Chris van der Westhuizen

Vandag is ek vyftig jaar oud, Here,
En elke asem wat ek geneem het, was deur U geken.
Deur vreugde en pyn, deur storm en stilte,
Was U daar - getrou, sterk, en waaragtig.

Ek het met tyd geworstel,
Gewens ek kon daaraan vashou -
Dit uitrek, stilhou, dalk selfs verby dit leef.
Maar U het my geleer, Here,
Dat tyd nie my vyand is nie -
Dis die raam waarin U my verhaal geskilder het.

As ek môre nog lewe,
Weet ek U sal langs my loop.
As ek U môre in die ewigheid ontmoet,
weet ek ek sal uiteindelik tuis wees.
Hoe dit ook al sy, ek behoort aan U -
En daardie wete bring rus vir my siel.

Dankie dat U my nooit verlaat het nie,
Dat U my hand deur dik en dun vasgehou het.
U het die oomblikke gesien wat ek vir ander weggesteek het,
Die trane wat ek veroorsaak het, deur selfsugtige, stille trots,
En tog het U my liefgehad - dieper as wat ek ooit kon glo.

Ek weet nie hoeveel dae nog oorbly nie,
Maar ek weet Wie hulle vashou.
En dit, Here, is vir my genoeg.

Amen.

                              Chris M. v/d Westhuizen '2025 

Today I Am Fifty

Today I am fifty years old, Lord,
And every breath I’ve taken was known by You.
Through joy and pain, through storm and calm,
You were there - faithful, strong, and true.

I have wrestled with time,
Wishing I could hold onto it -
Stretch it, pause it, maybe even outlive it.
But You have taught me, Lord,
That time is not my enemy -
It is the frame in which You have painted my story.

If I live to see tomorrow,
I know You will walk beside me.
If I meet You tomorrow in eternity,
I know I’ll finally be home.
Either way, I belong to You -
And there’s no greater peace than that.

Thank You for never leaving me,
For holding my hand through thick and thin.
You saw the moments I hid from others,
The tears I caused, from selfish, silent pride,
And yet You loved me - deeper than I could ever believe.

I do not know how many days remain,
But I know Who holds them.
And that, Lord, for me is enough.

Amen.

                              Chris M. v/d Westhuizen '2025 (Translated from Afrikaans)