27 July 2018
The power of believing in someone
As a young child in school I was quiet, or maybe you can call it reserved. I went to school earlier, at the age of five, so the rest of my school years were difficult for me. The system of life turns all the focus and applause towards those who perform and the rest hide secretly behind a veil of feeling inferior.
Inside the shy or reserved person there’s often someone great who just needs a little encouragement to break out and find their giftings.
1 Corinthians 7:7 says that “each man” has specific gifts inside of him. Not “some men” – “each man”.
Every word from your lips has the power to build or to destroy. So often parents or teachers utter words over children that destroy their self-confidence.
Your words can be precious gifts that change lives.
To this day, it is so important to me to reach out to each and every person that crosses my path, to try and lift the veil they hide behind with a word of encouragement and kindness. I see so many people – children and adults – who still hide behind words that had hurt them, or made them feel inferior. These words have the power to steal their confidence in themselves. And that can steal your whole future.
To be interesting you must be interested. Give your time generously to others and you will be rewarded many-fold.
If we could have the time to ask people, “Tell me your life story”, judgement would immediately give way to compassion.
After school I went to study and found the love of my life. We actually grew up together because I was very young (21) when we got married.
A gift from my husband changed my life completely. Tinus gave me one of life’s biggest gifts you can give to anyone. And that is to believe in me.
He still has the ability to look me in the eyes and say, “You can do it, Retie”, and then everything in me jumps up with so much enthusiasm and starts immediately.
With him I ran the New York marathon, and I am no athlete.
With him I climbed Kilimanjaro, and I am no climber.
With him I took my broken child’s hand, and never stopped to walk the healing road with him.
We teach our children to embrace life, no matter what has happened to you. Don’t ever let your past determine your future.
With him throughout very difficult days I raised a quiet child, Josh, into a beautiful young man that today loves life with a lot of enthusiasm.
Tinus gave us all the ability to dream big, because he believes in us.
He could not do that for us if he did not look at us through Jesus’ eyes.
You can only bring out the best in someone if you look through Jesus’ eyes and believe that God has imparted a great gift in everyone. As parents and teachers or elders we have the responsibility to unlock the treasure in those who cross our path.
The power of belief and the power of love is the key that opens up the storehouses inside of us all.
My journey of healing started after our accident. Every time you spend time with your Abba Father, He shows you the condition of your heart. When we allow Him to heal us, He will take you through all the pain stored in your spirit heart, step by step.
One day He showed me a big hole in my heart and once again I was confronted with words that were uttered to me at school through teachers.
“Retah, you have to forgive them. They did not know your life; they were broken themselves.” I went through all the memories, and gave it all to Jesus who died for my pain. As I forgave them, I said THANK YOU ABBA for healing me.
Jesus explained the story of the ten leprous men in Luke 17 to me.
“Retah, My heart is to heal everyone. That is why I healed all ten leprous men. But only one came to say THANK YOU.”
Leprosy is a flesh-eating disease and when you get healed the eating of the flesh stops. But the wound/hole where the flesh was eaten away stays in the body even though the sickness has stopped.
After the one man came to say THANK YOU to Jesus, Jesus replied to him, “Your faith has brought you salvation and healing”.
In that moment he was restored completely. The hole in him was restored.
I believe that is what Jesus did that day for me. And in the spirit it was announced, “Retah’s school wound is healed and restored!”
Not long after that I received a call from my High school: “We want to honor you with the special award of Student of the year”. They look at all your achievements after school, and give such an award every year. God in all His goodness and kindness gave me the honor to go back to school and finish the circle.
I had the privilege to spend three days at the school, and various times I could speak to all the children.
I used the time given to me to build into them some precious stones of life.
“You are special and there is a special gift inside of each one! Doesn’t matter if you don’t perform the same as your friends, you don’t have enough money, your parents’ divorce, you are broken - know today you are special and God believes in you!”
“The only way of get hold of your future is to let go of your past.”
“The Law of forgiveness - people don’t even know you were hurt by their actions. Forgive them, give all your emotions to Jesus and thank Him for healing and restoring you.”
“The law of thanksgiving is the key to unlock the law of attraction.”
“Whatever is on your mind is like a magnet – positive or negative.”
“You need to believe in yourself – don’t wait for someone else to believe in you. We don’t all have the privilege of having someone believing in you. But don’t make that stop you! There is a wonderful treasure inside of you – and you have to find that gift and enhance that gift.”
“Take responsibility for your life and don’t blame others.”
‘“Dream big – because Gods plans for your life is to prosper you and not to harm you”.
‘“Express your gratitude to God, to people, to your parents, to those that serve you.”
‘“Gratitude attracts abundance, and takes you to the next step.”
It was the most amazing feeling when I stood on that pulpit – back after 34 years and thanking God for restoring me.
Fotos Semone soos ek vir jou gestuur het asb.
As we all embark on our journeys, let’s think also about giving something to others that can change their lives – the gift of believing in them, the gift of encouragement, the gift of speaking life into their future.
God places people in your life that need you to believe in them – your children, you husband or wife, your partner, your employees and even those that just cross your path today.
I thank God for believing in me and restoring me and I am so thankful for Tinus in my life that looked at me through Christ’s eyes and believes in me. This unconditional love keeps me grounded in reality and in purpose.
I have learned that leadership is an inside job where you believe in others and become the person worthy of serving them with the same love and dignity that God loves you and treats you.
Thank You Abba that You care so much that You not only want to heal us – but also restore us.
Love you my dear friends. I am leaving for the USA and looking forward to a blessed time.
Retah and family.