Whodunit Wednesday: Willem Johan Kolff

The last while I have been spending quite a bit of time in hospitals and health centers. I am a caregiver (in Dutch the word is literally “coat carer” and means one who takes care of the extras) for a few people and one of them has been struggling with cancer and other health issues. So I have often either been taking him to his appointments or visiting him in hospital. 

Hospitals have always amazed me. I was in hospital as an 8 year-old and we usually went at least once a year as a family because one of us would get strep throat (sending the rest of us into the cycle). Hospitals to me were a place of amazement as well as worry and wonder. I react quite strongly to smell and that is the worst part of hospitals as far as I am concerned, but one I have been able to overcome. 

Amazing things can happen in a hospital. These days it is normal to see all sorts of machines - not only in the patient room where various fluids are administered intravenously, but also simply being driven around the hospital from the one room or area to the next. Operations can be done today that people could only have dreamed about even in my younger days. 

Back during WWII young Dutch doctor Willem Johan Kolff in Groningen was frustrated that his 22 year-old patient was dying of renal failure. This caused him to look into possible solutions. By 1943, in the middle of the war and his activities working with the resistance, he developed a dialysis machine built from orange juice cans, used auto parts, and sausage casings. His 16th patient, a 67 year-old woman, was successfully treated in 1945. 

Kolff moved to the US in 1950 and became a US citizen, so you might know his developments in hemodialysis as coming from an American. Hs is known as the father of artificial organs, working on artificial hearts and kidneys especially. Today people in hospitals around the world are saved because of this Dutchman’s ingenuity and desire to help people who are sick. That is what still amazes me when I walk around hospitals today and see in how many ways we are able to help people. 

Do I deserve it?

There are various songs that talk about the grace of God. Some of my favorites talk about how grace means that I do not deserve it. About how amazing it is that `God would even think of me in giving His grace. That He doesn’t wait until I am “better” to offer me grace. He gives His most wonderful gift of life exactly when I need it - when I am dying. 

God through the apostle Paul puts it into words well in the letter to the Romans in chapter 5 and verse 6 through 8: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I have thought about this quite a bit in the past months. Many of my discussions and contacts with people are things that look to be going nowhere if I were looking at my life and task here as a job. In a job you are focused on production. I have worked at a pizza place, a hamburger place, a hotel as room service and as a teacher. I have needed to sell as many pizza’s as possible on my shift, make and serve hamburgers at the drive-thru and at the counter and hope that visitors to the hotel order room service so that I could get tips. Even as a teacher my work was measured by my production. 

As an evangelist the same thing can be done. Supporting congregations might look at a certain area and compare it with another. How many people are coming to the Lord in that country? Not as many in this country over here. We need to encourage the worker there to be more productive. Or we need to move our funds elsewhere. These are all normal thoughts and considerations. And they are thoughts in my head as well. I worry about whether I am using my time wisely. Should I be putting more time into people who clearly seem to not want to hear any good news? Should I just drop them and move on to others? Am I wasting my time and productivity? 

Then I wonder about how long God had to wait for me. I look at so many in the church and realize that God must have worked a long time on them (and me). If I think about all the people He put into my life, I am truly amazed. Amazed that He could love such a sinner as me. He put a lot of resources into my life. I know that some of the people have probably never heard anything about what they did in my life to bring me to a life of faith in this loving God. 

In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus tells a story about sheep and goats. I have shared this often with the young people here. The people in this story who are non-productive are those who do nothing and are not even aware of what they have not done. Those who are praised as good servants are those who have helped in daily matters for people who are often overlooked. 

Some of the people I spend time with seem to me to be quite obstinate. I have spoken to them often of the love of Christ, have shared and read the Bible with them and have prayed with and for them. They remain obstinate and deny the need for any help from this God. And still I continue to help them as I can. 

A man in prison calls me almost every day. He claims that he is the pope and has a strange way of looking at God. But he also prays for me and the contacts I have with others. It is difficult to visit him in prison (90 minutes away and with the usual bureaucracy). Another man is struggling with cancer and health issues. He has no one in his life because he has turned all away through his vitriolic way of talking with most people. A woman thinks that she can and needs to buy every kind of contact - even now that she is in a nursing home at an advanced age. She has no children, but she has money. She has recently begun to learn how to pray, simply talking to God. 

These are people that take time. I wonder sometimes if it is “worth” it. Then I remember God’s grace and mercy in my life. God wants us to be gracious as He is gracious, to show mercy as He shows mercy. That means even when they don’t seem to be listening. As a matter of fact, that is exactly when it is needed - when they do not understand the value of what is being offered. 

We have a walnut tree in our yard. If you didn't know what walnuts were, you would never think to pick up these ugly, dirty things rotting underneath the tree. Sometimes people cannot see the beauty of what is being offered. Sometimes we cannot see the beauty of what is before us. I thank God for His grace and mercy with me, for the people He brought into my life. Many of you are those people. Thank you for being full of grace, even when you could not see where it was leading. Please pray for us as we try to do the same in our lives here. 

Body strength

Our bodies are amazing creations. God has created us to be able to do amazing things, even when we are damaged. Our bodies are made in such a way as to heal and recover. Most of that is down to the design and how everything works together. It is often important that we allow our bodies the time to recover. 

I have been acutely aware of this in the past year and most recently due to a strain of a muscle and, just last week, a hernia operation. Physical therapy and stretching did wonders for the muscle. Doctors using laparoscopic surgery took care of the other. This week I am taking it easy and recovering, but our bodies are amazingly well designed.

The past few months have also been difficult in other ways. We learned that our nephew, a new father of one and soon-to-be-father of a second, passed away at the age of 26. And we hurt for his wife, his brothers and especially for his father and mother (Scott’s brother and sister-in-law). We had not been able to visit with them when we were in Indianapolis. 

Less than a month later we received news that Shirley’s brother unexpectedly passed away. We had seen him on our visit to the States and enjoyed being able to spend time together. The news of his passing hit hard. It felt like a blow to the stomach for Shirley. Her family (she comes from a family of 8 kids) has been reduced to just three. 

Last week we received a call from Scott’s youngest brother that his brother, Marc had passed away. We were able to follow the memorial service held in Colorado Springs yesterday evening. We had also missed seeing Marc on our visit to Colorado while we were in the States earlier this year. His passing seems a bit surreal. 

It is at times like this that we are thankful that God has designed the body so well. We are not made to be alone, to work alone. We are made to depend on one another, to help in the recovery and healing of one another. One part cannot work without the others. That is how the body of Christ, the church, is designed and truly works. We are so very thankful for family and spiritual family. 

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians talks about this body and how we are dependent on each other (1 Cor. 12:12-26). Thank you for being there as part of this body. Praise God for His design and His amazing love, in times of distress and in times of joy.

This is what God can do

I have talked here often about how God continually surprises. I don’t know why I am amazed every time that He does something that I did not expect. Why did I not expect it? Is my faith so small? I have to remember the disciples in the boat as the storm raged and Jesus slept. “Don’t you care that we are going to die” they asked Jesus. He woke up (I imagine him rubbing sleep from his eyes, calmly yawning and looking at them with amazement) and said, “Why are you so afraid? Where is your faith?” Then he told the storm to be quiet and it listened. It is THEN that the disciples really got frightened. “Who is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

I have told so many people about this truth. I have seen it in our lives time and again. And still God surprises me because I forget how mighty He truly is. These last months have been some of those times. Let me tell you about one of them. 

For years we have cared for our sister in Christ, K. We have counseled her and her husband, who is not a believer. She came to Christ years ago and has done her best to be faithful in spite of the many efforts of her husband, F.,  to thwart her. He has struggled with all sorts of things in his life as well. When we counseled them, he tried to understand how to change, but couldn’t really see anything that he was doing as wrong. 
Most recently F. has also struggled with the relationship with his sons. This frustration often led to explosiveness. He would mention to all who would listen: “I can’t be held responsible for what might happen if you don’t …” The threats were often not even veiled. So at a point, K. let him know that he was not welcome in the house when he came home on the weekend from his ship (he is a shipper on the canals). 
He could have fought this - even physically. He could have come home, his home, and smashed things up. He had done this in the past when he had been out to a cafe drinking. But he said that he didn’t want to do those things. He had often said that he wanted to change. Now, as he was confronted with the reality that he really wasn’t desired and that his behavior would no longer be accepted, he started to think. 
He still had regular phone contact with K. She let him know that he could talk to me if he needed. So F. called. We talked. Or he talked and I listened. But he became more and more aware that he needed to change. In the end he stated very clearly, “I know I need to change. I want to change, but I don’t know how. I need help.” And when I made it clear to him that we all need help and cannot change without the strength of God, he asked, “Do you really think God can accept me?” 
Yes. Yes I do. At least, that is what I have told people for so many years, including F. And so I stated it again - even though I was not at all sure that F could be changed. Was he too far gone? Had he damaged his life and relationships far too much to be able to change? God had shown me in His word that this was not so. Look at the apostle Paul. Look at each of the apostles. John says that the blood of Jesus can cleanse every sin (1 John 1:8-9). 
After several meetings over several weeks, trying to make sure that F. understood what God was saying to him and what was needed, we came to a decision point. F had already said that he wanted to be a new man. He understood that it would not be easy. But if it was possible, and I was telling him from the Bible that it was, then he wanted this newness of life. So on September 27, F was baptized into Christ, washing away his old life and putting on the new which is being transformed by the Spirit in Christ. 
He knows that he needs to show that he is changing, allowing God to change him. And he is trying. We don’t expect miracles, but we do expect change. And as I have mentioned, God always surprises me with what HE is able to do. We are thankful for our new brother in Christ. K is especially thankful - although she also wants to see for sure that her husband truly does want to change. 
This is just one of the amazing things going on in the congregation in Maastricht. God is putting people together here to care for one another and to help people grow in faith. And as this happens, more are being touched - and this in a time that it looks like (seems like) fewer and fewer are finding the beauty of God. 
The storm may be raging and it may seem that Jesus is sleeping. But that doesn’t mean that he is not in control. I am so thankful that God amazes. Let Him amaze you in your life. Expect the unexpected - even though you really can’t. He always does more. 

Thank you for your encouragement of us and for your prayers for what is going on here. We pray that God is continuing to bless you too ij all you do as you walk with Him, the almighty, loving Father. 

On the road again (again)

The last 5 days of our time in the United States was spent on a road trip in California. Back in 2010 we took a road trip with Stephan – the last time he was able to travel with us. This time we traveled with Sean (perhaps the last time he will be traveling with us), two of his friends and the father of his best friend. It was a furious few days of fun with 5 guys and a gal in a van.

We drove up along the Pacific Coast Highway until we could marvel at the beauty of Big Sur (arriving almost at sunset). Elephant seals, coastal views, Carmel-by-the-Sea and laughter in the van got us to Monterey for the night.

The next day we drove on to San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge. Having been warned, we all had a sweater or jacket – and it was necessary. But what a view! Mind you, some people enjoy heights and others do not. Still, we got plenty of pictures of the fog rolling in. We heard later that an hour after we left on that day a whole pod of whales was seen feeding not far from the bridge. We didn’t see them, but we did enjoy the Warming Hut (actually very necessary) and headed on to our hostel in the city.

Our evening in San Francisco allowed us to drink in the excitement and life. From our busy hostel downtown, to Union Square with live music, the Apple store, trolley rides down to the wharf where we watched the sunset and had an In-n-out burger (finally) and then back to the hostel via a mega-climb up Lombard street to the trolley.

The next day took us to Yosemite valley with its majestic beauty. Breathtaking scenery, cool clear water, and tons of tourists (of whom we were 6). Climbing the slippery rocks by the falls, gawking at yet another amazing view as we wound our way with the days’ traffic out of the park. Fresno put us up for the night after we finally were able to find a gas station (just in time).

Another day, another amazing park – Sequoia/King’s Canyon this time. One hears about these trees, one sees pictures of others standing next to them, but until you are there, it simply doesn’t sink in. These things are real, not something out of a Tolkien story! Massive, stretching into the heavens, these gentle giants grow on the shoulders of mountains with just as massive and amazing valleys and vistas. Our eyes were not enough – our hearts had to open to God’s beauty and glory!

And then – as quickly as it had begun – it was done. We were able to visit the beach again, peacefully, and Shirley went shopping in Beverly Hills for the day. We were able to share and worship with the church again before getting packed and ready to return to reality. Because that is often what it feels like – like we have been in a dream. We have been so blessed by the beautiful things we have seen – in nature and in people.

As we return, we are just as excited, because we are coming home. We have missed everyone here and there is so much to do. First, of course, are the ‘necessaries’ – the lawn has grown to my knees, the weeds on the driveway are swallowing the stones and the emails and appointments are knocking at the door. So we are thankful for the encouragement we have had with God’s family in the US, breathing in God’s wonder in His nature, and sharing all that we have with those around us. Now it is time to do the same here.

And there is a lot to do: we have already started some of our studies and visits, lessons are being written for Family Camp, invitations for a song workshop in October, plans for reaching out to refugees in our area need to be made and much more. It is exciting that, no matter where we are (no matter where you are), God has so much for us to do, so many ways that He would like to use us. Look what he does with wind and water and rock and wood and dirt (all that natural beauty) and then thrill at what He will be able to do with us when we allow Him full rein in our lives. Let’s get on the road again!

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10

Check out our pictures from the road trip here.

Blackberries

Along our canal

No, I’m not talking about a modern communication device. The last several days, after waiting for weeks, I have been able to enjoy the bounty of the weeds along our canal. And that is simply amazing to me. Simple and amazing. These bushes also grow all over our yard – since I do not invest enough time in taking care of our yard.

But along the canal, my two-time-a-day walk with our dog, Snuffles, brings me past these Sleeping Beauty bushes. You know the story: the princess pricks her thumb on a spinning wheel and falls into a deep sleep (instead of dying as was designed). The kingdom falls asleep until a prince from outside the kingdom can finally tear his way through the terrible thorn bushes to find his true love sleeping. Those bushes.

And yes, they can be pretty intimidating when they get growing. But it is just amazing what kind of bounty they provide. I like blakberries. And even if I have to risk the stinging nettle, spiders and thorns, I enjoy picking a handful for my morning yoghurt. What I enjoy most, however, is the fact that this is found along the canal, available to any who will see it. And it is considered a pest, a bother to most.

Sleeping beauty, bounty that is simply amazing. Thank you Father.