ek sit met ‘n droom in my hart
om weer in Israel se strate in U voetspore te loop
om weer deur die tuin van Getsemané te stap
en te weet U voete het hier geloop
Here, dit was ongelooflik
om eeue later te weet: U was ook hiér
hier in die tuin van Getsemané
het U my ook gewys dat ek
verlos sal word van die
wêreldse dinge wat my gevange hou

om weer ‘n bootvaart te beleef
op die See van Galilea
en te weet: hiér het U die storm stilgemaak
soos U ook die storms in my hart stilmaak

om weer die Vallei van Ela te besoek
en te besef U is groter as
die Goliats in my lewe
my 5 klippies lê op my rakkie
om my te herinner

U, my Vader, is groter as groot

om weer die bad van Betesda te sien
en te weet U maak bemoeienis
met my, want hier het U vir my
‘n persoonlike boodskap gegee

om weer in die Wildernis van Judea
te staan, oor die woestyn te kyk
en te weet: hiér was U deur Satan versoek
en Here, hier het ek ‘n streep
in die sand getrek en gesê:
tot hier toe en nie verder nie

om weer Pilatus se verhoorsaal te besoek
en te besef: hier was U onskuldig verhoor,
gevange gehou, vasgebind, sonder kos en water
alleen . . . in ‘n donker diep gat

om weer in Israel op Golgota af te kyk
te weet hier het u aan ‘n kruis gehang
met die besef dat U dáár U
laaste asem uitgeblaas het … vir mý
as die kruis kon praat
sou ek besef dat dit nie
net ek is wat soms van
God verlate voel nie

sou ons hoor hoe U vra
my God, my God, waarom het U my verlaat?

as die kruis kon praat
sou ek my kop
in skaamte laat sak
soos die dag toe ek
U om vergifnis gesmeek het
en my hart onherroeplik aan U gegee het

as die kruis kon praat
sou ek weer hoor: jou skuld,
my kind, is vol betaal

© Surene Esterhuizen

The post as die kruis kon praat appeared first on Vat 'n blaaskans / Take a break.

We originally planned to go to Israel in November 2020. Then Covid-19 hit the world and suddenly nothing was the same anymore. We had to get used to a new normal and now the trip to Israel seems like something that will never happen. Then we thought we might go during 2021, but no!! By the time that we could start planning the trip for September 2022, we have already felt like burst balloons as the one minute we get excited and the next nothing . . . again!

Finances was a big issue and all I could do was pray and ask the Lord to make a way for me. One morning I received a message from someone on LinkedIn who asked if a certain domain belonged to me? Yes, why? Long story short, he wanted to buy my domain. At first I didn’t want to and later I realised that I hardly ever write on that blog and the guy wanted the domain for a really good cause.

I prayed about it and asked the Lord if it was meant for me to go to Israel that the amount that he offered should pay my air ticket to Israel. So, when he contacted me again and asked me what revenue I earned from this blog, I told him he knew I made nothing . . . He asked me what I wanted as everybody has some dream holiday or something like a boat cruise. I said I have always dreamt of going to Israel and that there is a tour coming up. He offered me an amount and it covered my air ticket. WOW, thank you, Lord.

So, I sold a dream to buy a dream. At some stage I was still wondering if I was doing the right thing and I found a little note book where I wrote about 25 years ago about my dream to blog and that the name of the blog should be “take a break” . . . I had my answer as my Father always answers in such a way that you just know what you need to know!

So, I copied the old blog to my new domain and guess what? I barely blogged ever since . . . again!

But here I am . . . knowing there is a thing that is going to happen in my life . . . and I call it 180 degrees. Now I have to write about it as I am trying to figure out what next, otherwise I will not be obedient to share about the goodness of the Lord.

In the meantime . . . as I had to make payments towards the trip and the monies is not in my account, it was just amazing how the Lord provided in various and unexpected ways as the time passed.

The moral of the story is . . . Trust and know that when you ask and it is meant to be, He is Jehovah Jireh – the Lord, my Provider.

You just got to believe it!

The post What I learnt about prayer recently appeared first on Vat 'n blaaskans / Take a break.

Tonight I was reminded that in a few days a group of us would have been on our way to Israel. I had a moment of “oh no”! The same person also reminded me that all happens for a reason and that our God is in control. Always!

Our first opportunity would have been in November of 2020 . . . then Covid happened. Now it is almost a year later and we are in the same space as last year. The difference is that this year I have more hope for an Israel trip in 2022.

I also realised tonight that the excitement to be able to walk where Jesus walked, to sit where he sat, to be where he was, haven’t faded. We still have something to look forward to . . .

I am looking forward to visiting His grave. I can’t wait to walk the Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Sorrowful Way” or sometimes translated as “Way of Suffering”. This is a processional route in The Old City of Jerusalem and it represents the path Jesus would have taken on the way to his crucifixion.

I believe that no matter how much research one do or read about the Via Dolorosa, it will never prepare you to know exactly how you will feel when you are there . . . until you are in the moment. Oh, Lord, I can not wait for You to bless me to be able to visit Israel.

Read more here about the Via Dolorosa

The post Nostalgia appeared first on Vat 'n blaaskans / Take a break.