Bybel Legkaart: May 2017
My Vader, wyl die dag ontwaak
kom ek oudergewoonte weer na U
en oorhandig hierdie dag se saak
en los dit by U Vadersknie.
U weet waarvan my hart oorloop
en ken die denke in my hoof,
ek kniel hier van myself gestroop
en soek U wil in my geloof.
Gee dat ek nie hierdie dag
in eie krag en wysheid nader,
gee geduld dat ek sal wag
om U wil te doen, my Vader.
Gee my kennis uit U Woord,
vernuwe my manier van dink,
bring dit met U eie in akkoord,
sodat my woorde na U klink.
Neem my hande en my voet,
wys my dit wat ek moet doen,
maak dit wat ek doen dan goed
om ander met U te versoen.
Vader stroop my van my eie ek
en alles wat U nie van hou.
Kom neem U dan die ereplek,
U is die Heer op wie ek vertrou.
'n Oorspronklike gedig deur Miekie (Marietjie Uys), getiteld Stiltetyd.
Ek lees vanoggend in Johannes 11 oor die gedeelte waar Jesus vir Lasarus uit die dood opwek. Dis so 'n bekende gedeelte dat mens maklik die versteekte skatte daarin miskyk. Laat my dus toe om hierdie bekende stuk weer nuut te bekyk met jou vandag, uit so bietjie van 'n ander perspektief.
Die eerste ding wat my opgeval het in hierdie gedeelte, was dat dit bekend was dat Jesus lief was vir Lasarus en sy twee susters, Maria en Marta. Ek het vroëer die week op TV gesien hoe 'n ma sê dat dit vir haar 'n verleentheid is om in die openbaar te erken dat sy lief is vir haar kind. Maak dit jou ook ongemaklik om vir mense te sê dat jy vir hulle lief is? Dink jy dit vat iets van jou weg wanneer jy vir mense sê dat jy hulle respekteer of van hulle hou? Ons leef in 'n wêreld waar arrogansie en meerderwaardigheid aan ons voorgehou word as kwaliteite wat nagejaag moet word. Dink maar aan die 'humor' van die deursnit sitcom om te toets of hierdie stelling waar is, of nie. Tog is nederigheid een van die belangrikste kenmerke van 'n Christen se lewenswandel. Dit neem niks van jou af weg om ander mense op te hef met jou woorde nie. Inteendeel, jy sal vind dat dit jou verhoudings versterk en tot jou menswaardigheid bydra.
Nog iets wat my opgeval het in hierdie gedeelte is die empatie waarmee Jesus met mense omgegaan het. Hy het begrip gehad vir hulle seerkry en verlies. Ten spyte daarvan dat Hy geweet het dat Hy Lasarus uit die dood gaan opwek, dat hierdie slegs 'n tydelike toestand was waarin Lasarus verkeer het, HUIL Jesus saam met die wat rou. Hy word aangedaan deur Sy emosies en VOEL saam met die mense om Hom. Lees gerus verse 33, 35, en 38. Ek vind soveel troos hierin. Al weet God dat Hy vir my uitkoms sal gee in my omstandighede, het Hy steeds empatie met my pyn. God fokus nie slegs op die toekomstige uitkoms se omstandighede nie, maar ontmoet my nou hier in my huidige pyn en seerkry.
Herinner jou aan mense se trooswoorde wanneer hulle by 'n graf staan. Hulle sê graag vir jou dat jy hoop het om weer eendag met die oorledene herenig te wees in die hiernamaals. Trouens, Marta gebruik hierdie selfde troos-gedagte in vers 24, wanneer sy sê:
"Ek weet hy sal met die opstanding op die laaste dag uit die dood opstaan."
Jesus beaam die korrektheid van haar woorde. Daar is niks fout met die stelling nie. Maar dit keer Hom nie om nou reeds in hierdie pyn saam met haar, Maria, en die omstanders te huil nie. Jesus verstaan jou pyn en seerkry. Hy het empatie daarmee. Sy Goddelike perspektief weerhou Hom nie daarvan om jou in jou omstandighede te ken nie. Selfs nie al is die uitkoms op hande nie, soos in die geval van Lasarus se opstanding uit die dood.
Kom ons praat 'n bietjie meer oor Goddelike perspektief. Hierdie hoofstuk loop oor daarvan. Wanneer Jesus tyding ontvang dat Lasarus siek is, toon Hy Goddelike insig deur te sê dat hierdie siekte ten doel het om God te verheerlik. Dan stel Hy uit om na Lasarus toe te gaan, ten spyte van Sy diep emosionele verbintenis met die gesin.
Wanneer Hy uiteindelik planne maak om daarheen te gaan, raai sy dissipels Hom af om dit te doen, want hulle weet dat Jesus daar, in die omgewing van Jerusalem, gesoek word om gevange geneem te word. Dit sou gevaarlik wees om daarheen terug te keer. Weereens toon Jesus Goddelike insig. Hy praat met die dissipels oor tye. Dis veilig om in die dag te reis as jy kan sien waar jy gaan. As jy in die nag reis, staan jy gevaar om te struikel. Daar is geen verduideliking vir hierdie stelling nie. Dus moet ons dit self ontleed. Jesus praat hier oor tydsberekening. Dit gaan nie oor die tyd van die dag waarop Hy wil reis nie. Dit gaan daaroor dat Hy dinge doen volgens God se tydskedule. Onthou hoe Hy gewag het voor Hy na die siek Lasarus gegaan het? Waarom? Omdat Hy geweet het dat God verheerlik moet word in hierdie insident. Dit gaan nie oor Homself en Sy eie emosionele belewenis van die saak nie. Dit gaan oor God en die uitbreiding van Sy koninkryk. Wanneer Jesus volgens die Vader se tydskedule werk, is daar geen gevaar dat Hy voortydig gevange geneem sal word nie. Dan maak dit ook nie saak of Lasarus net siek of reeds dood is nie. Dan is God in beheer en gebeur dinge soos Hy dit bepaal. Dan is dit nie meer Jesus se belange wat voorop gestel word nie, maar die Vader s'n. Wie se belange is voorop gestel in die besluite wat jy neem oor jou skedule? Doen jy wat sin maak, of doen jy soos God dit bepaal?
Daar is nog 'n insident waar Jesus se Goddelike insig en perspektief na vore tree. Hy deel die dissipels mee dat Lasarus slaap. In hulle korrekte menslike kennis, bereik hulle die konklusie dat hy dan sal gesond word. Met Goddelike kennis, weet Jesus egter dat hy reeds dood is. Hy sê dit dan ook so pertinent aan die dissipels.
Nou wat is dan die punt om Jesus en die dissipels se lewens te waag deur terug te keer na die Jerusalem omgewing toe? Die ongelowige Tomas, soos hy bekend geword het in die volksmond, toon weereens sy ongeloof in Jesus se vermoë om die politieke tye van die dag te oorleef in v. 16b:
"Kom ons gaan ook, sodat ons saam met Hom kan sterwe."
Alhoewel hierdie gedeelte ook ongelowiges insluit, is dit die gelowiges wat aan die kern van die verhaal sit. Dis mense wat telkens 'n geloofsbelydenis aflê wanneer menige van hulle erken dat Jesus siektes kan genees, en dat die ewige lewe in Hom te vind is. Tog is hulle geloof, insig, kennis en perspektief beperk. Hulle faal in volkome geloof, as ek dit so mag stel. Maar let op hoe dit nie teen hulle gehou word nie. Jesus gebruik dit slegs as 'n geleentheid om hulle meer van Homself, die Vader en hulleself te leer.
Wanneer Jesus voor die graf staan, gee Hy opdrag dat die steen wat die graf toemaak, weggerol moet word. Marta, die praktiese suster, teken kapsie aan. Die lyk is al vier dae in die graf. Dit moes al begin ontbind het en stink.
Het jy 'n Goddelike droom vir jou lewe wat al so lank wag om in vervulling te tree, dat jy dit reeds in 'n graf agter 'n klip toegerol het, sodat jy nie aan die stank daarvan blootgestel hoef te wees nie? Miskien kort jy Goddelike perspektief om te verstaan dat God talm om die droom te verwesenlik, want Hy moet daardeur verheerlik word. Wil jy die tyd ryp druk, terwyl Jesus vertoef om te kom? Wie se droom is dit? Joune? God s'n? As hierdie droom, soos Lasarus, by God ontstaan het, is dit tyd dat jy dit vir Hom teruggee. As 'n dooie, stink, ontbindende Lasarus veilig was in Jesus se hande, is jou droom ook veilig daar.
Wat weet Jesus wat jy nie weet nie? Laat Hy jou self vertel in vers 41b-42:
"Vader, ek dank U dat U my verhoor het. Ek weet dat U my altyd verhoor, maar Ek sê dit ter wille van die mense wat hier rondom staan, sodat hulle kan glo dat U my gestuur het."
Selfs die dood wyk, wanneer jy jou eie emosies, belange en idees in lyn bring met God se tydsberekening, wil en besluite. Gee jou drome terug aan God. Hulle is veiliger by Hom as in jou hande. Staan dan terug en bid vir Goddelike perspektief, kennis en insig. En GLO!
Wat gebeur wanneer daar geloof is? Vers 45 sê:
"Baie van die Jode wat na Maria toe gekom en gesien het wat Jesus gedoen het, het tot geloof in Hom gekom."
Is dit nie belangriker as om dinge op jou eie tyd en terme gedoen te kry nie? Gun mense om Jesus te sien werk - ook in die drome wat God vir jou lewe het. Ek bid saam met jou vir wysheid, insig en perspektief. Sal jy dit ook vir my doen?
I wish to share a poem with you today that was developed to be a song. Yet, I have never gotten around to composing a melody for it. In the meantime, may you find value in the words. This song is about searching for God without realizing that this is what is missing from your life.
I’ve been running on empty for too long
Lord, hear the hollow reverb of my song
All You’ve ever given is now gone,
I am quite spent and all alone
Lord, hear my plea
Turn your ear to hear
and draw me near
Lord, I’ve been searching for someone
in a multitude of faces come and gone
Why is it that I never seemed to know
it was You I looked for high and low
Lord, I have come through many a trial
I’ve been tried and tested and it took a while
But I’ve discovered that only with trust
my life gains renewed momentum and thrust.
You have placed a new song in my heart
You have granted me a brand new start
Emptiness has been filled up with love
consistently replenished from above.
Original poem/song by Miekie (Marietjie Uys).
Posted by A Pretty Talent at 14:04
Vader, op U hulp berus ons nou
U snel tot hulp en is getrou
om ons ook in hierdie tyd
van die bose af te sluit.
Lanseer die roeping van my jeug,
herstel in my ook lewensvreug,
gee my U woorde in my mond,
die mensdom om my is verwond.
Vader, hoor ons as ons bid,
neem van ons lewens nou besit.
Doen wat U wil met wat ons het
ons sal ons nie teen U verset.
Doen wonderwerke, maak ons vry,
gee ons water waar ons lewe kry.
Gee ons ook ons daagliks brood
en tel ons op U Vaderskoot.
Leer ons van liefdes-empatie,
van U waarheid wyk ons nie.
U is die Een wat ons genees,
vernuwe ons in siel en vlees.
Oor geld is ons onbesorg,
U sal voorsien is ons waarborg
Gee ons rus en maak ons kalm
sodat ons nie in vertroue talm.
Vader, ons erken U opperhand
in ons huise en ons land.
U is die Een na wie ons kyk
as dinge vir ons donker lyk.
Gee ons genade, maak ons vry
van elke ding wat ons mislei
om ons van U af te verwyder.
Maak U Gees die onderskeider.
'n Oorspronklike gedig deur Miekie (Marietjie Uys)
I know that Jimmy Swaggart has fallen into disrepute lately, but I awoke this morning with his voice in my head, singing 'It is no secret what God can do.' It was such a blessed reminder that we do not need to fret and worry. That God is on our side, that we can take Him at His promise, not run away and hide. Then I reminded myself of Who He is. He is the God who parted the Red Sea before Moses and the Israelites so that they could (eventually) enter the land He promised them. He is the God who went ahead of Joshua in the battle against Jericho, making solid walls crumble. He is the God who defeated Jehoshaphat's enemies before he even showed up for the battle. He is the God who did not withhold His only Son when it came to rescuing you and me from our deserved fate of death through sin. He is the God who quietens storms, who will walk on water to reach us, who tells us to cast our nets out and then provides where there had been no fish. He is the God who heals leprosy, blindness, makes the lame walk, and cures a multitude of other ailments. He is the God who did not back away from arguing the important facts against the rulers of the day, be they church or country. He is the God who raised the dead from their graves on numerous occasions. It is no secret what God can do. Therefore, take courage today. There is nothing that can come your way that God is not able to conquer and turn in your favour. Submit your will to His. Bring your interests in line with His. Then stand back and watch the salvation He brings. Our God is a good God. He is the same today as He was yesterday, and He will not change or adapt to tomorrow's circumstances. What will happen, is that tomorrow's circumstances will give way before God. It is no secret what God can do. What He's done for others, He will do for you.
She took Life in her arms and insisted He stood up with her
They whirled and twirled and set the floor on fire
On occasion, they hit some rough spots, but she paid them no heed;
she would have Life on her own terms and so she led the way
Life was a good companion to her
He yielded just enough for her to realize He had some of His own ideas
Initially, she would have none of it, insisting to dance to her own rhythm,
but gradually she learned to allow Life to take the lead and she danced more freely
The moment her step faltered came as a surprise, unexpected
She chose to ignore it, disregarding it as a temporary setback
Gradually those moments became more frequent and she panicked,
fearing that Life might let her go and find Himself another partner.
Her fears were in vain, Life held on tenaciously
and when she crossed over, she found Him waiting there in glory.
An original poem by Miekie (Marietjie Uys).
I want to tell you about a journey that started a couple of years ago and landed me where I am today, still journeying on, and absolutely loving my dance with life, even though there are times when I am stumbling over my own two feet and struggling to make sense of the rhythm of the music.
I managed to tick off one (or more?) of my bosses. What's new? Being me; nothing. I am out-spoken and opinionated and the combo doesn't always go down well. I endured a couple of months of persecution and decided to quit. About time!
Only one tiny little problem. I had no alternative income. Being a self-sufficient woman, this was a problem. Logical next step. Find an employer. I did. Right there in the mirror.
I am a reasonably intelligent creature with more than a fair amount of self-confidence. Why not? Thus began my journey into self-employment. Not quite.
First things first. Take a break. Believe me if I tell you that after you have gone through the sort of ordeal that I have gone through, it is time and money well spent. And much cheaper than a psychologist. Besides, who wants to lie on a couch when there is a whole world out there in need of exploring?
So I packed my bags and I headed down to the coast. The coast was the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa.
Heading down to the coast, we (the folks and I) encountered some heavy snowfalls. Now, you need to understand that snowfalls are a rarity in sunny South Africa. So we were not in the least put out by this. As a matter of fact, we found it fascinating and thrilling. That is until they closed the pass we were travelling on and we had to turn around to find an alternative route, turning the 8 hour journey into a 12 hour one.
There was a lesson in this. Sometimes we are headed in a direction and we are certain of our destination, but then life gives a cold shoulder. Instead of giving up, we should carry on. Keep going. Find an alternative route, another way of doing things. But never lie down in the snow. Don't get locked out in the cold. There is always the possibility of a fresh start. Sure, there might be a delay. Of course it might upset your plans. But don't let it upset your whole life. Carry on. Reach your destination.
The next morning saw me awakening to a spectacular sunrise over the ocean. I did not even have to rise from my bed to take in the wonder of this. Pure bliss.
After the unexpectedly cold weather inland, the sea turned stormy. I was walking along the beach, snapping pictures of the tumultuous waves crashing onto the rocks and the huge dead trees that lay scattered along the shore, when it occurred to me that there was some symbolism in this as well. Sometimes we become so huge in our own eyes that we believe ourselves to be immovable. We will stand our ground, regardless of the changes around us. We shall not be moved. We stand so firmly in the belief that we are right, that we fail to realize that new wisdom and knowledge had been brought to our worlds and that we need to move on with the times.
It takes mighty waves to uproot those tightly held beliefs of ours, but uprooted they must be. And so I realized that the storms of life can be cleansing. It can take that magnificent lump of a tree and toss it aside to make space for new life. We merely need to make sure that only the dead trees are uprooted and discarded. Do not hold on to those. Let them go. But tend the young ones. Don't allow the whole forest be destroyed. And don't ever become so narrow-minded that your whole life can be summed up in one dead tree!
I was reminded of the tale of the footprints in the sand. Perhaps our lives can be compared to a walk along the beach. In that case I wish to add my 2 cents worth of advice:Mind the storms;Do not crawl into a hole - the waves will find you there;Enjoy the moments of tranquility and use them to tend to yourself;Stop to smell the flowers.
Being down and out simply means you have an opportunity to get up and get back in. Find another door, or knock a wall down. But get back in.
God never promised any of us a life without hardships. Instead, He promised to be with us in everything life throws at us. He will not forsake us. He will not leave us alone, or push us aside. It is now almost five years since I started out on this new phase and it has been tough in every way possible. It has challenged my relationships, shaken my securities, tested my knowledge and tried my skills. There has been moments of exultation and moments where I have been so down in the dumps that I did not know how to rise to the top again. But in every single moment, I knew God was there. Knew it. I may not have felt it, but I knew it. I have been walking with God for many years now and I have learned to trust Him more than my emotional experience of Him. Looking back, I can see Him there. While I was in the moment, I was too close to Him to get a good look. Trust God. He will not disappoint.
U ken my, Vader, en weet vas
dat ek elke gedagte na U bring,
dat elke menslike swaar las,
ek met gebed aan U opdring.
Ek plaas 'n wag voor my mond,
maar ook my gedagtegang,
sodat ek paraat is en ter stond
besmetlikhede vas kan vang.
Hierdie hek is toegesluit
vir elkeen wat kom om te buit
en van my lewensvreug te steel.
Met 'n Godellike lewe om te deel
is dit belangrik dat ek sal onthou
dat wat hier in en uit my kan berou.
'n Oorspronklike gedig deur Miekie (Marietjie Uys).
Toe Jesus bid dat Hy Sy Gees aan U gee,
was dit met 'n intieme kennis dat die twee
van U 'n eensgesinde span uitmaak
in soverre dit mense se lewens raak.
Het Hy geweet Hy hoef geen beheer
oor Sy eie leef en sterf van U te weer,
dat in U hande, standvastig sterk,
berus op daardie oomblik 'n wonderwerk
waarmee U die eeue-oue mensdom
met U liefde en genade sou verstom.
Kan ek dus ook my gees in U hande plaas
in nabootsende Jesus-vertroue dat oplaas
sal U wat vir die mensdom redding bring,
ook vir my 'n lied van uitkoms sal laat sing?
Here, ek stel my voor U oop,
dat U my van myself sal stroop
om met U waarheid om te gaan
en op U Woord geplant te staan.
Gee my U insig en wysheid
en wys vir my waar is die stryd,
die magte wat teen U opstaan,
wys my wie om teë te staan.
Here, ek is uitgekose
vir hierdie strydslag teen die bose
wat poog om mense weg te lei,
wyl U hul van dit wil bevry.
Spreek genesing, spreek ook hoop,
laat U Heil’ge Gees hul doop,
keer ons om, van kop tot stert,
leer ons wat’s ons in U werd.
Gee vir ons 'n nuwe lied
om te sing oor wat U bied
Maak U woorde in ons wakker
en plaas ons in U lewensakker.
It may be that you are facing some daunting battle today that threatens to envelop your whole existence. If this is the case, I wish to share some encouraging thoughts with you. As I am sitting here, a song is playing in my head, sung by Ron Kenoly and his team, called The Battle is the Lord's. Simply click on the highlighted words to find it on YouTube.
This song was inspired by a passage in the Bible which can be found in 2 Chronicles 20. In this passage the nation of Judah is faced with a three-fold alliance of nations who are marching in battle towards them. Judah is a tiny nation by comparison and poorly equipped for the battle. Jehoshaphat, however, has learned not to take things to heart, but rather to take them to the Lord, and this is exactly what he does. He leads his people in prayer, encouraging the whole nation to prostrate themselves before God, to seek His face and His will.
This pays brilliant dividends. God actually tells Jehoshaphat when his enemies will be at a certain spot. Now, in terms of military strategy, things can hardly get better. This is precise and accurate intelligence from the most reliable source ever! Not even the joint enemies could foretell their own location as accurately as Jehoshaphat's Informant had. What would have made sense, would have been for Jehoshaphat to gather his top military advisers and strategists to come up with the best battle plan to defeat the enemy. Yet, this is not what happened. Instead, God gave Jehoshaphat a military strategy that seemed to make no sense at all.
God told Jehoshaphat to line up a huge band to make music. The he was also to line up a huge choir to sing along with the music. This noisy band of musicians and choral singers were then to march IN FRONT OF the army towards the place where the enemy would be found, as revealed by God. There was absolutely zero stealth in this strategy! It seemed pure madness, from a purely human point of view.
Yet God does not have a human point of view. He has a unique perspective, as was once again proved by the outcome of the battle. When Jehoshaphat and his troop of merry men arrived at the place of meeting, they found the enemy all wiped out. Every last man had died. What had happened was that two of the three-fold alliance, had banded together against the third and killed them all off. In the process, the other two got ticked off with each other as well, and before Jehoshaphat and his army could even show up, they had all managed to slaughter each other! All that was left for the people of Judah to do, was to gather the loot - and this took them all of three days to do, there was so much of it.
Perhaps, you are facing an overwhelming alliance today. Perhaps, your enemy seem too strong, too wise, too well-equipped for you to prosper against them. Perhaps you need reminding that the same God who saved Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah, is the One who gave you the right to call Him Father. Call upon the name of your Father. Call upon Jesus. Call upon the Holy Spirit with whom you have been equipped. Then allow yourself to sing songs of jubilant victory and stand back to watch the salvation that God brings. Allow your enemies to destroy themselves and accept the loot that God will entrust to you.
You are not alone. If God is for us, who can be against us? I pray that you may have wisdom to know and understand God's will in your life. Amen.
Tere kindjie klein en rein
met jou vel soos sag satyn,
waar dit kneus onder 'n vuis -
hoe oorleef jy by die huis?
Tere kindjie met jou seer
wat jy by ouerknie aanleer,
weet jy dit is nie die reël
dat 'n ouer jou onskuld steel?
Tere kindjie voor my oë,
jou lewe maak my so bewoë
Ek wens ek kon jou nadertrek
en my arms om jou strek.
Tere kindjie hoor die lied
wat aan jou oorwinning bied
God is met jou in die stryd
teen die lewe se venyd.
Tere kindjie met jou dors,
kom lê knus teen Vadersbors
Ledig jou van al jou haat
Laat God genesing oor jou praat.
Tere kindjie word al groot.
Kies jou soort waar jy sal hoort
Het die huis se invloed jou gewen,
of word jy aan jou God geken?
Tere kindjie van my Vader,
Ek merk hoe jy tot ander nader
wat, soos jy, eens swaar moes ly,
maar hul het jou tot hulp gekry.
Tere kindjie, oorwinnaarskind,
jou verlede het jou nie verblind,
maar slegs geslaag om krag te gee
aan drenkelinge in jou lewens-see.
My God, my God, hoor my gebed
U alleen kan my uit nood uit red.
Ek fluister U naam in my vrees,
in hoop dat U naby my sal wees.
Gee uitkoms Heer, in hierdie stryd -
ek’s in finansiële moeilikheid.
Ek wonder of U kan verstaan
hoe dit met ons mense gaan?
U hou die wêreld in U hand,
spreek net 'n woord en dit verbrand,
maar my moeilikheid wil nie verdwyn,
vermeerder selfs met sonneskyn.
U’t onderneem om vir my te sorg,
ek is geanker met my God as borg.
Hoe is dit dan dat U so draal
wyl ek in my verpligtings faal?
Lê diè skuld ook aan eie wand?
Was ek spandabelrig sonder verstand?
Het ek U in spandeer misken?
Is dit waarom ek nou nie wen?
Ek draai my sente in my kop
om te sien waar ek die toets dop,
maar al wat ek vind is nog meer vrae -
hier is geen antwoord vir wat pla.
O Heer, ek soek 'n wonderwerk
by plig, plesier, of selfs die kerk.
Maak U hand oop en help my tog
dat ek openlik oor U kan spog.
Nou kan ek heimlik U vertrou
wyl ek eie planne loop en brou.
Dis tog nie hoe geloof moet lyk!
In geloof loop U tog voor en pryk?!
Ek sak my hande, buig my hoof,
knak ook my knieë in my geloof.
Voor U, is ek nie opgehef,
slegs nietig klein, is my besef.
Vader, vergeef my onvermoë
om in U voorsiening te kan glo,
om dinge selfstandig uit te werk,
terwyl U sê U stel die merk
waar my voorsiening vandaan kom.
Ek moet slegs wag – U sal verstom.
Dan wag ek Heer, en hou my in
al dink geen mens die wag maak sin.
My sin is in my God te vind,
naïf gelowig, soos 'n kind.
Ek weet mense verstaan dit nie,
my eie kop stry met my knie.
Tog bly my knie voor U gebuig
en sal ek steeds van U getuig.
Al dink mense dan ook wat,
vir my, bly U die enigste pad.
Ek hoop U redding kom tog gou,
maar tot dit kom, sal ek vertrou,
dat U wat die aarde ewig draai,
vir my sal sorg, al word dit taai.
Die mossies, die veld, die lelies ook,
nie een moet self sorg of self spook.
U het my oor en oor verseker,
hierdie is nie my finale beker,
waaruit ek hier op aarde drink -
U het 'n beter een reeds ingeskink.
Dus, los ek nou my laste hier,
om U in lofsang te versier.
Posted by A Pretty Talent at 14:30
We live life to our merry detriment
this is our entire predicament.
We want what we shouldn’t
and do what we oughtn’t
giving little thought to consequences
and caring not about the hindrances
we lay in the path for others
who look up to us as older brothers
who should know better, but care not
that the things we sow is only rot
without any sense of decency
or the things that really ought to be.
We search for joy and jubilee
unencumbered by the misery
we leave in our wake as we tread on
over the heads of another man’s son.
What is it to us if they couldn’t keep up?
We can hardly be blamed for their handicap.
We joyfully dance and sing to a tune
carried to us from over a dune
happy and blissfully unaware,
we dance and we sing without a care
that the flute-player hails from Hamelin
and that we’re on our way to destruction.
Having returned from a three week painting holiday, I had a small hill of washing that needed ironing. The magnitude of the task was enough to render me defeated. After all, I had seen the men in my life hire earth moving equipment to move mounds of soil outside the house, that were comparable in size! Yet, my tenacious attitude would not allow me to admit defeat and I took to the task with vigour. Those who heard me mumbling under my breath, followed by heavy sighs, and looks of desperation, may have misinterpreted my vigour for loathing, but I can assure you that a lot of energy went into the emotion, whichever version you prefer to believe.
To make the task pass less painfully, I switched the telly on and hopped through a bouquet of entertainment that neither reminded me of a bunch of lovely flowers, nor convinced me that the term entertainment served the purpose. Yet, I managed to find a movie I would not mind watching a second time and returned to the ironing. I should explain that I had set up the ironing board in the middle of the lounge to make the chore as entertaining as it could possibly be.
My movie of choice was Eat, Pray, Love. This inevitably led to me shouting life coaching advice to Julia Roberts at a pitch reminiscent of South Africans watching the 1995 World Cup Rugby game. I ate my way through Italy with her, scolded her all the while she was praying to the wrong god, and completely missed the plot when she finally found love.
This was because a mobile phone had forced its interference upon my perfectly planned day. My mom answered the phone, and utterly oblivious to the fact that I was watching a movie, seated herself in the lounge to have a conversation that lasted almost the whole of the third chapter of the movie.
By this time, I had inundated Julia with so much life-altering advice that it hardly seemed to matter if I followed her to the end of her quest. She would be just fine if she heeded only half of the things I told her. Instead, I unashamedly eavesdropped on the conversation my mom was having. Now, this was entertaining! Have you ever listened to two women engrossed in a conversation? Even if you can only hear one side of the conversation, it promises to be good. It is like a really good trailer to a movie. The exclamations range between surprise, joy, unbelief, shock, horror, back to joy, escalating to ecstasy, dropping to sympathy, and coming full circle back to surprise. By the time the call ended, I was literally burning with curiosity. Who was it that had called? What did they say? What news was there to share? Was it war, divorce, an epidemic, did someone die? I had to know!
Inevitably, the answer would be something mundane. Surprise at the identity of the caller. After all, it was mere days since the last time they spoke. Joy, at being reunited, if only over the phone. Unbelief, at how hot the temperatures had become this summer. Shock, that predictions indicated that temperatures could rise even higher. Horror, to think that the schools expected the much-adored grandchildren to be out in this kind of weather. Joy, that at least the mothers took great care in treating their skins with sun block before they left the house. Ecstasy, over the fact that someone, whose name they could not recall right now, were going to have another baby. Sympathy, with the fact that she would have to start the pajama drill all over again at her age. Surprise, at where the time had gone while they were chatting over the phone.
The conversation trailer was much better than the actual conversation. Much like many a movie I had made a point of seeing, after having watched the trailer. The whole day’s events left me perplexed about the psyche of the female of the species. Why did we take things so much to heart? We seemed to feel deeper than the males who appeared to have the ability to simply shrug life off. It was as if we had to inhale the emotions first, taste it with our inward parts, pass it from one organ to the next, and even incubate it, before we were ready to let it go.
Just then, Julia was ready to sail off into the sunset with her Don Juan, I had reached the bottom of the mound of clothes, and some wonderful smells were emerging from the kitchen. So, I did what the men do. I shrugged all of these deep concerns off and hastened to the kitchen, where I ate, prayed and loved with my family.
Us women, we incubate life, for life is born from our bodies. We take life seriously, but we are resilient that way. There is no need to avoid our emotions. We face them and deal with them, because we can. So next time you hear a woman’s exclamations over a mundane life, remember that women value all life, be it mundane, or not, for we are the ones who incubated it.
A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. (John 16:21).
Haan, staan jy en koning kraai
wyl jy die kerk met mis besaai,
vanaf jou kateder van kritiek,
wyl jy liefde slegs mimiek.
Verteenwoordig jy jou Vader
as jy in haat tot ander nader
en hul nie 'n kans wil gun
om te doen wat hul bemin?
Is jy die een wat God se naam
iets maak waarvoor die mens hom skaam,
sodat hy ander velde gaan besoek,
wyl jy by jou getroue groepie kloek?
Weet jy dan nie wat liefde is,
met sy wortel van vergifnis,
wat jou reg gee om ander te verskoon
om ook die dienste by te woon?
Waarom leen jy dan jou ore uit
aan hulle wat haat en leuens verspreid
in kerkgeledere uitbasuin
met min ontsag vir andere se pyn?
Staan vol jou plek en wees 'n man
wat ander bemagtig sodat hulle kan
doen waarvoor hulle geroep word,
anders skiet die kerk tekort.
Gee jy die rigting en leiding
om eenheid te maak van skeiding,
en wees paraat en op jou plek
wanneer ander hulle monde rek.
Laat jou woorde liefde wees,
want so word alle seer genees,
ook die wat in kwaadpraat begin
en nooit oor die impak daarvan besin.
As ons mekaar nie kan akkomodeer
in die plek waar ons ons God vereer,
hoe kan ons dan die wêreld raak?
Dan het ons God mos reeds versaak!?
Dus, rig op jou hart en buig jou knie
want hierdie gaan nie oor jou eer nie.
Jy sal ander moet ondersteun
en hom jou skouer gee om teen te leun.
We are all driftwood
in an ocean of encounters,
flotsam of each others’ lives.
Tossed to and fro by the waves,
without direction or guidance,
we bounce up and sink down low,
utterly delivered unto the tides and times.
Destiny has decided our fate
and we drift aimlessly along,
until we smash against a rock
and are forced to decide.
Do we yield, or do we resist?
Resisting, we’re knocked into splinters,
and we rejoice, for we are more,
not realizing how much we are reduced.
Yielding, we gain a foothold
and we anchor against that rock
and gradually are wedged deeper
and deeper until we become one
with it and toss around no more.
The waves still crash, the storms still rage,
yet we are unmoved, unshaken, firm
for we have found strength in one
who has faced the storms and overcome,
who have raced the oceans and have won.
Het jy al ooit saad in die grond gesit en verwag dat daar iets sou groei, dat 'n plant daar sou uitspruit? Ek het op 'n plaas grootgeword met 'n gemengde boerdery, waar daar onder andere mielies geplant is. Het jy al die pitte op 'n mieliestronk getel? Ek ook nie. Ek weet net daar is BAIE. Elke mielieplant kan 'n hele klomp koppe dra (ek moet erken ek weet nie wat die gemiddeld is nie). Selfs al het daai plant net een kop gedra, wat uiters onwaarskynlik is, sou dit steeds heelwat meer pitte geproduseer het as waaruit dit gespruit het. Een pit word met duisende vermenigvuldig wanneer jy dit in die grond sit.
Hoeveel van julle het al iets geplant? Sê my, het jy elke dag 'n paar keer by jou saadjie gestop en vir hom gebid dat hy moet groei? As jy nou ja geantwoord het, kan jy maar ophou lees. My antwoord is nee. Ek het nie. Beteken dit dat my saad nie opgekom het nie? Dit het! Weet jy waarom? Baie duisende jare gelede het God 'n eenmalige bevel uitgevaardig dat dit moet gebeur en daardie saad en die hele natuur is vandag nog aan daardie wet/woord van God onderhorig. As jou lewe nie meer vrug dra nie, is dit nie dalk omdat jy nie meer onderhorig/gehoorsaam is aan God se woord/wet nie?
She picked up a hammer and chisel and
forcefully drove her words into their heads:
You. Will. Hear. My. Demands.
Her words drove them apart and
they splintered under the onslaught.
Her hand would not be stayed.
She lassoed word after word carefully
before she slung it at them with such force
that they staggered under the impact.
She was the keeper of truths,
she alone knew the secrets of the universe.
Arguing with her was pointless.
She already knew all the answers before
the questions were even properly formulated
Slowly, slowly they recovered as they found
each other where she had tossed them aside.
Slowly, they climbed their way back through
the web of intricate lies and assumptions.
The fog cleared, the mist lifted and they could see
the truths that had been tossed aside so carelessly,
had never been anything but true and accurate.
Unraveling fact from fiction was an arduous task but
they stuck to it with great tenacity and were rewarded.
They found the word they had been looking for
to stop the onslaught that had wreaked such havoc.
“Silence!” they exclaimed in unison.
“Silence! Speak no more. Not a word, not a syllable,
not a sound, not even a gesture will be tolerated!
Silence brought healing. It brought restoration.
I brought back unity, knowledge, wisdom, but
most importantly, it brought back love.
They had lived with condemnation and fear
for so long that it took them some time to realize
that what had been missing, was love.
Love did not hold grudges, and was not envious.
Love did not acknowledge evil, but knew only good.
Love did not bring bondage and fear, but set one free.
Love had been missing, but now it was back,
and it did not return in small bits and pieces. It
came with more force than her words had ever mustered.
It came back and it made itself heard.
Love demanded an account and then it wiped the
slate clean, and it forgave, and it forgot.
A gentle breeze blew over that house when hate
was driven from it. God was in that breeze.
It was soothing, cooling, restorative and healing.
Gently, it blew the dust of the destruction away
to expose the building blocks that had been
buried underneath the rubble of her words.
They were delighted to find those bricks still there
and thanked God in unison, before they started
rebuilding the temple of their lives. Jerusalem
may have fallen, but they would build it up again.
Her children had been taken captive, her old men
had turned grey, her young men quivered, her women
wailed, but Jerusalem was God’s chosen city
and it would not be completely destroyed forever.
When they returned to the teachings of their youth,
God turned His ear towards them, and heard their cries.
The splendour of the rebuilt city was greater than
it had ever been. They rejoiced for God was good.
Weet jy dat jy nie vir God geskep het nie? Jy het die vraag reg gelees. Jy is nie die skepper van God nie. Weet jy dit? Dis my vraag.
Laat ek verduidelik. Elke keer wanneer jy besluit wat God se wil is, sonder om Hom te ken in die saak, is jy besig om vir jou 'n god te skep volgens jou eie idees en verbeelding. Jy is die klei. Jy is nie die een wat God vorm na jou denke en oordeel nie. Jy is veronderstel om buigbaar en vormbaar te wees in God se hande. Maar nou verhard jy jou hart en jy verhef jouself in eiewaan en weier hardkoppig om toe te gee sodat God beheer neem van jou lewe. Solank as wat jy nie voor God buig nie, stel God nie belang om met jou te werk nie. Lees mooi. Jy is onbruikbaar vir God. Ek sê nie dat Hy nie in jou belangstel nie. Hy kan jou net nie gebruik nie. Is dit okay, dink jy? As dit is wat jy dink, is dit moontlik slegs omdat jy onbewus is van die gevolge van jou besluit. Elke aksie/keuse in die lewe, het 'n reaksie/gevolg. Jy kan nie bo-oor God klim nie. Jy kan nie onder God deurseil nie. Jy kan Hom nie links of regs sidestep nie. Uiteindelik is God soos 'n onwrikbare muur waar jy MOET stop en erken dat Hy bestaan. Jy sal Hom nie langer kan ontken nie. Jy sal skielik gekonfronteer word met die feit dat God nie netjies in daai tassie pas waar jy Hom ingeprop het nie. Hy vul nie net een klein afskorting van jou lewe nie. Hy is meer as wat jou verbeelding jou toegelaat het om te glo oor God. Buig jou wil vandag nog voor God s'n! Jy gaan eendag plat op jou aangesig voor God lê en moet erken dat Hy is Wie Hy is. Daardie dag kan die beste dag van jou bestaan wees ... of dit kan die einde van jou bestaan wees. Ek stel vandag 'n keuse voor jou. Verwerp God en sterf in jou eiewysheid, of buig jou wil, jou kennis, jou idees voor God en kies Lewe. God wag. Gaan jy reageer?
Die koffie staan alreeds en prut
dis tyd om by die tafel aan te sit
Spek en eiers is al gaar,
die pap en kaiïngs lankal klaar.
“Kom mense, laat ons hande vat.
Ons wag vir jou, gaan sit my Skat.”
So vergader ons om die tafel
waar die tafeldoek alreeds uitrafel.
Dis jare se praat wat by die tafel sit
waar ons elke keer eers tot God bid
voordat ons aan onsself sal dink
om liggaam te voed met eet en drink.
So maak ons die kinders groot
en leer hul van hul daagliks’ brood
sodat elke nuutgebore generasie
weet God is meer as net sensasie.
Die Vader van ons familiekring
is meer as net 'n Sondag-ding
Hy is ons kompas in die dag
en waak ook oor ons in die nag.
Dus, vriende, laat ons hande vat
want so kry ons onsself in rat
om wat ons aanpak te laat geld
om oes te dra op God se veld.
Waar sit ek hierdie pakkie neer?
Ek hou hom vas, maar hy maak seer.
Wil U hom nie maar by my vat
ek is van seerkry siek en sat.
U weet ek dra al baie lank
aan andere se stank en dank,
maar nou het ek genoeg gehad.
Wil U dit nie maar by my vat?
Ek los my pakkie by U Heer
Dit maak my skouers rou en teer.
Mense kan dit nie verstaan,
tog weet U reeds wat hier aangaan.
My seerkry maak my hardekwas.
Sal U bloed my skoon kan was?
Sal U bloed my rein kan maak?
Laat U my net nie ook versaak!
wat smeek dat U op my sal let
om aan my redding te verleen
Kloof oop my haat tot op die skeen.
Laat my nie aan mense oor,
draai U die oor en gee gehoor
My saak lê voor U oopgestel
ontbloot met alles wat my kwel.
My Vader hoor, Hy sien my raak
Gebed verander elke saak,
wat ek eerbiedig voor Hom lê.
Ook nou sal Hy 'n antwoord hê.
Ek raak nou rustig, kwel nie meer,
ek het baie by my God geleer.
Ek kan vergewe soos Hy sou,
ontvang dieselfde in berou.
Vader, vergeef, ek’s desperaat!
My Vader wat my hartstaal praat,
steek uit Sy hand en raak my aan
sodat ek weer orent kan staan.
Hy streel sag oor my hart se seer,
gee my die moed vir weer probeer.
Sy Gees-vervulde heerlikheid
neem my besit en sal nie wyk.
Versigtig waag ek tree vir tree
die nuwe rigting wat Hy gee
met oë en ore Gods-gerig
dra my lewe nou Sy vrug.