In conversation with….

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But that time also had another side. My parents, especially my mother, were strictly religious. They went to a church where fear of God played a major role. That created a lot of tension at home. My mother was always afraid of what could happen, afraid of going to hell. Even though she might not have said it literally, you constantly felt that fear of God.

That fear actually had the opposite effect on me. I wanted to get as far away as possible from that God she described. He sounded like some kind of ‘bogeyman’, not a loving father. It seemed as if he was only watching to see if you made mistakes, and if you did, you were in trouble. That’s the God we were raised with.

This didn’t make things very cozy or fun at home, and the tension between my parents didn’t help. It was clear that I wasn’t happy at home.

That’s why I wanted to leave as soon as possible. That happened quite early. When I was 17 or 18, I started dating and more or less moved in with my girlfriend. I was gone quickly.

Fortunately, I had something else: sports. That was truly a constant thread in my life and my outlet. Football was fantastic! I was always in the highest youth teams. Later, I also went skiing, which I also found very important. I played football until I was 35.

Besides sports, I also became a businessman. I studied interior design and was later able to do that within the company where I worked. For years, I enjoyed my work very much. I furnished houses for people, and that’s what I loved doing most. Why? Because I got to create the most beautiful interiors with other people’s money. I got to spend a considerable amount of money every day, the money that clients brought to me.

That naturally provided my income, but the best part was that I could make those people happy. That was my deeper motivation, more important than earning money. It was about ‘sharing love’, making sure those people were truly happy with their new interior. Later, I discovered that this is one of my talents.

By the way, I was born on June 13, 1952. I’ve been married twice, but unfortunately, those marriages failed.

My childhood was also difficult due to emotional neglect. As the tenth child, I received less attention. Not that I directly realized it as a young child, but there simply wasn’t a deep emotional bond with my parents. There were few conversations, just little time for me.

I only really experienced that lack of attention later, when I saw how things were in other families. Fortunately, I later had more support from my older brothers. One brother, with whom I later worked, did have time for me. And when I got my driver’s license and turned eighteen, things got better. My oldest brother took the time to give me advice; he was a bit of a father figure. My second brother mainly taught me to see things more lightly and have fun.

So, despite a challenging start at home, I found my way through sports, my work where I could make others happy, and later, support from my brothers.

Fondest memory: What is one of your fondest memories, and why does it stand out so much?

When you ask people about their fondest memory, they often mention the birth of their children. And yes, those moments were also incredibly beautiful and special for me. But honestly, I have so many wonderful memories that I find it hard to single out one that truly stands head and shoulders above the rest. I find many things ‘simply’ beautiful.

I can enjoy moments immensely. There have been so many beautiful conversations and special events. Think, for example, of the tension when I jumped out of a plane for the first time during a parachute jump. Or the feeling of freedom when I sailed my own sailboat on the IJsselmeer for the first time. I could list thousands of such beautiful moments.

If I do think about the births of my children, yes, then the birth of my eldest son, Joost, was extra special. It was your first child, which is naturally a unique and outstanding experience.

When I heard the voice of God

But if I really think about the most life-changing, most impactful moment in my life – so the absolute, most wonderful memory – then there is one that surpasses everything. And that is the moment I first heard God’s voice.

That felt like coming home. It was as if my life up to that point had been a collection of separate, beautiful puzzle pieces. But one important piece was missing, right in the middle. When I heard God’s voice, that missing piece fell into place. Only at that moment did I see the whole picture of my life complete. That was the most profound and at the same time the most beautiful moment I have ever experienced.

I remember the exact date and time: January 1, 1994, at ten past ten in the evening. That moment, when I heard the voice of God, was for me the most wonderful and most meaningful memory of my life.

Proud of: What are you most proud of when you look at yourself?

Speaking of ‘being proud’, I find that a bit difficult. We often learn that pride isn’t really the intention, right? But I must say, when I notice that I can make people happy with what I give and offer them – you could call it the joy of life that I share with them – and they appreciate that, then I feel mostly gratitude. I would actually rather say ‘grateful’ than ‘proud’. Proud sounds like I achieved it myself, but I am grateful that I can now be a kind of ‘distributor of love’, and that this gives the people around me so much pleasure. I am very grateful that I get to do that. The word ‘proud’ doesn’t quite fit there.

He picked me up

But… if I think about it again, then I am indeed proud of something specific. I am proud that I can be a kind of ‘display model’ for the Kingdom of Heaven. And this is how I see it: I see myself as a wreck, like an old car you find somewhere (a ‘barn find’) that was completely rotting and broken. But then someone came along, God, who saw: ‘Yes, I can still make something of that.’ He picked me up, put me on His ’trailer’, took me to the workshop, and started working on me.

God also told me that He would bring me back to the state in which He originally made me. And when He was finished, He would also put me on display. And that has happened in my life. I am now a kind of ‘showroom model’ of God. It’s as if He’s saying, ‘Look, this is Jaap as I intended him to be – without scratches, without dents, completely polished, and he’s shining, and with that, he shows My work.’

That is also the reason why I want to enjoy life so intensely. With this, I want to show that God wants people to have a good life. Not just with a goal or a mission, but also simply a life full of joy and fulfillment. While many people with a ‘mission’ might look very serious or only preach, I want to share in that with others through my cheerfulness and doubly enjoying everything that comes my way, to show what God has done. That is my way of magnifying God, of saying, ‘Look what the Lord has done,’ like in that song.

I am proud of that, but above all, very deeply grateful.

Most important turning point: Was there a moment in your life that was truly a turning point, and why?

That moment, that January 1, 1994, was therefore the moment when I truly came to know God. It was a turning point in my life. That evening, a door opened, so to speak. I gained insight into a completely different, ‘invisible’ world and discovered that there was much more than just the limited reality I had known up to that point.

A deeper layer entered my life. That layer was God the Father Himself. It felt as if He was calling me, as if He was saying, “Son, I have seen you searching and wandering for so long, just come to Me.” And at that moment, I knew: this is it, this is the turning point. Of course, that was partly related to the lack of attention I had experienced from my earthly father, but this was about a much larger, fundamental change.

Without a clear direction

Because before that, I had been going ’the wrong way’ at full speed. What do I mean by the wrong way? My life felt aimless and empty. The wrong way was walking a path that led to things without lasting value. I was constantly looking for a goal, but it was a goal that wasn’t really a goal at all. I was wandering around without a clear direction.

That ‘wandering’ or ‘going the wrong way’ wasn’t necessarily that I was doing bad things, but I was always looking for spectacle, for something to ‘color’ my life. One time I was completely focused on Feyenoord (a football club), then I wanted to participate in puzzle rallies. It always had to be exciting and special. I was constantly on the hunt for ‘spectacle’, a search that I think many people share.

But at that turning point, January 1, 1994, it was as if Jesus was standing by the road and said, “Follow Me.” In the beginning, I had some inner resistance, a kind of ‘long braking distance’, but then came a ‘conversion’ – a turning around – and I knew: I must follow Him.

Now I am still an adventurous person. I travel to places like America, Greece, and Italy. But the big difference is: my adventures are now linked to a mission. From the moment I came to know God and He ‘fixed me up’ and prepared me, my only goal has become to reach people. I want to show them His love and share the good news, the gospel, with them.

That is now the core of who I am and what I do. From a life without purpose, searching for spectacle, to a life with a clear mission, all thanks to that one, defining turning point.

Most difficult experience: What is the most difficult situation you have experienced, and how did you deal with it?

I think my most difficult experience in life was not being able to save my marriage(s). I didn’t succeed in ‘keeping the relationship on track’. As a result, I eventually had to ‘let go’ of my children and my family, and that was incredibly painful. I fought hard for years to make it work, to persevere, but I didn’t succeed. That was truly the most difficult moment in my life.

Wrong image of God

How did I deal with it? Eventually, I had to bite the bullet and decide to divorce. Later, I also understood better why things had gone this way. It had to do with my whole life up to that point, my ‘pre-history’. That had already ‘gone wrong’ because I wasn’t walking the path that God had intended for me.

It had already gone wrong because I wasn’t following the God I should have been following. Or perhaps my childhood had given me a wrong image of Him, as we discussed earlier. And that wrong image of God, often caused by how the church or religion presents Him, is, in my opinion, precisely what keeps many other people away from faith now.

So, my own failure in this important area of life has also given me a deeper insight into how important it is to have the right image of God and to follow His path, and that a wrong image can have major consequences, both for yourself and for others.

Faith or conviction: Does faith or a particular philosophy of life play a role in your life? If so, how?

Now, faith is truly my firm ‘anchor’ in life. The word of God, the Bible, is the foundation on which I stand. My life’s path is determined by what I read in the Bible and by what I experience through the Spirit of God.

Sometimes people wonder, “But the Bible is such an old book, how can it still be important in someone’s life, especially in this day and age?” And yes, it’s true that the Bible has existed for a very long time. But precisely because of that, it’s not old; it’s incredibly relevant! It’s a ‘speaking’ book, full of life.

Only then do you begin to understand those things.

The Bible tells of situations that are still just as relevant in people’s lives today. The book has so many facets, so much depth. But it only truly comes alive the moment its ‘covering’ is removed. Then the words come to life because God Himself makes those words alive in your life.

What is that ‘covering’ then? It’s actually simply that you don’t understand it when you read it. The concepts may be unfamiliar, or it simply doesn’t touch you. It only becomes clear, it ‘starts to mean something to you’, the moment you – as I said earlier – have become a ‘child of God’. Only then do you begin to understand those things.

You can compare it to songs. If you are not in love, for example, love songs might not do much for you, or you listen to them with a certain distance. But the moment you are in love, those same songs suddenly take on a completely different meaning and touch you deeply.

A song comes to mind or appeals to you because it connects with what is happening in your life at that moment, with what you are busy with or how you are feeling. It’s the same with the Bible. It only becomes relevant and meaningful for your life when your heart is open to it and God allows its words to come alive in your specific situation. So, it’s not an old, dusty book, but a living guide through God Himself.

What drives you: What inspires or motivates you to get out of bed every day?

By the way, I must honestly say that I don’t always succeed in making that happen. Sometimes I’m feeling down or can’t figure things out because I simply need rest.

But generally, I do try to look back at the end of each day. I want to be able to see if I have done something that day, something I have ‘achieved’, that had real value. Value for my own life, or value for the lives of other people. That is actually my daily goal, in a nutshell.

Who inspires you: Are there any famous people (historical or present) who inspire you? What do you admire in them?

When it comes to role models, several people have been important in my life. Before I came to know God, my oldest brother was a kind of example for me.

Once I became a believer, Jesus Himself naturally became my ultimate example. He is the person from whom I learn when it comes to love: how to receive, give, and share love.

But if you ask about people here on earth, someone from the present or history, then I immediately think of Jaap Dieleman. Jaap is a good friend of mine. And although I don’t want to praise him too much, he is very important to me.

The love of God visible

I see him as my personal ‘precursor’. Not so much an official leader, but more someone who went ahead of me on the path. I have ‘followed in his footsteps’. But the beautiful thing is that he, in turn, follows in the footsteps of Jesus. So, we started walking in the same direction together, me with Jaap who was a little further ahead.

What do I admire most in Jaap? His enormous, ‘unfailing zeal’ – his constant commitment and enthusiasm – to make the love of God visible. And to use that love to ‘bless’ other people, to make them happy and enrich their lives. For me, he is a very important living example of faith in action.

Trust: When has your trust (in yourself or others) been significantly tested, and how did that go?

I don’t find it too difficult to trust people, although I have naturally been disappointed or ‘let down’ at times. But my deepest trust has been in God for years, ever since I came to know Him.

That trust is sometimes severely tested. Especially because God’s ’timing’ is often different from mine. Then I sometimes think, ‘Is this ever going to happen?’ or ‘What exactly is going on?’ That trust has been put to the test quite a few times.

When? Especially when I remained ill for a very long time. I had Borderline Syndrome, a kind of ‘mental illness’. At one point, I knew what it was, but I just kept being sick. I sometimes cried out to God, “Why is it taking so long? What’s going on here?” Fortunately, He was quickly there for me and explained things to me, but the physical healing came much later.

Through this, I learned something important. It’s like ordering and paying for something online, for example, glasses in Paris. You pay the seller, whom you don’t know, and you trust that the product will be sent to you. You believe and trust that what you have paid for will actually be delivered. It might take a few days, maybe it even gets lost for a while, but you know: it’s on its way.

I am already healed

I discovered that with God, you ‘pay’ in a similar way, but with your faith. God gives you the faith, and with that, you ‘pay’, as it were. I strongly believed in my healing. I even said, “I am already healed,” because I knew that God had promised it and that it had been ‘sent’ from the moment I expressed my trust in Him and thanked Him for my healing. It just hadn’t physically ‘arrived’ with me yet.

That was difficult because I felt sick, while inwardly I knew that the healing was already on its way.

But later, sometimes only after a few years, that healing actually came to me. That long waiting period severely tested my trust, but it came!

As a result, I now have a few things that, as I call them, are ‘open’ with God. Little things or situations where, through this experience, I am now truly certain and count on them eventually turning out well and being ‘delivered’ in His time.

Future Dream: What do you still hope to achieve or experience in the future?

When it comes to my future dreams, to what I still hope to achieve or experience… well, I think my biggest wish is to better fulfill and shape my role as a father.

It’s something I’m actively working on; I’m really doing my best. Of course, it doesn’t depend entirely on me; you build a good bond with your children together. This is also because in the past, due to circumstances like the divorce, something ‘broke’ in that relationship.

I’m working on repairing it, trying to improve and restore that bond. But I feel that I haven’t fully achieved this goal yet. It can and should get better. That’s a very important hope for my future.

Finally

Do I want to add anything else or come back to something? No, I don’t think I’ve said anything wrong. But perhaps I should revisit that most beautiful memory for a moment…

For that, you really need to picture that puzzle again. Imagine a thousand-piece puzzle on the table. Many pieces are already in place, but it’s not a complete picture yet. You see beautiful colors, lovely pieces. There are also a few dark pieces among them, for example, a part that is less clear – those are the difficult periods in life.

Do you know the puzzles by the Dutch artist Jan van Haasteren? Those puzzles are so cheerful, full of funny details and life. That’s how I see my life. It has many fun, cheerful moments. But also funny, crazy things, just like in those puzzles where you see a car driving through a puddle and someone getting splashed – those kinds of small ‘imperfections’ or unexpected events are also part of it.

But you only truly enjoy that puzzle, the whole picture, when you place the last piece. Then you step back and think, “Wow, how beautiful!” Before that last piece is in place, you can’t fully appreciate the complete image, can you relate to that?

Jesus is 100% the center

Well, that ‘central’ piece, I received it on January 1, 1994. That was the moment when the picture of my life, with all the pieces that were already there, suddenly became complete. And that complete picture, with all the facets my life has, that is the most beautiful memory. I am far from perfect; Jesus is 100% the center around which everything revolves. But all those other puzzle pieces I’ve placed, all those experiences… they also make life beautiful and fun! It’s the total picture, with the central piece in the right place, that shows the beauty.

Yes, it has become quite a story, but I think it’s complete this way. It was a beautiful story to share.

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@wimvanputten