Having the Ultimate Vacation in Season

We have just returned from an amazingly blessed 10 day Knysna vacation. 

For the past 8 years we had our annual vacation in Knysna in the beautiful Garden Route at the East coast of South Africa. We just love Knysna and with every vacation we made such wonderful memories. With our first vacation in August 2003, Danika was only 6 weeks old. 

2003

It was our first vacation in 5 years, and marked the end of a severe pruning season in our lives. Both CJ and Josua celebrated their birthday’s during that holiday, which added to the memories. 

2003

The second time in April 2005, I was 32 weeks pregnant with Andrew. 

2005

It was the first time we stayed at Brenton on Sea, in the most beautiful two storage log cabin, with a spacious main bedroom and a balcony over looking the ocean!

2005

Christo and I spent hours in the evening on that balcony, sharing heart to heart.  The following three vacations in October 2008, October 2009 and October 2010 we had 3 more babies and we celebrated David’s birthday on each of these vacations. 

2009

2010

Each time we stayed in the same log cabin on ground level with plenty of space for little ones to play around.  

We built on relationships, established family traditions, made heaps of memories and had lots of fun.  But over the past three years one thing was clear - we planned our vacations for the wrong time of the year! 

2008

October was only the beginning of spring and we often weren’t able to go down to the beach due to wind or cold rainy days.

2010

Baby Daniel in the Ergo carried in front of me, wrapped in blankets - 2008

So after our last vacation the end of October 2010, beginning of November 2010, we decided to change the time for our vacation to March.  It meant we had to wait 16 months before we could go on holiday again, and it was tough.  For two Decembers we saw people planning, packing and leaving for holidays, while we had to stay at home. Especially the little ones couldn’t understand why we couldn’t be on vacation on David’s 5th birthday and for our older ones it seemed like time came to a stand still and March would never come! Christo and I had to ignore our exhaustion and just keep in mind the waiting is for the better. 

All things came to those who wait and all of a sudden our vacation had arrived!

And what a blessed time!  Is it possible that a different season can have such a positive impact on our holiday? The weather was absolutely perfect.  During our previous vacations  we would have 2, maybe 3 sparkling sunshine, no wind mornings on the beach. With near anxiety we would follow the weather forecast for each day. Even though there would be no wind on some days, the water would still be freezing cold (remember it is the Atlantic ocean, water is coming from the South Pole!).  When we did get a beautiful day, we would be reluctant to leave the beach after two hours and every time end up with a couple of children sunburnt.

This year we had exactly one day of rain, and though it was raining, it wasn’t cold! We still followed the weather forecast daily, and with joy we could visit the beach every single day, for wind-still, gorgeous days! 

The little ones played for hours on the beautiful beach in the shallow waters 

and the older children and daddy rode the waves with their buggy boards. 

Even I had the time of my life swimming in the sea for the first time in years! I had bittersweet memories of all the vacations I had as a child, during which my dad and I played in the waves for hours.  

We had so little wind, the older children only had one afternoon in the whole 10 days they could fly their kites. 

The one day we had rain, I was thankful to just stay at home and have a break from walking down to the beach - can you believe it!   For the first time in my life I came back from a vacation with an even tan, not to mention the children’s golden brown tans and not one of us got sunburn.  Each day, after we came back from the beach, we took a swim in the swimming pool. 

In the past it was just to cold!  Not once did I need to rush crying, ice cold babies back from the beach, to get them in a warm bath!

I woke early every morning to spend time with the Lord, read a little, enjoy my peaceful surroundings with the sound of breaking waves, before my tribe arose! And I had time to think. I ponder a lot on seasons… God gave seasons.  Seasons has a very specific purpose on earth. We all know the influence of seasons on plant life. Every year I experience it first hand in my vegetable garden.  Growing specific vegetables in the right season is so much easier than trying to grow them to out of season. 

I realized we don’t know the rhythm of seasons any more.  Thinking back to ancient days, people’s survival depended on their reading the signs of the seasons correctly. They didn’t value dates as much as we do and didn’t plan their lives according to the name of a month. The farmers had to observe the seasons and act accordingly, with their harvest and their live stock. For the past few generations it changed… We don’t even need seasons any more for growing all kinds of vegetables. Hot houses and genetically modified seed, make it possible to grow almost anything, in all climates, all year long. Add to that cold storage of fruit and vegetables and we can have any fruit or vegetable at any time of the year.

I remember years ago when we just moved to Cape Town, we eagerly wanted to go and pick strawberries on Christo’s birthday in the beginning of October, but the strawberries weren’t ready for harvesting yet. These days, you can go pick strawberries as early as September! 

The same applies to live stock.  Since we buy organic eggs from a local supplier, it is fascinating that in nature, egg’s availability isn’t plentiful all year round. During mid winter and mid summer, it is either to cold or to hot for the chickens, who roams around in the open, to lay eggs, and their production drops off during this time of the year.  We’re not quite aware of this when we just walk into the supermarket and take our tray of eggs off the shelf… Interesting, the poultry industry become so intense, indoor broilers take only 5-6 weeks to be ready for slaughter, due to antibiotics and growth hormones, in comparison with free range broilers which take 8 weeks and organic broilers 12 weeks.  The more, the quicker became the motto.

Our generation are not used to be restricted by seasons, anymore. Have it all in every season. Demand it all in every season.  

But there is a prize tag to this. God gave seasons for a reason.  We read in Ecclesiastes their is a time for everything.  Yes, with today’s technology it is possible to have everything all year round, but with great toil, extreme financial input, and catastrophic impact on our health. When we do get to think about it, is all this really necessary?  Wouldn’t we notice, just like with our vacation, that it is just so much easier if we stay in season. Like with fruit and vegetables make peace with whatever is not available for a season, looking forward to the season when it is available again.  Be satisfied with the timespan God intend animals to grow. Stop interfering and changing everything.

I couldn’t help but notice the correlation between being content with nature as God made it and being content with life’s seasons as God intend for human beings. In the same way we demand nature to produce it all in every season, we do in our life journey.  We want it all, all the time. People don’t sacrifice for certain seasons in their lives, anymore. People don’t even know the seasons in their lives anymore, and sadly don’t know what the long term effect is of wanting it all, all the time, not living in their appropriate seasons anymore.

Just think with me for a moment:

Young adults don’t practice patience in controlling their bodies, living in a season of waiting  for the right partner anymore. They have all the means and the media educate them to just live by their feelings, lusts, and rights, but with sad consequences on their purity;

Young married couples believe they first have to climb the ladder of success, postpone their time for having children, do all these amazing, worthless, worldly things and then when they eventually want children, the only thing you can take with you into eternity, their bodies has been so influenced by their precaution to have babies, that they can’t have them anymore, and have to spend hundreds of thousand of rands/dollars to try and have babies;

Or the Young married couple do have children, but instead of sacrificing for and enjoying the season of nurturing and caring for their little ones, leaving worldly worthless things behind,and investing their time and gifts into these precious ones, they rush off to earn more money, abandoning their babies and little ones.  The result - a generation of abandoned children, who crave attention and love, leaving parents with undisciplined children whom soon become only a liability instead of a blessing. Raising children is far to involved to be a part time job!

What about our teens?  This is the season when parents with patient, unconditional, self sacrificing love should invest hours of their time, gifts and interest to fine tune their young adults giving them life skills and train them for life.  But we don’t value this season of spending time with our precious blooming young adults. We send them off and reap a harvest of rebellious teens who don’t know their worth to the community, who indulge in an immoral, foolish life in an attempt to numb their emotional needs.

Parents believe they can have their one, two, maybe three children, so that soon they can be back living/climbing the ladder of success. They cannot waste their time and talents on a season of taking care of children, while the world is calling.

Then when people reach the age of 40, a season during which they should enjoy the fruit of years of their labour, investing into their children, seeing their children come to maturity and enjoying their own maturity gained over the years by trails and hardship, we only see a generation of bitter and discontent adults. Adults frustrated, saddened and disappointed by what they see in their children. Children who don’t have time for parents in their lives, who run off to have a life of their own, on their own terms. After all that was the example they got while they were young, the way they were raised by their parents. Parents who run off to have their lives on their terms while taking care of them on the side.

The most heart breaking season for me to observe is the senior people.  This privileged older generation who should be crowned by their grandchildren, who despise children and the younger generation.  There is no reconciliation between these generations.  

What difference would it make if we could be content in the season we are in and seek wisdom and truth in these seasons? Then it would be so much easier to move on in seasons and embrace each new season. Now we live out of season, seeking to do things in one season that belongs to another, and at the end of the day we live in regret and bitterness.

In what season are you? Are you enjoying the season you are in?  Do you know what will bring you satisfaction and joy in this season of your life or are you listening to the Enemy of our souls and his lies and living a life out of season with a low to no increase and harvest?

I want to encourage you to identify the season you are in, search God’s Word for His will for this season in your life, and then walk in it regardless of what the World, even the Church presents as the norm for this season of your life.  

The satisfaction of and fruit on your labour in season is more than you can comprehend, dear Mother. No one can take your place in raising your little or older blessings! You have all the talents and wisdom to take care of your children. There is nothing greater that you could be doing in the whole World.

One dear Woman once sent me a letter and I want to share part of it with you:

“For 100 years, Noah did the same old thing - hammered, nailed and kept on building his ark. He didn’t have time to do all the things that everyone else was doing. He just kept on slogging and being faithful, doing the same thing every day for all those years - but in doing so he condemned the world. Yes, he changed the world because he stuck with the job he was given to do! He changed the world by doing the same thing day after day after day. And at the same time he saved his family!”

You may feel that you are just doing the same old thing every day, but as you are faithful to raise godly children, and build an ark for the saving of your house, you will condemn the world around you.  You are accomplishing far more than those who go out to seek a worldly career to the detriment to their highest calling.  Your influence goes on into the generations and even into eternity. 

Isn’t it amazing that our daily faithfulness in the home will have its impact on earth and also for eternity?  It can change the world! We have to remember that bearing and raising children is a long-term investment - in fact, an eternal one! In a culture where everyone wants everything instantaneously all the time, we must learn to think long term - for the future!

So rejoice and be glad in your high and noble calling in this Mothering Season of your life!

You are changing the World!”

With much love

Linnie

21 Years and How We Met!

On Friday, the 30th of March, Christo and I will be married 21 years! 

For the sake of memory making I want to share how we met.  

NOTE:  The whole time while writing this post, I sat with a smile on my face! :-)

It all started with a conversation between my aunt and me at a Sunday lunch in December 1986 - the year I finished school. My Aunt’s husband was a comedian in the entertaining business, They badly wanted to introduce me to the young Magician who was performing with them for some time.

  

During that Sunday lunch I agreed to meet him.  

Surprisingly, when my Aunt approached the young man he wasn’t interested!  I didn’t ponder on it, and thought it just wasn’t meant to be. Three weeks later my uncle was in hospital for some routine tests, when my dad decided to go and pay him a visit.  While he was visiting my uncle, the Magician showed up. My dad wasn’t even aware that my aunt was trying to match us, and just had a friendly conversation with him. 

Then a few days later my aunt called me, thrilled to inform me, the Magician asked her to arrange a blind date for the two of us.  

She, as well as I, was very amused that the Magician not only finally agreed for us to meet, he was eagerly looking forward to meet me, as soon as the coming Friday, and that - after he met my father!  

That Friday evening my parents drove me to my aunt’s small holding outside Bloemfontein in the Bainsvlei area. I tried on 3 outfits before I was finally satisfied with my appearance and can still remember chatting with my mother the Friday afternoon, trying to envision what the evening would be like.  I was all excited and could hardly wait to meet this handsome young man - a Magician. Very eager to make a good impression, I put my glasses in my handbag and convinced myself I will not have difficulty to see without my glasses.   I was 17 years old and life was promising with expectations and surprises! 

We were at my aunt’s place first and afterwards I couldn’t remember one word about the conversation we had before the Magician arrived! The first thing I remember is the moment  he appeared in the lounge’s doorway and the pair of blue eyes looking at me…! After my parents left, we would have dinner with my aunt, uncle and their three young children and then he would take me home. We didn’t say much to each other during the evening. My aunt and uncle kept the conversation going. I very distinctly remember sitting at the dinner table, him next to me, so near and the touch of his fingers, when he took my hand when my uncle said grace…

After dinner and coffee, he took me home in his dad’s new car - quite impressive (LOL). All the way I couldn’t think of anything to say, I was so afraid I would say something that made me look stupid!  At home, he walked me to the door like a real gentleman and said good night. My dad was still awake - In the years to follow my dad would never go to bed before he heard Christo leaving - must be part of God’s protection on our life to stay pure till the day we married.  

The next day I was nervously waiting for any clue that he felt the same chemistry I did and would like to get to know me better. Sometime during the afternoon my Aunt called me, she just want to warn me, he is going to call me and ask me out to the movies! I hardly put down the phone and the phone rang again.  It was him and he asked me out to the movies. And for the love of me  I cannot remember what the name of the movie was! Afterwards he took me for a cool drink at a restaurant in the highest building in Bloemfontein, looking down on the most beautiful garden in front of the Opera house. It was just so romantic.  No one ever made me feel so special as he did that evening.

That night, just before he left, he asked me to accompany him to church the Sunday evening and afterwards have tea with his parents.  I was so nervous! He wants to introduce me to his parents? 

Well, the rest was history!  Two weeks later he asked me to be his girlfriend and I’m his ever since! 

The following couple of years I was his assistant when he performed on stage as a Magician. He even pierced swords through my head!  I trusted him with my life from the start! In later years he laid down this hoppy of being a Magician, but his sons periodically try their hands at the tricks.

We only got engaged almost three years later - my Mother believed I had to finish my studies before I could get married. We got engaged on my Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary 

and got married another 15 months later, three months after I finished my studies.

The past 21 years: 

I’m secure -  I’m married to a man who pursue God and long to bring Him glory every day of his life and loves me like Jesus loves the church and he will and is giving his life for me...

I’m growing -  he is making me holy and constantly challenge me to become more than I can be…

I’m living my dream - sharing every day’s joy and challenges with my best friend, stay at home and homeschool our 8 Blessings…

Thank you God for creating me to be this Man’s Helper. Please grant me the wisdom to help him become everything You intend him to be.

Amen

From my Husband:

What Linnie forgot to add was that she was not so impressed with my dad’s second car that I visited her with the following Monday! It was a (much) older car of which the passenger seat was so warn out that when you sat down, you were almost level with the road, and had to peep over the dash board. Linnie is the very best thing that God ever brought over my path. It was with wonderful memories and smiles that I read this posting of her. What amazed me over the years is with what great amount of detail that she remembered important events.

The GPS of life…whose instructions do you follow?

We are never to old to learn, are we? Over the past few weeks I discovered the value of a GPS! 

Remember the years of old, having someone in the passenger seat, giving trying to give instructions from a map book, or even worse trying to read the map book yourself while driving? In the beginning years of Christo and my marriage I was his navigator with great confidence. I have very good sense of direction, but I have one major weak spot, I don’t know my left from my right :-(  That caused some serious communication problems at times.  As the years has gone by, and little blessings were added to us, it became more and more difficult to concentrate on map books and giving directions, with a baby or toddler in the back seat, who needed my attention too.  

Baby CJ 1994

So it was truly a blessed day when Christo got his GPS and I didn’t need to navigate anymore. 

Shortly after Christo got his GPS I got one too, but I didn’t use mine very often. I don’t drive to unknown destinations very often and when I do, I like the challenge to follow directions in the old way. Stretching my brain to remember street names, figuring out where is right and left, looking out for beacons to indicate I’m still on track!   

But things change, or maybe my brain just needed a break :-) Over the past month I had to drive to the other side of the Peninsula quite often. Since it was an area with plentiful places I didn’t often get the change to pop in to, I allowed myself the privilege to visit one or two places on the way. As usual, time wasn’t in ample supply. I tried to fit in as much as possible, and decided to give my GPS a try.

What a relieve and blessing to use the GPS! l almost every single day found myself lost not having an idea where I was. Willingly, thankfully I trusted my GPS, carefully listened to each instruction, attentively watched the little screen for extra visual direction.

Once, two of my little ones were driving with me, chatting with each other, pointing out interesting places, asking questions and soon I had to explain to them they had to be quiet, as I needed to listen to the voice on my phone, otherwise we would be on the road much longer than needed.

In another situation I accidentally, in a moment of to many distractions, took the wrong turnoff and found myself in an extremely stressful situation, in which I  had to trust my GPS even more to get out of a very uncomfortable area.

While in the past I only used the GPS now and then, and more for the fun off it, for me, as well as the children :-), it is not an unfamiliar feeling anymore to rely on my GPS for instructions. I’m actually getting in a routine of making use of my GPS as part of the equipment necessary for reaching my destinations safe and sound. Listening to instructions very carefully, ignoring voices that can distract me and interrupt my concentration.

So it may not surprise you, that on one of these outings I added the GPS on my phone to my One Thousand Gifts list.  

While having lots of time to meditate - after all the GPS was now thinking for me - I became aware of the correlation between a GPS for road instructions and the Bible for instructions for my journey on earth! 

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

2 Tim. 3:16-17

Some interesting points came to mind:

The possible wrong ways of using a GPS:

• I can switch on my GPS only after I got lost - and in the past I did!  It only added stress to my situation. Trying to operate the GPS while I’m in a difficult situation is not advisable! There was a time in my life during which I only opened my Bible when I was in trouble, as a kind of safe way out;

• Before you start your GPS navigation, you get to choose the specific route you want to follow - one for the shortest route, one for the quickest route, and your route. I was in the habit of doing just that with the Word of God! Before I was in the routine of reading the Word of God on a daily basis, I would only use the Bible for the shortest way to get to something, the quickest way to accomplish something, and more often, after getting instructions from the Bible, follow my own way.

But that is not how I’m using my GPS anymore...

• I now use my GPS as normal practice. It is so much easier to follow the GPS instructions from the start and reach your destination without detours, on the safest road, even if it does take a few minutes longer. Over the past 6 months I got in the routine to study the Word of God early every morning, before any one else is awake (okay, I do sometimes have a little one on my lap).  What a joy to experience God’s presence every morning and the blessing of Him equipping me for the day, without me even knowing what the day would be like. Often I would get an instruction, which I only realized later the day was a need to know.

• I noticed I enjoy my drives so much more , since I’m using the GPS.  When I’m alone in the car I can even listen to worship music. My GPS fades out music when instructions are given.  Life will always throw you temptations, disappointments, challenges, but with God’s Word as instruction on a daily basis, fears and worries can fade out. I’m constantly reminded of His love and His truths.  As long as I follow them, I will have a vision, hope, peace.  

• I’m a visual learner and thanks to the visual map on my GPS, I don’t feel lost anymore, trying to figure out where I am; am I still on the right track! I know where I’m going and I know the navigator knows where I’m going. Just as there are times when I’m not quite sure where the GPS is taking me, there are times when I cannot see what God’s plan is for my life, times of confusion, doubt, sadness and fear.  But with God’s navigation through His Word and His loving banner of protection over my life, as a result of following His instructions, I can be sure He has a hope and a future for me.  He know exactly where He is heading with me. He will make a way where there seems to be no way…

• When I do take the wrong turn, I don’t panic anymore! By following the recalculated GPS  instructions I’m on my way again soon enough . Obviously not without a few challenging moments and a delay in my time of arriving.  How encouraging to know when we do make wrong choices in life, don’t follow God’s instructions and do find ourselves off target and in trouble, God’s Word and loving kindness will always guide us back on track. If we only allow Him and follow His instructions to the letter. This will not be without consequences.  There will always be consequences in disobeying God’s Word. The second time around will never have the same blessing as the first time, but God IS a God of second chances and we can trust in His forgiveness and mercy to pull us through.  

• As I have to quiet extra voices and listen very, very carefully and follow instructions on my GPS, trusting only the GPS and not taking instructions from ‘back seat drivers’, I have to quiet out all voices that distract me from the instructions in God’s Word. The Word of God is the only instruction that will keep me from destruction, living a life for self.   Sadly, not many consider God’s Word as their absolute authority anymore.  I constantly hear people saying the Word of God is relative.  “What is true for you, is not necessarily true for me. Certain instructions in the Word of God, is not relevant for today anymore - it was only for ancient times.” The World, the Church, fellow Christians, all have opinions of what direction one need to take in a certain situation. These are all worthless, in comparison to God’s Word which intend to instruct man for a safe journey on earth for all times to come!  I need knowledge of the Word of God, to be able to identify the lies, worthless teachings and wrong believes of our culture, which are not in line with God’s instructions.  I’ve seen people put aside the Word of God as their Road map, and only pray about instructions and then act according to the feeling they experience - sometimes  totally against the instructions given in the Word of God. We need to educate ourselves in the Word of God, and carefully choose Bible Believing Teachers to teach us about the Word of God. After all, not everyone know the Greek and the Latin of the Original Word of God.

• Before one experience the benefits of trusting the GPS all the way, one can often decide to ‘get off’ the road plan halfway to the destination, trusting own insight, take own turnoffs and end up in a total wrong location!  How often I hear the argument, “The Lord has given us a mind to make wise choices. We must not be irresponsible in the way we live.”  Interesting the Word of God is very clear on the foolishness of Man and his own insight. Why would God give us 66 Books of instructions, if He was trusting we would make the right choices, by thinking for ourselves?  I do agree, sometimes the instructions are quite challenging, aren’t they?  But like everything in life, nothing worthwhile comes easy.  When we do things God’s way, no strings attached, it is always for our own good, and God’s glory!

I want to challenge you to rethink how you use the Word of God in your life. If necessary make the necessary adjustments. Move over to the passenger side, put God in front of the steering wheel and enjoy the ride!

Much love

Linnie

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