Hoofstuk 5 “Baba Treë”

“We walk by faith,

Not by sight”

— 2 Corinthians 5:7

 

“...want ons lewe deur geloof,

nie deur sien nie”

— 2 Korintiërs 5:7

 

Most Christians don’t understand, and therefore they are unable to walk the walk of faith. I believe that this is merely due to the fact that they don’t fully comprehend the blessings of walking the walk of faith, which is accomplished primarily by doing so in the dark, taking tiny baby steps as they go.

Meeste Christene verstaan nie, en daarom is hulle nie in staat om hulle lewens deur geloof te lewe nie. Ek glo dit is bloot omdat hulle nie ten volle die seëninge om deur geloof te lewe begryp nie, wat volvoer is hoofsaaklik deur dit in die donker te doen, en klein baba treë te neem soos wat hulle aangaan.

It says that we should, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes” (Proverbs 3:5–7). To me, this verse sums it up beautifully: we have no idea where we are going or what is up ahead, and because of this, we should not foolishly think we do. Unfortunately, it seems that the majority of Christians have a pattern and have fallen into the rut, which is simply to pray about a way they want to go, then when any door opens, they run through it, without taking His hand. Our HH wants to guide each of us— every baby step of the way!

Dit sê dat ons behoort te, “Vertrou volkome op die Here en moenie op jou eie insigte staatmaak nie. Ken Hom in alles wat jy doen en Hy sal jou die regte pad laat loop. Moenie dink jy het die wysheid in pag nie, dien die Here en vermy wat sleg is” (Spreuke 3:5-7). Vir my, som hierdie vers dit pragtig op: ons het geen idee waar ons gaan of wat vorentoe lê nie, en deur dit, moet ons nie soos ‘n dwaas dink dat ons doen nie. Ongelukkig, lyk dit asof die meerderheid van Christene ‘n patroon het en in ‘n groef val, wat eenvoudig is om te bid oor ‘n manier wat hulle wil gaan, dan wanneer enige deur oopmaak, hardloop hulle daardeur, sonder om Sy hand te neem. Ons HM wil elkeen van ons lei—elke baba tree van die pad!

It is certainly true, however, that there are those who know and abide in His Word, who have the advantage and often walk with great wisdom. The result is steps that appear more as running, no longer the baby steps that you or I might need to take. “I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; and if you run, you will not stumble” (Proverbs 4:11–12).

Dit is sekerlik waar, nietemin, dat daar diegene is wat Sy Woord ken en daarin volhard, wie die voordeel het en dikwels met groot wysheid loop. Die resultaat is tree wat meer lyk asof dit ‘n gehardloop is, nie meer die baba tree wat jy en ek nodig het om te neem nie.   Ek sal jou leer wat die pad van die wysheid is en jou die regte koers laat loop. As jy loop, sal daar niks in jou pad wees nie, en as jy hardloop, sal jy nie struikel nie” (Spreuke 4:11-12).

However exciting, even steps of wisdom cannot compare to taking the walk of your life, which means taking baby steps in the dark while He holds your hand and guides you. “Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4 AMP). True, walking in the dark often feels scary, especially when you have not truly experienced the very nature of our Husband and His love—which will be totally and completely “perfect” because “perfect love casts out fear.” That's because, “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love” (1 John 4:18 NLT).

Hoe opwindend tog, selfs tree van wysheid kan nie vergelyk word met die loop van jou lewe nie, wat beteken om baba tree in die donker te neem terwyl Hy jou hand neem en lei.  Selfs al gaan ek deur donker dieptes, sal ek nie bang wees nie, want U is by my. In u hande is ek veilig” (Palmss 23:4 Afr 83)). Waar, om in die donker te loop voel dikwels angstig, spesiaal wanneer jy nie werklik die ware natuur van ons Man en Sy liefde ervaar het nie—wat totaal en heeltemal “perfek” sal wees omdat “volmaakte liefde verdryf vrees.” Dit is omdat,  “Waar liefde is, is daar geen vrees nie, maar “volmaakte liefde verdryf vrees” want vrees verwag straf, en wie nog vrees, het nie volmaakte liefde nie” (1 Johannes 4:18 NLV).

So many Christians are honestly afraid to trust God with their future, even their day-to-day future, because they believe if they simply give their future to Him, He will ask them to do things that are too hard or something they wouldn’t like. This leads to missed opportunities, when each could have experienced the abundant life He died to give each of us. I am no exception. Even though I have lived an incredibly unbelievable life, I still tend to pull back when faced with walking boldly when He calls. Take for instance traveling around the world: I met and experienced things that no one could ever imagine, even I can’t believe I really lived it, and yet, when my new passport came, I cringed, thinking that He might call me to begin traveling again. We are all the same, aren’t we? We simply are fearful little sheep in desperate need of a loving and patient Shepherd.

So baie Christene is eerlik bang om op God te vertrou met hulle toekoms, selfs dag-tot-dag toekoms, omdat hulle glo as hulle eenvoudig hulle toekoms vir Hom gee, sal Hy hulle vra om dinge te doen wat te moeilik is of iets waarvan hulle nie sal hou nie. Dit lei tot gemiste geleenthede, wanneer elkeen die oorvloedige lewe kon ervaar het waarvoor Hy gesterf  het om vir ons te gee. Ek is geen uitsondering nie. Alhoewel ek ‘n ongelooflike ongeloofbare lewe gelewe het, neig ek nog steeds om terug te deins wanneer ek dapper moet loop wanneer Hy roep. Neem vir instansie wanneer ek dwarsoor die wêreld reis: Ek het dinge ontmoet en ervaar wat niemand hulle ooit sou kon indink nie, selfs ek kan nie glo ek het dit gelewe nie ek het dit regtig gelewe, en tog, toe my nuwe paspoort gekom het, het ek ineengekrimp, omdat ek gedink het dat hy my dalk mag roep om weer te begin reis. Ons is almal dieselfde is ons nie? Ons is eenvoudig vreesagtige klein skapies in desperate nood van ‘n liefdevolle en geduldige Skaapwagter.

Do you know that it is because of our fear, our trepidation and our hesitancy, that the Lord causes us to wait, on purpose? I have seen it time and again in my life and in the lives of my children (my own and my spiritual ones). So often the Lord will show us something, then He makes us wait for it (long past the time that we thought it should take). Only then will He open the door so that we do what comes naturally: pull back or bolt. “O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of distress” (Isaiah 33:2). And “Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31).

Weet jy dat dit deur ons vrees is, ons angs en ons huiwering, dat die Here veroorsaak dat ons wag, aspris? Ek het dit keer op keer in my lewe en in die lewens van my kinders gesien (my eie en my geestelikes). So dikwels sal die Here vir ons iets wys, en dan maak Hy ons daarvoor wag (lank verby die tyd wat ons gedink het dit sou neem). Net dan sal Hy die deur oopmaak sodat ons doen  wat ons uit natuur doen: terugdeins of op hol gaan. Wees ons genadig, HERE, ons vestig ons hoop op U. Wees elke nuwe dag ons krag, ons redding in tyd van nood” (Jesaja 33:2). En maar dié wat op die HERE vertrou, kry nuwe krag. Hulle vlieg met arendsvlerke, hulle hardloop en word nie moeg nie, hulle loop en raak nie afgemat nie” ((Jesaja 40:31).

For the past few months, my son has been waiting for a new position, waiting as they complete the hiring process for his new job. The main reason for the wait was for him to see that it was God. Initially, he could see that it was God's plan, since they actually sought him for the position, and it's in the city where his fiancée lived, where he always wanted to live, but all too soon he began saying that he wasn't sure he even wanted the job.

Vir die afgelope paar maande, wag my seun vir ‘n nuwe posisie, wag soos wat hulle die huurproses van sy nuwe werk voltooi. Die hoof rede vir die wag is vir hom om te sien dat dit God was. In die begin, kon hy sien dat dit God se plan was, aangesien hulle hom alreeds vir die posisie uitgesoek het, en dit is in die stad waar sy verloofde bly, waar hy nog altyd wou bly, maar al te gou het hy begin sê dat hy nie seker was dat hy ooit die werk wou hê nie.

It took God bringing him to a place of financial ruin for him to see that having a base salary, rather than waiting for clients to pay as he'd been doing, would be what a new marriage needed (not to mention long hours, often working through the night). Thankfully, the Lord gave me at least two opportunities to confirm these words of wisdom with my son (for the sake of his future wife), to confirm that His plan was accomplished—all due to the long, and very unusual, wait to hear he had gotten the position. [He is still in this position after 10 years.]

Dit het God geneem om hom op ‘n plek van finansiële ruinering te bring vir hom om te sien dat om ‘n basiese salaris te hê, eerder as om te wag vir kliente om te betaal soos wat hy gedoen het, sou wees wat ‘n nuwe huwelik benodig het (om nie die lang ure te noem nie, en dikwels deur die aand te hoef te werk). Dankbaar, het die Here vir my ten minste twee geleenthede gegee om hierdie woorde van wysheid met my seun te bevestig (om sy toekomstige vrou se onthalwe), om te bevestig dat Sy plan voldoen is—alles te danke aan die lang, en baie ongewone, wag om te hoor of hy die posisie gekry het. [Hy is na 10 jaar nog steeds in daardie posisie.]

Each and every day, I see the Lord faithfully renewing my strength by causing me to wait for something. Even though having to wait for something is what our entire family is known for; nevertheless, waiting never comes easily, even when you are accustomed to it. It was just yesterday, more than a week from when my son left to get married, when I finally got to see any wedding pictures. I just wanted to see a picture of my son married. Honestly, though I have learned daily how to wait, waiting for just one picture was  really tough. Though I could have emailed them to ask, or left a message on one of their cell phones, or done some other less-than-gracious attempt to get a picture that other parents might have done, I knew that the fact that it did not come had nothing to do with them—but everything to do with me. As I said, the Lord faithfully sees fit to continually renew my strength—because the Lord knows I need it. And believe it or not, so do you. Does that help you understand, just a bit better, why you have not heard from someone or about something or have not received something promised—long past when you should have heard or received it?

Ieder en elke dag, sien ek hoe die Here getrou my krag hernu deur te veroorsaak dat ek vir ets wag. Alhoewel deur vir iets te wag is wat ons hele familie vir bekend staan, nietemin, wag is nooit maklik nie, selfs wanneer jy daaraan gewoond is. Dit was net gister, meer as ‘n week nadat my seun weg is om te gaan trou, toe ek finaal enige troufotos kon sien. Ek wou net ‘n foto van my seun sien waar hy getroud is. Eerlik, alhoewel ek daagliks geleer het om te wag, om vir net een foto te wag was regtig moeilik. Alhoewel ek vir hulle ‘n epos kon stuur om te vra, of ‘n boodskap op een van hulle selfone kon los, of een of ander minder-as-grasieuse poging om ‘n foto te kry wat ander ouers dalk mag gedoen het. Ek het geweet dat die feit dat dit nie gekom het nie niks met hulle te doen gehad het nie—maar alles met my. Soos wat ek gesê het, die Here sien dit getrou goed om my krag te hernu—omdat die Here weet dat ek dit nodig het. En go dit of nie, so doen jy. Help dit jou, om dit net ‘n bietjie beter te verstaan, waarom jy nie van iemand gehoor het nie of oor iets wat jy nog nie ontvang het nie of iets wat belowe is—lank na jy daarvan behoort te gehoor het of ontvang het?   

Baby steps in the dark are what I am trying to encourage my older children to take, especially the ones who are now married. When they ask for advice, I simply encourage them to ask the Lord what to do next. However, all of us want a full and expansive plan that looks well into the future. Unfortunately, if we really knew how it all worked out, no doubt it would cause many of us to run ahead, or, more than likely, to turn and run away! Honestly, if I had known even one percent of what was up ahead in my life over the past twenty years, I would have found my own way of escape—hardly an example of a wise woman who smiles at the future. Instead, I have learned that, like the story of the slow-moving tortoise and the fast-moving hare, the way to moving mountains is by slow and careful steps, as we ask, believe, and then move in the direction He is leading us, all while holding His hand during the process.

Baba tree in die donker is wat ek my ouer kinders aanmoedig om te neem, spesiaal die wat pas getroud is. Wanneer hulle vir advies vra, moedig ek hulle eenvoudig aan om die Here te vra wat om volgende te doen. Nietemin, almal van ons wil ‘n volle en omvattende plan wat goed lyk in die toekoms in hê. Ongelukkig, as ons regtig geweet het hoe dit alles uitwerk, sa dit sonder twyfel veroorsaak dat baie van ons vooruit hardloop, of, heel waarskynlik, omdraai en weghardloop! Eelikwaar, as ek selfs een persent geweet het van wat oor die twintig jaar in my lewe vir my voorgelê het, sou ek my eie manier van ontsnapping gevind het—skaars ‘n voorbeeld van ‘n wyse vrou wat vir die toekoms glimlag. In plaas daarvan, het ek geleer dat, soos die storie van die stadig bewegende skilpad en vinnig-bewegende haas, die manier om berge te versit is deur stadige versigtige tree, soos wat ons vra, glo, en dan in die rigting beweeg waarin Hy ons lei, terwyl on Sy hand deur die proses vashou.

By the way, moving slowly is not my nature at all, just so that you understand that I do indeed understand how you feel. From the time I was young, my motto was that "I was a sprinter;" I was not "a long-distance runner." However, for this race of our life, we must have endurance, which is only available to those who are willing to wait. And then He asks us, as His bride, to take tiny baby steps through that dark, deep valley, all the while holding the hand of the Shepherd, who is also, for many of us, our beloved Husband.

Terloops, deur stadig te beweeg is glad nie deel van my natuur nie, net sodat jy verstaan dat ek wel verstaan hoe jy voel. Van jongs af, was my motto dat “ek ‘n naelloper was.” Ek was nie “‘n langafstand hardloper nie.” Nietemin, vir die wedloop van ons lewe, moet ons uithouvermoë hê, wat net beskikbaar is vir die wat gewillig is om te wag. En dan vra Hy ons, as Sy bruid, om klein baba tree  deur die donker, diep vallei te neem, terwyl ons die heeltyd die hand van die Herder vashou, wie ook, vir baie van ons, ons beminde Man is.

My dear, if you are also facing life alone right now (without a husband or with a husband who does not believe), then you know that this walk of faith is especially disconcerting: uneasy and confusing, while leaving you feeling a bit dismayed. Nevertheless, “Give glory to the LORD your God, before He brings darkness and before your feet to stumble on the dusky mountains, and while you are hoping for light He makes it into deep darkness, and turns it into gloom” (Jeremiah 13:16). Thankfully your journey does not need to be gloomy, not if you keep your eyes looking into His face, as you take the next baby step.

My skat, as jy ook nou die lewe alleen in die gesig staar (sonder ‘n man of met ‘n man wat nie glo nie), dan weet jy dat die wandel van geloof spesiaal onrusbarend is: ongemaklik en verwarrend is, terwyl dit jou ‘n bietjie ontmoedig los. Nietemin,  Eer die HERE julle God voordat dit donker word, voordat julle julle in die skemer vasloop teen die berge. Julle sal wag op lig, maar Hy sal duisternis bring, Hy sal dit stikdonker laat word. (Jeremia 13:16). Dankbaar hoef jou reis nie somber te wees nie, nie as jy jou oë op sy gesig gerig hou nie, soos wat jy die volgende baba tree neem.

 “For You have delivered my soul from death, indeed my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living” (Psalm 56:13). Because “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

“want U het my van die dood gered, my voet nie laat struikel nie, en met God by my kon ek my pad aanhou loop en die lewenslig bly sien” (Psalms 56:14). Omdat “U woord is die lamp wat my die weg wys, die lig op my pad” (Psalms 119:105).

The only way I will ever be able to move the mountain of debt, which I set out to do when I first started this book, is by taking each baby step, one-by-one. Nothing that you face now is insignificant, but each step is God-ordained. Had I not first tackled my taxes, I would not have known the power of remaining calm at all times—in order to move a mountain. Just two days ago, I did just the opposite, which proved how powerful and necessary this principle of remaining calm is to moving mountains.

Die enigste manier wat ek ooit in staat sal wees om die berg van skuld te versit, wat ek uitgesit het om te doen toe ek eers die boek begin het, is deur elke baba tree, een vir een te neem. Niks wat jy nou in die gesig staar is onbelangrik nie, maar elke stap is God-bepaald. Het ek nie my belasting aangepak nie, sou ek nie die krag om ten alle tye kalm te wees geken het nie. Net twee dae gelede, het ek net die teenoorgestelde gedoen, wat bewys het hoe kragtig en noodsaaklik die beginsel om kalm te bly nodig is om berge te versit.

Remain Calm
Bly Kalm

We had a house full of guests for my son's wedding reception, and I served our guests a formal dinner with the help of my children. They were enjoying themselves, as we all love to do, now that the oppression in our home is gone after the divorce, and they were dancing on the dance floor, while I was trying to get the food served to our guests. Right after I called to them the second time, I found stress began to overwhelm me. As a result, for about ten or fifteen minutes, I lost my peace, and more importantly, my joy! No, I did not yell or anything. It's just that I had lost my usual “joyful bliss” (the constant overwhelming joy in my heart) that I have come to enjoy and savor. The lack of patience caused one problem after another, until I shook off the stress and regained the composure of walking peacefully in the spirit—then everything began to change almost magically: clearly supernaturally.

Ons het ‘n huis vol gaste vir my seun se bruilof onthaal gehad, en ek het met die hulp van ons kinders aan ons gaste ‘n formele aandete bedien. Hulle het huleself geniet, soos wat ons almal lief is om te doen, noudat die onderdrukking in ons huis weg is na die egskeiding, hulle het op die dansvloer gedans, terwyl ek probeeer het om die kos aan ons gaste te bedien. Net na ek hulle vir die tweede keer geroep het, het ek begin voel hoe die stres my oorweldig. Met die gevolg is, vir omtrent tien tot vyftien minute, het ek my vrede verloor, en meer belangrik my vreugde! Nee, ek het nie geskree of enigiets nie. Dit is net dat ek my gewoonlike “vreugdevolle heil” verloor het (die konstante oorweldigende vreugde in my hart) wat ek begin geniet en savoureer het. Die tekort aan geduld het een probleem na die ander veroorsaak, totdat ek die stres afgeskud het en die bedaardheid om vreedsaam in die gees te loop herwin het—toe het alles begin om amper betowerend te verander: duidelik bonatuurlik.

Not only had it affected my composure and joy, but the following day when I commented to my son, who had been in charge of grilling our food, on how wonderfully things had turned out, he commented with a half-hearted “yes.” Without realizing it, he had felt my stress, which had affected his own enjoyment during the event and his memory of it. This is another good lesson for us all: never underestimate how an interruption in our peaceful emotions can affect the people who we love the most.

Dit het nie net my bedaardheid en vreugde affekteer nie, maar die volgende dag toe ek aan my seun, wie in beheer was om ons kos te braai, gekommentaar het hoe wonderlik dinge uitgedraai het, hy het met ‘n half-hartige “ja” gekommentaar. Sonder dat ek dit besef het het hy my stres aangeoel, wat sy eie genieting gedurende die geleentheid en sy geheue daarvan effekteer het. Dit is nog ‘n goeie les vir ons almal; moet nooit onderskat hoe ‘n onderbreking in ons vreedsame emosies die mense vir wie ons die liefste is effekteer nie.

Baby steps, for me, were as simple as learning to be “joyfully agreeable,” which I learned while I was married, then I used this same principle with my telephone company: agreeing that it was my fault and that the charges for the last three months (that were twice the usual amount) were no problem at all for me to pay. Without those tiny steps, I would not have seen how easily the spirit of non-resistance changes the entire spiritual energy in a conversation, for my good. Remaining peaceful is what led me to do the same thing the very next day, with the flying miles company, that finally led me to the right person at the airline, who had the authority to change the names on the tickets to Hawaii, that I spoke about in an earlier chapter.

Baba tree, vir my, was so eenvoudig as om te leer om “vreugdevol instemmend, “ te wees wat ek geleer het toe ek getroud was, toe gebruik ek dieselfde beginsel met my telefoon maatskappy: instemmend dat dit my skuld was dat die koste van die laaste drie maande  (wat  twee keer die gewone bedrag was) my skuld was en geen probleem vir my was om te betaal nie. Sonder daardie klein tree, sou ek nie kon sien hoe maklik die gees van geen-weerstand die hele geestelike energie in ‘n gesprek kan verander nie, ten goede vir my. Om vreedsaam te bly is wat my gelei het om dieselfde ding die volgende dag, met die vliegmyle maatskappy, te doen wat my finaal na die regte persoon op die lugredery gelei het, wie die magtiging gehad het om die name op die kaartjies Hawaii toe te verander, waaroor ek in ‘n vroeë hoofstuk gepraat het.

Even the tiniest baby steps of not trying to fix the telephone bill weeks earlier paid off, because how to do it His way was fresh in my mind. He knew when I would really need to know how to deal with opposition—so He made me wait!

Selfs die kleinste baba tree om weke terug nie te probeer om die telefoon rekening reg te stel nie was lonend, omdat hoe om dit op Sy manier te doen vars in my gedagtes was. Hy het geweet wanneer ek regtig nodig het om te weet hoe om met die opposisie af te reken—so Hy het my maak wag!

Though we all want to make progress and take great strides toward moving our mountains, the only way to move a mountain is to begin with one small baby step, nothing grand or of real importance. Aren’t we all still amazed, as were the apostles, when Jesus simply “spoke” to the storm to be still? He was not overwhelmed and stressed, but He remained calm, because He, above all, knew the truth and the power of doing things in accordance with the way God had created the universe. God’s way is not flashy in the technique, but the results are magnificent and awesome when manifested simply!

Alhoewel ons almal vooruitgang wil maak en groot tree na die versit van ons berge neem, die enigste manier om ‘n berg te versit is om met klein baba tree te begin, niks spoggerig of van regte belangrikheid nie. Is ons nie nog steeds verstom, soos die apostels, toe Jesus eenvoudig met die storm “gepraat” het om stil te wees? Hy was nie oorweldig of gestres nie, maar Hy het kalm gebly, omdat Hy bo alles, die waarheid geken het en die die krag om dinge volgens die manier wat God die heelal geskep het te doen. God se manier is nie vertonerig in die tegniek nie, maar die relsultate is manjifiek en ongelooflik wanneer dit eenvoudig manifesteer is!

Remember, for instance, how He chose to heal the blind: once by spitting on the ground, then making a paste, which is not something too spectacular, until we witness the result. And even before Jesus came to earth, not dipping seven times in murky water would have meant that a man (Naaman) would have died from leprosy, instead of being able to walk away the way he did, whole and healed, due to the simplicity of Elijah’s instructions.

Onthou, byvoorbeeld, hoe Hy gekies het om die blinde te genees; een keer deur op die grond te spoeg, en ‘n smeersel te maak, wat nie iets te skouspelagtig is nie, totdat ons van die resultaat getuig. En selfs voor Jesus na die aarde toe gekom het, om nie sewe keer in morsige water te dompel nie sou beteken dat ‘n man (Namaan) van melaatsheid sou gesterf het, in plaas daarvan om weg te loop soos wat hy gedoen het, heel en genees, as gevolg van die eenvoudigheid van Elija se intruksies.

Just today, I was reminded of the significance of baby steps and waiting for His timing, when I felt like calling a furniture store which had promised to deliver a couple of pieces of furniture I purchased well over a week ago. Yet, my HH told me to wait, to be patient. So, now I know it's not about the "incompetent" furniture company but rather the means the Lord chose to use to train me even more—how to learn more about the blessings of waiting and the significance of it in relation to moving mountains. And again, today, I ended up speaking to my children a couple of times about situations in which, despite me being curious, I had not asked any details, and as a matter of fact, I had specifically told them not to tell me. Yet, in both of these instances, months later, the details were revealed that confirmed a direction that the Lord had called me to take. Do you also find this interesting?

Net vandag, was ek herinner aan die betekenisvolheid van baba tree en om te wag vir Sy tydsberekening, toe ek lus gevoel het om ‘n meubelwinkel te skakel wie belowe het om ‘n paar stukke meubels af te lewer wat ek ‘n meer as week gelede gekoop het. Tog, het my HM gesê ek moet wag, om geduldig te wees. So, nou weet ek dit is nie oor die “onbevoegde” meubel maatskappy nie maar eerder die wyse wat die Here gekies het om my selfs meer op te lei—hoe om die seëninge van wag en die belangrikheid daarvan in vergelyking met die versit van berge te leer. En weer, vandag, het ek opgeeindig om ‘n paar keer met my kinders te praat oor situasies waarin, ten syte dat ek nuuskierig was, ek nie vir enige besonderhede gevra het nie, en om die waarheid te sê, ek spesifiek vir hulle gesê het om my nie te vertel nie. Tog, in albei hierdie gevalle, maande later, was die besonderhede ontbloot wat die rigting wat die Here my geroep het om te neem bevestig het. Vind jy dit ook interessant?

How would I sum up this chapter, so that it teaches us, you and me, about the significance and importance of taking small and guided baby steps? It is this: nothing you do is unimportant, nothing. And doing it in the proper timing is also extremely important. This is only possible, as you and I know, from learning to wait, which in itself is a baby step.

Hoe sou ek hierdie hoofstuk opsom, sodat dit ons leer, vir jou en my, oor die beduidenis en belangrikheid om klein en geleide tree te neem? Dit is dit: niks wat jy doen is onbelangrik nie, niks nie. En om dit in die  Regte tydsberekening te doen is ook van uiterste belang. Dit is net moontlik, soos wat jy en ek weet, deur te leer om te wag, wat opsigself ‘n baba tree is. 

Baby steps also have to be done blindly, with no guarantees. Our only guarantee is the One who has made us the promises: that mountains will be moved, when we come to the place of faith where we no longer doubt.

Baba tree moet ook blindelings gedoen word, met geen waarborge nie. Ons enigste waarborg is die Een wie aan ons die beloftes gemaak het: dat berge sal versit, wanneer ons op die plek van geloof kom waar ons nie meer twyfel nie.

 “But Jesus was matter-of-fact: ‘Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you'll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God’” (Matthew 21:21 MSG).

“Jesus antwoord toe: “Luister nou mooi, want Ek wil vir julle iets belangriks sê. As julle op God vertrou, Ek bedoel regtig vertrou, sal julle dinge kan doen wat dít wat met die vyeboom gebeur het, na kinderspeletjies sal laat lyk. Ek praat van groot dinge soos om vir ’n berg te sê om op te staan en in die see te gaan spring - en sowaar te sien hoe dit gebeur!”’ (Matteus 21:21 DB). “Om heeltemal op God te vertrou gee krag aan jou gebed. Bid met daardie vertroue en God sal vir jou gee wat jy vra, of dit iets kleins of iets groots is.”’ (Matteus 21:22 DB).