I BELIEVE
A Faithful Dwelling Place Margreet Dusek
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:1-2, NASB) Psalm 90 was the psalm my dad would read on New Year's Eve—about 11:30 p.m. Not long before all the fireworks over the Netherlands would break loose, our family of six would sit down and listen to my dad read this prayer of Moses. When he was done reading, we would all pray, giving thanks for the previous year and asking the Lord's blessing on the new one, now only minutes away. It was always a sobering way to look back on a year that had flown by way too fast, and to realize that our Heavenly Father had been and would continue to be our mighty stronghold - no matter what this new year, just around the corner, would bring us. The psalm is a strong reminder of where we stand as tiny human beings in front of the Almighty God. Time is nothing in God's universe and our days, short numbered as they are, need to focus on seeking and following the Lord. Reading this psalm was a family tradition, started by my grandfather who was a strong believer. My husband, Jeff, and I have continued this tradition in our own family. When I was young, I didn't realize how much of a blessing it was to have this Christian heritage. My parents came from strong Christian families, all from the northeastern part of the Netherlands, and were teenagers during World War 2, and each had a brother in the Dutch Resistance, an organization not only sabotaging German efforts in the Netherlands but also assisting allied forces who were trying to gain a foothold in our country. It was a dangerous time and one day soldiers suddenly showed up at my grandparents' house. They interrogated my mom's entire family, and one soldier put a gun to my mother's head and barked out, "I'll kill you if you don't tell me where your brother is.” This is how my mom recalled that experience (she was 16 at the time): "I did not feel fear. All I thought was 'if you shoot me now, I will go to Jesus.” She already knew that her life belonged to the Lord, she was not afraid to die, and she experienced his peace. My mom then noticed that the soldier’s uniform had ants crawling over it, right by his shoulder. She reached out and wiped away the ants. This startled the soldier and he asked,
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"What are you doing?” "You have some ants here, I just wiped them away." This somehow confused the soldier, he put his gun away and the soldiers left the house. The Lord had protected them and would continue to protect them as my grandparents decided a few hours later that it was no longer safe to stay in their house. My grandfather took out his Bible, read Psalm 91, prayed, and then the family split up. Each went into hiding in nearby villages and farms, taking on new names and identities. My now 94-year-old mom continues to tell her story and is a witness of God's love, faithfulness and goodness—to whomever she meets on the street, in the stores, at the doctor's office. She never leaves the house without Bibles and ministry materials in the basket of her walker. She says that she is thankful that she went through this difficult period because it solidified her faith for the rest of her life.
