The wind was rushing through the leaves, while we biked underneath.
It was just such an amazingly lovely late spring evening. The sky was bright and an astonishing sunset made the cows in the field jump before they went to rest, before the dark. The deer skipped through the fields, chasing a hare and a few fields further we saw a gathering of storks and herons.
The whole nature was worshipping their maker, while the sun set deeper and deeper and changed the clouds in this remarkable colour scene. Peace, rest and action were in full harmony, and we were totally part of it.
It was pretty natural to join the worship of the nature in this moment and my heart was literally leaping of joy, enjoying this bike ride with Jelle and looking back on our journey so far. How often did we take the bike, dreaming of futures unknown, paths never walked before. That was how we joined together: not knowing where it would bring us, and that is how it is again. At that time it was so unbelievable unknown, too big and therefore in a way scary to make a promise -for life- and so unfinished. And that is how it is now again. You step into something, and you have no idea how it really will be. You follow the desires of your heart, you are preparing as good as possible and go, without knowing what is going to happen in detail. Just trusting the One who called you.
The peace what we sensed in the nature, was so in harmony with the peace what we sensed in our hearts, that it is just the same to be in worship. Glory to the King!
It was the same day that we heard about Elisabeth Elliot’s entering into glory. Now she is seeing Jesus as He is to be seen. What a mystery! Elisabeth and Jim Elliot made a deep impression on Jelle and me and their life has marked our life in a way. I wrote about this in an earlier blogpost:twelve and a half years
It is good to go back sometimes to what really motivates you. I was wondering if I should share it on something like a blog, but I did. It can’t do any harm, and this is who we really are when we are digging in, back to our roots.
Back to Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. Jim is one of the five men who died when they tried to reach the Auca people, who was well known as a very dangerous group of people. He reached them with four other young men. These five families were all without a dad, when the five young man where speared to dead. Elisabeth choose to live with her very young daughter among the Auca people. (Her family wasn’t so fond of this choice, not so surprisingly,) but it brought her healing and taught her deep life lessons. There is a lot to say about those choices, I am not going to do that. A lot of people accepted the King of Kings, through this story. It all happened in the fifties. And there are different books to find about it. (Through gates of splendor)
Elisabeth died at age 88, after suffering of dementia. Her third husband wrote about her and said: She accepted dementia as she did the loss of her husbands. Something she rather not experienced, but now it happened, she accepted it, strongly believing that God has his hand in every detail of her life. If you want to read more, there is an article in Christianity Today, you can google on Elisabeth Elliot. (Jelle is in Budapest, otherwise he could help me to fix this in an easy way..and so is also my blog post a bit of a draft…please forgive me…)
It is not a good thing when people get more glory than their Maker, but it is remarkable how she lived and stayed focussed on her vision: Heart for the helpless and focus on Jesus alone.
Our beautiful bike ride, tight in by Elisabeth’s entering in glory and ended in worship, please join in:
5: He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.
6: He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.
11: All kings will bow down to him, and all nations will serve him.
12: For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.
16: Let grain abound throughout the land on the tops of the hills may it sway.
Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field.
17: May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.
18: Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel.
who alone does marvellous deeds,
Praise be to his glorious name forever, may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
psalm 72
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