘n kaartjie vir haar gekoop om Londen toe te reis om die vakansie met Jonathan te spandeer en hom van aangesig tot aangesig vir die eerste keer te ontmoet. Dit is net ‘n prentjie vir wat vir jou voorlĂȘ wanneer jy in God glo vir ongelooflike dinge!

Watching what God did for this sweet missionary, and what He asked her to go through to obtain her miracle has served to encourage me so many times, and so many others who had a front seat to her valley of humiliation followed by a mountaintop experience. The first one was my youngest daughter.

Deur dop te hou wat God vir hierdie skttige sendeling gedoen het, en wat Hy haar gevra het om deur te gaan om haar wonderwerk te verkry het gedien om my so baie keer te bemoedig, en so baie ander wie ‘n voorste sitplek aan haar vallei van vernedering gehad het gevolg deur ‘n bergtop ervaring. Die eerste een was my jongste dogter.

The beginning of her Jonathan experience was when she came to me asking for her Christmas money. After her dad left, I found it such a blessing to let my children choose what they wanted for their gifts, so I began giving each of them a sum of money to buy and wrap their own gifts. But this year there was no money for Christmas. After avoiding her questions, I finally had to tell her that this year there may not be any gifts under the tree. Being so young and seeing how God always provided, it isn’t surprising that a day later I found her with tears in her eyes at the thought of no gifts for Christmas. Not knowing really how to help her, I heard her say, “Don’t worry mommy, each time I hear Christmas songs, or see holiday decorations, I simply say, “I trust You Father.”

Die begin van haar Jonathan ervaring  was toe sy na my toe gekom het en vir haar Kersfees geld gevra het. Na haar pa weg is, het ek dit so ‘n seĂ«n gevind om my kinders te laat kies wat hulle as geskenke wou gehad het, so toe begin ek vir elke een van hulle ‘n bedrag geld gee om hulle eie geskenke te koop en toe te draai. Maar hierdie jaar was daar geen geld vir Kersfees nie. Nadat ek haar vrae vermy het, moes ek uitendelik vir haar vertel dat daar dalk nie geskenke onder die boom mag wees nie. Deur so jonk te wees en om te sien hoe God altyd voorsien het, was dit nie verrassend dat ek haar ‘n dag later gesien het met trane in haar oĂ« met die gedagte dat daar geen geskenke vir Kersfees gaan wees nie. Ek het nie geweet hoe om haar te help nie, en het haar hoor sĂȘ, “Moet nie bekommerd weees nie mamma, elke keer wat ek Kersfees liedjies hoor, of vakansie versierings sien, sĂȘ ek eenvoudig, “Ek vertrou Jou Vader.”

News of her Jonathan came on a week before Christmas. It had been such a horrible morning when it suddenly changed as my son, the one who always tithes and gives his money as the Lord leads him, handed me an envelope filled with the usual amount for each of the children. But that’s not all, only ten minutes later I got a call from my dearest neighbor that they were sending us on an all-expense paid trip to Orlando, Florida for a week!

Nuus van haar Jonathan het ‘n week voor Kersfees gekom. Dit wa so ‘n aaklige oggend toe dit skielik verander het soos wat my seun, die een wat altyd sy tiende en sy geld gee soos wat die Here hom lei, aan my ‘n koevert oorgehandig het met die gewone bedrag vir elke een van die kinders. Maar dit is nie al nie, net tien minute later het ek ‘n oproep van my liewe buurvrou gekry dat hulle ons vir ‘n week op ‘n alle- uitgawes betaalde reis na Orlando, Florida stuur! 

In just 72 hours, God orchestrated each and every last detail, including a rental car and someone to pay for it! Then my other daughter’s Jonathan came shortly afterwards: actually, the day before we left to come home. My other daughter was telling me a few months earlier how she desperately wanted a friend. She discussed the possibilities of a suitable friend when I broke in. I said, “Darling, you could look high and low for someone suitable, but friends, good friends, are hard to find. Why not give it to the Lord? Then you know it is His choice for you.” She did.

In net 72 uur, het God ieder en elke laaste besonderhede orkestreer, insluitende ‘n huurmotor en iemand om daarvoor te betaal! Toe het my ander dogter se Jonathan gou daarna gekom: eintlik, die dag voordat ons weg is om huis toe te kom. My oudste dogter het ‘n paar maande vroeĂ«r vir  my gesĂȘ hoe desperaat sy ‘n vriendin wou hĂȘ. Sy het die moontlikheid van ‘n geskikte vriendin bespreek toe ek inbraak gemaak het. Ek het gesĂȘ, “Liefling, jy kan hoog  en laag kyk vir iemand gepas, maar vriende, goeie vriende, is moeilik om te vind. Waarom dit nie vir die Here gee nie? Dan weet jy dit is Sy keuse vir jou.” Sy het. 

The day before we left Florida, I got a surprise email from my niece. She visited our family for the first time two years prior and during her visit she was wonderfully saved and baptized, sharing her testimony with thousands about being raised in a Hindu home. So, another “Jonathan” is coming in just a few months, and now she has something to really look forward to. Not just a friend, but her closest cousin, who is like a sister to her!

Die dag voordat ons weg is uit Florida, het ek ‘n verrassende epos van my broerskind gekry. Sy het ons familie vir die eerste keer twee jaar vantevore besoek en gedurende haar besoek was sy wonderbaarlik gered en gedoop, en het haar getuienis met duisende gedeel oor hoe sy in ‘n Hindu huis groot geword het. So  nog ‘n “Jonathan” kom in net ‘n paar mande, en nou het sy iets om regtig na uit te sien. Nie net ‘n vriendin nie, maar haar mees intiemste niggie, wie soos ‘n suster vir haar is! 

May I also tell you about my neighbor’s Jonathan? Faced with the possibility of losing her home, God had a plan that far exceeded her valley of humiliation—a new home! In the “Twelfth hour” a prophesy was spoken of on television when her husband jumped up and said it was for them! While still standing, the phone rang; it was the man who owned the house that they had wanted to buy, but that he would not sell three years earlier!

Mag ek jou ook van my buurvrou se Jonathan verel? Met die moontlikheid dat sy haar huis mag verloor het God ‘n plan vir haar gehad wat haar vallei van vernedering ver oorskry het—’n nuwe huis! In die “Twaalfde Uur” was daar van ‘n voorspelling op televisie gepraat en haar man het ogespring en gesĂȘ dit was vir hulle! Terwyl hy nog gestaan het, het die telefoon gelui; dit was die man wie die huis wat wat hulle wou gekoop het besit het, maar wat hy nie drie jaar vroeĂ«r wou verkoop het nie!   

Do I need to tell you what happened? Yes, the home that they had desired years earlier is now where they are living!! It is twice as large with acreage, not just a yard! Are you feeling encouraged yet? If not, I have just one more story. It centers around two precious ladies I had the pleasure of meeting while I was in Orlando.

Is dit nodig at ek jou vertel wat gebeur he? Ja, die huis wat hulle jare vroeĂ«r begeer het is waar hulle nou in bly!! Dit is twee keer so groot met oppervlakte, nie net ‘n erf nie! Voel julle al bemoedig? Indien nie, het ek nog net een storie. Dit sentrum om twee kosbare dames wie ek die plesier gehad het om te ontmoet terwyl ek in Orlando was.

For several years, two dear friends (who worked together) had gone through my first Abundant Life books, then one of them said, “I am gonna find this lady, Michele.” God did more than allow her to find me—He had me find her! When I realized we were headed for Florida, I contacted my dear friend who lived in Florida and asked her to contact any bride living near Orlando. I’m convinced that God sent me to Florida for these two brides, just to let them know that He loved them as His own.

Vir verskeie jare, het twee liewe vriendinne (wie saam gewerk het) deur my eerste Oorvloedige Lewe boeke gegaan het, toe het een van hulle gesĂȘ “ek gaan hierdie dame, Michele, vind.” God het meer gedoen as om toe te laat dat sy my vind! Hy het laat ek haar vind! Toe ek besef dat ons oppad Florida toe was, het ek my liewe vriendin wie in Florida gewoon het gekontak en haar gevra om enige bruid wat naby Florida woon te kontak. Ek is oortuig dat God my Florida toe gestuur het vir hierdie twee bruide, net om hulle te laat weet dat Hy hulle as Sy eie lief gehad het.

The Lord led me to share many things the evening we met. Yet there was one point that each kept bringing me back to, asking me to tell it to them again. “What was that you said, about waiting for
?” “Oh, waiting for my Jonathan you mean? Yes, right now I am waiting for my Jonathan—but you do understand I am not waiting for a man, right?” They giggled.

Die Here het my gelei om so baie dinge die aand wat ons ontmoet het te deel. Tog was daar een punt wat elkeen my na terug gebring het, en my gevra het om hulle weer te vertel. “Wat was dit wat jy gesĂȘ het, oor wag vir
? “O, bedoel jy wag vir my Jonathan? Ja, reg nou wag ek vir my Jonathan—maar jy verstaan dat ek nie vir ‘n man wag nie, reg?” Hulle het gegiggel.

My Jonathan, and your Jonathan dear reader (and what I told these two brides in Orlando), is that blessing that will fulfill the deepest desires of your heart. It is sure to come upon you suddenly. It will be revealed to you in the darkest hour of your life, when you least expect it, and all because you sought Him, trusted Him, and loved Him above all else.

My Jonathan, en jou Jonathan liewe leser (en wat ek vir hierdie twee bruide in Orlando vertel het), is daardie seën wat die diepste begeertes van jou hart sal vervul. Dit is seker om skielik op jou af te kom. Dit sal in die donkerste uur van jou lewe aan jou openbaar word, wanneer jy dit die minste verwag, en alles omdat jy Hom nagestreef het, op Hom vertrou het, en bo alles vir Hom lief is.

“But as it is written, ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV).

“Maar soos daar geskrywe staan: “Wat die oog nie gesien en die oor nie gehoor het nie,” en wat in die hart van 'n mens nie opgekom het nie, dit het God gereed gemaak vir diĂ© wat Hom liefhet”’ (1 KorintiĂ«rs 2:9 AFR 83).

My neighbor's Jonathan experience was different than mine, and both my daughters' Jonathan experiences were different than yours will be. The two Orlando brides, though close friends, each have their own Jonathan experiences that were hidden deep in their hearts. My Jonathan experience continues to change as the years go by. For instance, my Jonathan experience was much different each time my husband left me. The first time God gave me my Jonathan experience when my marriage was restored. Then, several years later, He gave me my Jonathan experience by allowing me to belong only to my Husband, my Beloved, rather than restoring my marriage.

My buurvrou se Jonathan ervaring was anders as myne, en albei my dogters se Jonathan ervarings sal verkillend wees as wat joune sal wees. Die twee Orlando bruide, alhoewel hulle intieme vriendinne is, het elkeen hulle eie Jonathan ervarings wat diep in hulle harte weggesteek is. My Jonathan ervaring gaan voort om soos wat die jare verby gaan te verander. By voorbeeld, my Jonathan ervaring was baie anders elke keer wat my man my verlaat het. Die eerste keer toe God my my Jonathan ervaring gegee het was toe my huwelik herstel was. Toe, verskeie jare later, het Hy my my Jonathan ervaring gegee deur my toe te laat om alleenlik aan my man, my Beminde te behoort, eerder as om my huwelik te herstel.

This time, my Jonathan experience will be what I need: financial freedom, similar, as the Lord has told me, to the freedom I gained when He became my Husband.

Hierdie keer, sal my Jonathan ervaring wees wat ek nodig het: finansiële vryheid, eenders, as wat die Here vir my vertel het, as die vryheid wat ek gewin het toe Hy my Man begin word het.

Whatever it is that is hidden deep in your heart, dear bride, the Lord has taken notice of it and is working the details out right now. Though the days seem long and might even be closing in on your “twelfth hour” as it was for my neighbor and her family—trust me, it will come! All you need to do is to snuggle into the arms of your Husband so that you can feel His presence, His love, and His strength.

Watookal dit is wat diep in jou hart weggesteek is, liewe bruid, die Here het notisie daarvan geneem en is besig om die besonderhede nou uit te werk. Alhoewel die dae lank mag lyk en selfs in jou “twaalfde uur” mag toemaak soos wat dit vir my buurvrou en haar familie was—vertrou my, dit sal kom! Al wat jy nodig het om te doen is om in die arms van jou Man op te snuffel sodat jy Sy teenwoordigheid kan voel, Sy liefde, en Sy krag.

While there, you will find that all else, all your problems, your questions, your doubts and your fears, will melt away. All that will be left is you, your Husband, and joy unspeakable as you are filled with His love pouring over all those who are closest to you!

Terwyl jy daar is, sal jy vind dat enigiets anders, al jou probleme, jou vrae, jou twyfel en jou vrese, sal wegsmelt. Al wat oor sal bly is jy,  jou Man, en vreugde onuitspreeklik soos wat jy met Sy liefde gevul is en wat oorloop oor almal wie naaste aan jou is!

“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).

“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).

 

Joernaal

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