A Love Greater Than Words

By Daniel Popescu

”A Love Greater Than Words” is a true love story between a couple who face great trials and yet remain faithful and confident in a God they believe to be essentially good. What they went through they felt they had to write down and share with others. From his early life as a rebellious teenager enjoying the pleasures of Bucharest night life to his work as a committed evangelist for the gospel Daniel shows a determination and strength in his desire to follow God. The tragedy which hits them both in the prime of their life forces them to ask questions, to respond to a different kind of world of hospitals and all that goes with suffering. Daniel and Magda are changed in what they experience. For one it is the sober change formed in the character, for the other it is the change which comes from a true vision of God. No words can fully express the love Daniel and Magda show through their trials or the love of the One who mysteriously sits on a throne and does as He wills.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Dec 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781728399461

Daniel Popescu

Daniel Popescu Daniel lives in Bucharest, Romania with his parents and works with his brothers in online marketing. He is a deacon at a large Pentecostal church in the city where he is involved in teaching from the Bible and leading praise and worship each Sunday. Daniel’s church involvement takes him to different parts of Romania in helping and serving people less fortunate. Daniel also leads a Christian worship group which ministers in songs throughout Romania and outside the country. Daniel likes to travel and enjoys going out in the country with friends to experience God’s creation. ”A Love Greater Than Words” is Daniel’s first book and is an attempt to share and communicate with all categories of people what he has experienced of God’s love and power in the darkest moments of suffering and loss. Daniel trusts this is just the beginning of his journey as a writer.

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Copyright © 2020 Daniel Popescu. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   12/02/2020

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9947-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9948-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9946-1 (e)

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Preface

Remarks

Chapter 1    A child in Bucharest

Chapter 2    The prodigal

Chapter 3    The Father calls

Chapter 4    A gift undeserved

Chapter 5    In Ministry Together

Chapter 6    Some unexpected news

Chapter 7    The path of suffering

Chapter 8    Returning Home

Chapter 9    The Meaning of Suffering

Afterword

This book was translated from Romanian

into English by Alan Line. (2019)

PREFACE

We all eagerly desire happy endings. We rush through a book and sometimes would even go through life, just waiting to reach that final page. And yet we forget that the journey itself is part of life, with all of its ups and downs. Daniel has written an autobiography in which he makes himself vulnerable, exposing himself to his readers, which is a great act of courage. Reading this book, you are invited to journey with him in assurance and anxiety, in desire and resignation, in joy and sorrow, hope and disappointment. And through this journey you will above all discover an unshakable faith.

Without doubt Daniel's hand held the pen which brought forth this book, yet behind this we cannot help but recognize the providential hand of God. Free of unnecessary linguistic embellishment, this book is given to us as a glass of clear cold water to the thirsty.

When we look back over our lives, do we gain clarity? So often we lack this clear perception and the ability to weigh things up correctly, and as a result we make the same mistakes again. When we read Daniel's book, we weep with his eyes, sparing our own. As we read Daniel's story, we realize time and time again how painful insensitivity can be, particularly when it hides behind a flag of love, fluttering loud and clear. Daniel and Magda were hurt by those who thought they were wise and loving. Sometimes in the face of suffering we should simply know how to be silent. Unfortunately there are many who want to speak, even when they have nothing to say.

When love and suffering meet, greatness is born. Magda and Daniel's story is the story of a love song which was interrupted. The song stopped here on earth, but will resume again in heaven for a whole eternity. In this book there is no happy ending, as we would wish. Instead you will discover the story of a man deeply rooted in his faith. And slowly but surely you will begin to hear another kind of story, about a God ... who is on His throne and does as He wills.

Florin Ianovici

Psychotherapist

REMARKS

In this book we read about walking with the Lord, serving Him and the trials He takes us through in preparing us for our glorious home above. Magda and Daniel were together for only a short time. I did not know Magda very well and only briefly, but in the short time I knew her, I found her to be a rare precious stone from whom we can all learn. It was a great challenge for Daniel to write and share his story. As you read this book you will get to know them and you will learn so much from their example. In the most difficult moment of their life together we see their unshakable faith in God blossom.

In their trust in Him we discover their true character. I recommend this book to you, a book which tells a true story born out of the depths of suffering. May God grant us His victory.

Tiberiu Pop

Pastor, Peniel Pentecostal

Church, London.

I first met Daniel and Magda when they rented an apartment from me in Bucharest in 2013. They were very committed to Christian mission and I joined them on a number of occasions, sharing the gospel in a village outside Bucharest.

I met up with Daniel later in April 2018 when he asked me if I would be prepared to work on an English version of his book, relating the story of Magda, which he had recently had published in Romania. I willingly agreed to do this.

A love greater than words is indeed a story of love and its ability to take us through the darkest moments of suffering. Daniel and Magda prove throughout that they are rooted and grounded in this love, which is God’s true nature. Their story raises the old questions of our life and existence. Why does God allow suffering? Why does it appear sometimes that God does not answer our prayers? How strong is our faith? Is there really a God out there who cares? How do we adapt to the circumstances and changes which sickness brings? Is there a life after death? Daniel’s story develops from his childhood and rebellious adolescence to the maturity of man who wants to achieve something with his life, by committing himself to and serving the God he believes to be a reality. Magda too is dedicated to her faith, and together they become one in service and commitment to Christ. The deep questions posed by sickness and suffering are faced and resolved in their belief that God is sovereign, that He reigns on His throne and that beyond death, there is another life, a renewed life, an eternal life with Jesus Christ promised in the Bible.

Daniel and Magda’s story is not unique. Many have passed through this valley and have come through, still strong in their faith and confidence in God. I recommend this book as a source of encouragement and as a testimony to Christian faith in the face of death.

Alan Lines

Missionary Teacher,

Bucharest.

Heroes are not perfect, but they are brave and sincere. Whatever the sacrifice or the cost, they do not give up. When we read Daniel’s book we soon realise that sometimes heroes are very near to us, ordinary people behaving with integrity in the trials they are passing through.

I would often observe Dani and Magda, amazed at their courage in the situation they were facing. I had the impression that the strength of character they showed during this trial was something they had developed over many years.

No one can deny that life can be hard with its trials and suffering. So often it seems so unfair. Our desire for justice, for what seems right is often greater then our ability to endure suffering, but not in the case of Dani and Magda. They fought against the two great enemies – sickness and death. It was not so much the ability to endure suffering which took them through, but their faith in God.

Many people sought to give them some kind of answer, as in the case of Job. Some, through misguided enthusiasm, even caused them further pain and discouragement. I chose to say nothing and to let God speak.

And God did speak. This time not through their friends, but through Magda herself, God is on his throne, and does as He wills. And all that He does is perfect!

Alin Jivan

Former European

gymnast champion.

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CHAPTER 1

A child in Bucharest

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I was born on 15th January 1985 in Bucharest, Romania into a large family, the sixth child of ten - 4 girls and 6 boys. I remember with fondness the many happy moments spent in my parents’ home as a child. Twice a week dad would gather us all round the table for Bible studies, in this way implanting the seed of God’s Word in our hearts from an early age. Mum too would have church meetings with us, getting us to sing, pray and share from God’s Word. My two eldest brothers Cornel and Cristian would often preach to us from the Bible. Once a month pastor Emil Bulgar, the senior pastor from Bethel church Nr. 1 in Bucharest would come and visit us along with other families from the church. Our parents would then get us to sing in front of them to recite poetry and to pray. The Lord performed many signs and wonders in our family as a result of these meetings. Our parents taught us to kneel by our bedside every evening before going to bed and to thank the Lord for the day which had just passed. They took us to church every Sunday morning and evening. Whenever there were Christian camps or school excursions to the mountains, they always did their best to make sure we could go. I thank God for the wonderful family in which I grew up, sharing in both the joys and trials of life. And yet in everything God provided for us all.

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1995, I was now 10 years old and as a child I had no interest whatsoever in religion or in getting good marks at school. The only thing that interested me was playing out with the other children who lived in our block of flats. Let me paint a little scene for you so that you can understand what really fired me up at that age. I remember that in front of our block of flats there was a very large piece of land about 15000 square metres with nothing on it. Previously the locals had had gardens there where they had planted all kinds of vegetables. To the left of the land there was a textile factory which was fenced off. Every two or three weeks goods would be delivered to the factory. At that time there were very many children living in our neighborhood. We all knew one another. One day I had an idea which I quickly shared with the others. I told them that we could make a really good den. They were very enthusiastic and pleased about what I had suggested.

- What with though? They asked

- No problem. Look at the factory and you can see how much wood and cardboard there is. I said.

- Easier said than done Dani, said Bogdan, one of the boys, just look what’s there in the factory grounds!

Three large guard dogs were standing in the grounds, the sight of which filled us with fear. They barked at everyone who approached the fence. They were protecting their territory, which was understandable.

I was not to be put off, and guess what I did? I went home, looked in the fridge, found some meat, sliced off some pieces and quickly went off to lure the dogs which were barking loudly. I sent Bogdan and Adrian with the pieces of meat to the other side of the factory.

- Go there to attract the dogs, but don’t give them the meat straightaway. I said we’ll start doing our job without any problem. When you give them the meat, keep an eye on them and tell us if they come in our direction.

I sent them off and calmly went with the other children to get the wood and the cardboard which we needed. Although the dogs were no longer a threat we were still a little scared. Once a month after a lot of wood and cardboard had been collected for rubbish the watchman would put it all in a container to burn. The wood and the cardboard were in the container the day we wanted to make our den, but we were scared the watchman might catch us. We were so happy to get all the stuff and we set about immediately making our long desired den. It took two days to complete; it had one room and a kitchen. We had put in windows but we couldn’t open them. When it was very hot we would shelter inside from the heat. In the evenings it was cool and nice. We went often in the den, when it rained or snowed. As long as we had it we would be in there. We had it until somebody bigger than us came, ran after us, demolished it and took all the wood. But we never rested. We always found something to do. This are of land where we played as children was very large and was a great blessing to us because we had a place where we could run from morning to night. In the area where we lived there was also a large building site from which a lot of equipment was taken and left on the empty piece of land. Metal huts were put there for the workers where they could have their lunch break and change after work. After they were had finished the job they were doing they left with all their equipment, including the huts, except for one which did not have a padlock. When we saw that no one had been using it for some time we assumed that the workers had just left it there. We had our eyes on it because it was empty and we locked it with a padlock of our own. We waited a short time to see if anyone would come. Since nobody was interested in it we claimed it for ourselves. On another ocasion a neighbour on the first floor needed some help. He had to move something from his car into his house. As we were just outside the block we quickly ran to his assistance. Naturally he was pleased we helped him move the things and he gave us a good reward - little packets of powder which when mixed with water would became juice. I thought about what could be done with these little packets – he had given me a box almost full of them, which I shared with the others – and then I had a really good idea. In our hut we would start a little shop. Do you remember those glass siphons with a metal net over them at the top? We put the powder in the siphons and then filled them with water. The result was a wonderful juice. We also started making hot tea and lemonade for anyone who came to us. We wrote over the hut: get your hot tea, juice and lemonade here!. We didn’t particularly do it for money - we were young and didn’t really understand the value of money - but to our surprise after the first day we made quite a lot and even had a queue of people at the shop. This was to be short lived however. One morning we arrived and found that the hut had gone. The workers had taken it just as it was with the padlock on and everything that we had inside. This happened around 1996 to 1998 if I remember rightly. And now for another story from my youth. Our neighbor on the eight-floor bought a toy car for his son to drive around in. He only had two children which meant that his financial situation was much better than ours. We all looked on with envy when we saw how beautiful the car was. It was green with headlights, a horn and pedals. The boy would always be driving it alone in front of our block. However I was not going to be outdone; even though I didn’t have money to have a toy car, I made one myself out of wood. It took me over two weeks to make. I added indicators made from yellow bottle tops and red headlights. I added an electrical installation to light up. I could make it go in any direction. I had an electric engine which I wanted to put on the car so that it would go by itself, but I was too impatient to spend time installing it. I took it out to drive and the other children and I took turns pushing one another in it at the back of the block. We didn’t need food, we didn’t need anything - we were the happiest children in town thanks to the toys we had. There is much I could share from my youth. Many years have passed but I remember my childhood with fondness. Time was passing, and as I grew older I wanted to make more complicated things.

On one occasion it was a question of a hot air balloon. I went up to the eight floor of the block of flats with another boy with a sack of wood on my back and a few nails in my pocket. I made a box one meter long, one meter wide and about 60 centimeters deep. I took a sheet from home and a box of glue which I had bought previously and I spread the glue over the sheet. I tied a piece of string