Good day
I trust that my letter finds you in good health and that it is well with your soul.
How unbelievingly fast the year is flying by and who would have thought that we are a few weeks away from holidays and Christmas? We keep on hearing phrases like ‘O my word, where did the time fly to?’ Yet amazingly for all of us, time has never changed and every one of us has 24 hours in a day.
It reminds me of the scripture in Ephesians 5:15-16 that says,
“Look therefore carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
If there is one thing that seems to catch up with all of us, it’s time and often we find ourselves with huge regrets or personal disappointments. We end up saying, “I wish I made more use of my time”, or “I wish I could have done better with the time I had on my hands.” It is actually amazing to realise that time flies by for all of us before we know it and we all often wish we could have done more.
I was again made aware of this reality when we said goodbye to Pastor Jurgen and Jo-Ann this last Sunday as they left for South Africa after serving 17 years in CFC. Oh my word …. how 17 years have flown by. It feels as if I only met them yesterday! It is at moments like these where I always wonder if I really bought out the time as I should have, did I really give my best, did I leave Jurgen or Jo-Ann better than when I met them? Oh God, did I redeem my time I had with them?
Friends, God encourages us to redeem our time and in my simple understanding it means that I need to utilise my time in such a way that the end product of my life will always show fruit, it would always colour in someone’s life or it will always benefit God’s kingdom. So, on this note I would like to thank Pastor Jurgen and Jo-Ann for buying out their time here in Namibia and thank them for their amazing commitment and the love they showed to all people. They have served well and they have loved well.
On behalf of Denise, myself and our staff here at CFC we would like to also thank every leader, every member and every individual who knew them, for loving them well and for honouring them as leaders in CFC. It was truly an amazing season and privilege to walk and labour with them. May God bless you Jurgen and Jo-Ann as you serve His kingdom in South Africa.
A last comment. The following verse, Ephesians 5:17 says: “Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Friends there is no better time than now to again knowledge and surrender ourselves to the will of God. God calls on each one of us to understand His will and to buy out the time. Let us utilise every second of our lives and make them count. Make them count in your family, make them count at work, in the market place, in your circle of friends and even in your congregation of fellow believers. Make them count in an individual’s life who might think all the time he or she has lived is a waste.
May you and I never ever be known as someone who one day will say: “I wish I made more of my time.”
We want to bless you with some pictures of our last goodbye with the Brand family and as I greet you in the lovely Name of Jesus, I trust that every one of us will give our best in loving God, loving one another and serving well as we live to please our King Jesus.
We love you dearly.
– Ps Roland and Denise