The Berty Family’s Incredible Date (IV)

This is the final part of this story, Read parts one, two and three.

The power of the Bible

Each person’s heart begins to change. Kérane opens up little by little and feels more at ease.

A ray of sunshine warms up the atmosphere in their home and dispels the mystical fog. Alex wakes up from a long sleep and ‘washes off’ the negative image he had of himself. He gets involved in bringing up the children, becomes a stakeholder in the organisation and decisions of the family. Véro, who is accustomed to doing it alone, feels that she is being supported. Unburdened in this way, she naturally finds more room for their love. She learns to lean on his shoulder and on God’s, to let go. You’d think giving up her inner fears and her desire for control would be easy, but for her it means re-learning her life, her way of thinking from scratch. What’s more, giving up her role of ‘preacher of life’s lessons’ has something fundamentally restful about it (for everyone!)…

During the summer holidays the two families now meet up every week and at the weekend. Round the table, they all speak with joy and passion, like pirates on the lookout for treasure. Questions find answers in the Bible, a well that they draw from as from an inexhaustible source of hope. The personal stories of the different individuals are like the description of lands that they are about to conquer. Alex, such an introvert, has clearly come right out of his usual shell and even he shares in the general enthusiasm. And if, at 3 o’clock in the morning, good sense urges them to go to bed, quite oblivious to it and completely overjoyed, they promise pretty quickly to put off that idea!

The deal

That night, before going to sleep, Véro makes a deal with God (those two are getting closer and closer):

‘Listen, you get Satan out of my nightmares and I’ll give you my dreams ... How’s that?’

She closes her eyes and, right away, she is plunged into a dream that lasts all night in which she sees herself moving house and sorting out the books in her bookcase.

When she wakes up, she opens her eyes and answers Him:

‘OK, I got the message!’

Spring-cleaning

With one accord, the Bertys decide to do the cleaning. They throw out the feng shui mirrors, the mirror balls with facets that are meant to provide light, the statuettes of Ganesh and the different Tarot games. From now on, they have no need of these lucky charms and protections, as they have all of that and more ... in Jesus alone! The bookcase in the living-room is also emptied of all its dodgy books. A bonfire is arranged in their garden on which they burn over 1000 euros’ (1100 USD) worth of esoteric books!

The whole family decides to entrust itself to the God of the Bible, to let go... They no doubt have that sensation of leaping into the void, but that great pressure that was on their shoulders, it has leapt too...

The nightmares are becoming rarer, to the point of disappearing! Véro has even visited in her dreams a wonderful garden (Paradise? the Garden of Eden?)... she walks there in incredible peace in the company of Jesus who invites her to let go, only to end up in her bed again, bathed in perfect peace and rest! This time she is the one who wakes up Alex to tell him! Eva’s imaginary visitors and their macabre din have chosen to flee this power that is greater than them and is now watching over the Bertys. There are no doubt still more challenges inherent in each of their lives, but they will no longer have to face them on their own!

And the story continues

Véro got baptised ** in the sea recently (she couldn’t wait any longer!) and sent me some videos of that unforgettable moment. The Purmalt family has bought whole cardboard boxes full of ‘Date in the forest’ and ‘Bible express’ and continue to give them away to people around them. And already, I am getting testimonies from several others who have been touched thanks to their action...

It’ll happen to you!

I am very deeply moved and encouraged by this testimony (you can’t begin to imagine!), but I feel duty bound to be honest and to admit to you that it has very little to do with me; without Sandra and her family, who made the choice to share their zest for life, this would never have taken place...

In short, this is what can happen when we don’t keep a hope like this just for ourselves!

* not their real name

** by ‘baptise’ don’t understand: to adhere to a new religion (that was never in question)... it’s just a tangible sign shown in the Bible used to confirm someone’s commitment to Jesus.