Friday, December 31, 2010

God is faithful!

I have to end this year with a testimony of God's faithfulness.



I hope it will serve as an encouragement to all those who pray for their children to enter into the Kingdom of God. This year our eldest son Rodney (22 years) came to the end of himself and opened up his heart to find out that His Heavenly Father had been on the look-out for him all the time!

Does this remind you of the story of the Prodigal Son.... when he came to the end of himself and sat with the pigs to get something to eat, only then he decided to return to his father.
It is a story of many broken lives - something has to bring us to our knees to be desperate enough to open our hearts to the Love of the Father, which was shown to us when Jesus died on the Cross to bring us back to God. God's arms are still open wide today.

When Rodney was four, we moved from Holland to the Mission fields in the South of France never ever knowing that it would be a sacrifice of such enormous proportions for all of us. We had two other sons at the time, David, who has Down Syndrome and goes to a special school where he is loved, and Joël who is now 18. Michaël was born in France. We knew little about the culture, the coldness of local folk against 'strangers', not to mention the hostility against Christianity.
Rodney had a hard time at school, as did our other children, because he was different, because we, as a family believed in a living God.
But when he was a teenager and went to college he vowed never to be bullied again. 'God' was the reason he was bullied so now he did everything against God to be accepted. If we would have known how far he went we would have been worried sick. Somehow we were spared.

He left home when he was 17, but never seemed to succeed in life, how desperately he wanted to be independent, to have a family of his own, to have a reasonable job and just live his life. But it never went that way. He went down the wrong path and ended up in total darkness, depressed with no way out.

In the mean time, although our other two boys didn't have an easy time at school, they chose to follow Jesus when they were 16 and are still serious, God fearing boys today. But Rodney was different.....

We have prayed for years and years for God to touch his heart. It has been a long road and we suffered seeing him as he was. At times we were so terribly discouraged....it took so long.

We may think that our prayers brought our son back to God but it was the witness of the Holy Spirit that spoke deep in his heart and the awesome faithfulness of God that touched him in his time of need. The seed of the Word of God that was planted in his heart from his infant years never ever left him.

He has a way to go, but TODAY he is a transformed young man with a smile on his face and a goal in life!

Just recently he was asked this question: "What is your image of an ideal father?

This is what Rodney wrote:  I have always known that I have the ideal father, its only now that I know God that I truly realize that I see the image of my Heavenly Father in my natural father because the only thing that my natural father wants is to be like his Heavenly Father!

I don't think that a father could receive a bigger compliment than that!

We thank God that we are united as a whole family today and our shared passion is to be there where we can serve Him in His Projects for this world.

Have a very Happy New Year and thank you to everyone who has been so kind to visit my blog and leave me some love - I live quite isolated so this makes such a huge difference to me. Being creative brings so much extra joy into my world and through it to have contact with ladies throughout the world is such a blessing!

19 comments:

  1. What a beautiful post, Jacqueline. Amazing story about your son. I'm so happy for him and your whole family. What a relief it must be to know he is now safe and happy with his new found faith. Happy New Year to you!

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  2. What a wonderful hopeful post for the end of 2010 - I have followed your blog for some time and have enjoyed seeing your beautiful creative cards. I am happy for you and your family as my family is similar - my oldest has been successful in life endeavors but has rejected his christian upbringing - but I keep on praying that one day he and God will get together again. Hope 2011 is good to you.

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  3. Dear Jacqueline,
    Thank you so much for sharing. We have three boys, age 13, 11 and 8 and my hope is, that they will give their lifes to our Havenly Father.

    May we all be blessed! Have a fine new years eve and best wishes for 2011!!

    I enjoyed your beautiful creations since I found your blog and I will visit your blog with great pleasure in 2011.
    groetjes van Judith (-:

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  4. Wat een prachtig verhaal, Jaqueline!
    Het levende bewijs dat God je nooit los laat, hoe hard je ook weg wil lopen van Hem.
    Wat moeten jullie het zwaar gehad hebben, als ouders, om dit te zien en niets anders te kunnen doen dan bidden.
    En wat een prachtig mooi compliment van jullie zoon aan zijn vader. Hartverwarmend!
    Bedankt dat je dit wilt delen!
    Gods zegen voor jou en je familie voor dit nieuwe jaar!
    liefs,
    Wilmi

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  5. Oh, trouwens, wat een prachtige zoons hebben jullie!

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  6. So many hard things happen that sometimes we know nothing but that Jesus is who He says He is, and we hold onto that. How wonderful for your son, and for you, his parents. Your heart must truly be rejoicing!

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  7. A wonderful story and a true testimony to the power of God's love in our lives! Happy New Year to you and your family.

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  8. I could write a comment as long as a bookpage but I'll try to keep it a bit shorter... I recognise a lot in your story; you've touched my heart. Our eldest son also had a difficult time ( not as hard as yours but still...so many sleepless nights just worrying), hours and hours of talking. But this year has been a turning point and he's doing great in every way you can think of. He is happy and healthy and such a gorgeous young man. I am so thankful he found his way. And we were always there for him just like you for your son. Life isn't easy but we both kept our FAITH and that it all would work out. I wish you and your family a very happy new year. May God bless you!

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  9. Ooops almost forgotten...you are having 4 wonderful sons!!!

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  10. Jacqueline, so glad for you and DH that you can celebrate this year's end knowing all your family is joined together in this way.
    And a reminder and encouragement to me to keep praying for my son to find his way back.
    You are surrounded by some very good looking young men -- just a small observation on my part:):)
    Happy new year to all of you!

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  11. Jacqueline, thank you for sharing
    the story about your son. Wishing you
    and your family a happy, healthy
    New Year! I agree with you that
    being creative does add so much joy
    into our lives. Looking at your
    beautiful creations is also a joy.

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  12. Thank you for reminding me that 2010 was an amazing year...I can't even imagine the joy in your heart as you rejoice in your prodigal's return. What an amazing insight Rodney has about his Heavenly Father and his dad, I'm so glad you shared that.
    May God bless your heart, your home and your ministry abundantly in 2011!

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  13. Fijn te weten dat God met ieder leven al zijn plan had, he?!
    Vanmorgen in een dienst, bad onze dominee: "Here God, neem ons op in Uw trouwe Vaderhanden, en draag ons door de tijd". Dat mogen we altijd bidden, ook voor onze kinderen. Gelukkig maar!
    Sterkte met jullie prachtige missie in Frankrijk...

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  14. A very happy new year to your Jacqueline, which will bring hapiness in your reunited family
    hugs,
    isa xx

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  15. This is a remarkable story Jacqueline! So very glad you've shared it with us! I'm happy for the guidance that your son has established and am happy your family is together as a strong unit. This brings me much hope in my own life and the daily struggles with my boy as well! You're such an inspiration both in life and in your crafting talent!

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  16. Happy New Year to you and yours. All the best wishes for 2011. thanks for being such an inspiration and for sharing touching stories of your family! =)

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  17. Happy New Year Jacqueline! This was such a beautiful post about your family. So happy that your family is doing well. The pictures was such a nice touch to see all your handsome sons and the great picture of you and your DH.

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  18. My dear friend,
    With the busy-ness of this time of year, I almost missed your touching post. What a joy it must be to know that you whole family is now covered by the lovingkindness of God. Thank you so very much for sharing your story; you will never know how many it has touched. Sending hugs!

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  19. Thanks to the Lord, for having you as my blog friend, Jacqueline. Love this post, as it encourages me to do the best for my kids. You have wonderful sons. Hope great things happen to them. happy New Year, to you all.

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