Sunday, February 5, 2017

Translation as a blessing

My review on goodreads
A friend asked me if could do a translation because he had no time to do it. He hadn't read the book, but he told me that it was an autobiography of a muslim who had become christian.

I had been asking God for two years to give me the opportunity to translate a christian book, and although I knew that this might be his answer to my prayers, I didn't expect much.

I've read and heard many testimonies of conversions, some interesting, a few amazing, many quite boring.

After three weeks I received a first draft of a translation of the first chapter. After the first page I thought: this is going to be boring. Either the translation was poorly done or the author didn't know how to write. I decided to make the best of it.

The book is no literary masterpiece. But that's not important. Nethertheless it drew me in. His experiences are extraordinary and show in a simple way how great our God really is!

I just couldn't stop working on it. I have a job, my household, my family. I estmate that it would take me 4 weeks - I finished the translation within 10 days like on eagle's wings. I didn't get tired at all.
I feel so blessed that God gave me this opportunity!

Now, of course, I hope that this German version will soon be published and I pray that it will be read by many believers and not-yet-believers.

For believers it is a great encouragement: our God is working just as He was thousands of years ago, He is faithful and true to His word, He hasn't changed, His overflowing love and grace are the same now and forever.

Who wouldn't like to have a real conversation with Jesus standing in his room? Who wouldn't want to pray and see immediate healings? But are we ready to follow Him wherever He sends us? Are we ready to obey whatever He says? Would we endure persecution? And do we really appreciate what He has done for us? Quite often we take for granted His protection, His forgiveness and His love.

For Christians who grew up in a christian family and never doubted Jesus' sacrifice for us it's easy to forget what a gift His forgiveness really is, what it means to have certainty of salvation.

How many like him are out there who need to find the Heavenly Father they are seeking and to learn about His forgiveness and His love?

Are we ready to tell them?