Heritage is Part of You

I was recently talking to my sister who lives in Germany. They had just returned from a visit to Israel. She was telling me about the places and landmarks that had made the biggest impression on her. She described to me the The Church of the Pater Noster – (translated from Latin it means “Our Father”)It stands on the traditional site in Jerusalem where Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. Constantine built a church over a cave here in 4th century, and this has been partially reconstructed. Plaques in the cloister bear the Lord’s Prayer in 62 different languages (the history behind it may be questionable)
My sister told me, as she was walking through this church the came upon The lord’s Prayer in English, German and Dutch. But what made the greatest impact on her, was when she found the Lord’s Prayer in Friesian (Frisian, Frison), our mother tongue. She said: “As I stood there, reading these precious words in the language I grew up with, I was overcome with the feeling of a deep homesickness, a nostalgic feeling and I started to cry right there”. Even though we always spoke Frisian when we grew up, my father always said the Lord’s prayer in Dutch.
I guess our roots run deeper than we think, our heritage is part of us and defines who we are.

Jesus taught us all how to pray, and what a great comfort it is, to know that He understands every language.
Click HERE to hear some the Frisian language, as well as the Lord’s prayer spoken in the Frisian and the Dutch language.

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A Common Future

I Can Only Imagine
As I research all my ancestors, I realize how different the lifes of each of my forefathers were.

Life has changed so much through the last centuries, especially the last 50 years.

Just have a look at our clothes ( even though some fashions are back in style ), our homes, the way we spend our time and money, and even the food we eat.

To think, that with all our differences, we will all have the same future. For all those who believed in the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ there is a place called Heaven, where Jesus Himself is preparing a place for those who put their trust in Him.

A beautiful place, that we can only imagine.
The lyrics from the song :”I can only imagine”, by Mercy Me really speak to me about life in heaven.

I can only imagine
What it will be like when I walk
By Your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When Your face
Is before me
I can only imagine
{Chorus}:Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still
Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

As I look at the video here, I see before me all the portraits of my ancestors and forebearers, an endless gallery of real people, that I hope to meet someday.

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