Diet Eman – Well done good and faithful servant

By: American Decency Staff

 

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”  I have no doubt those words were heard by Diet Eman as she entered glory earlier this week at the age of 99.

If you’ve never heard of Diet (pronounced “Deet”) Eman, she was a Dutch resistance hero during World War II. Together with her fiancé and other Dutch men and women, Diet risked her life to save the lives of Jews from Hitler’s extermination in her native country of the Netherlands. At tremendous risk to her own life she helped save many lives.  Diet faced extreme danger and often unbearable circumstances and loss.  She was ultimately arrested and sent to a concentration camp.

Even more importantly than her example of heroism, was her example of love and service to her Lord and Savior throughout her life – even serving on mission trips well into her nineties.  We at American Decency were blessed to get to know her and call her a friend.

In 2012, ADA hosted a conference featuring speaker Frank Gaffney.  Afterwards, we went through the registration slips from that event and noticed an attendee’s name – Diet Eman – written in the shaky handwriting of one who had lived many years.  The name was familiar, and then we realized who had been in our audience that day.

Months later as we planned another conference, we thought of Diet’s story and how her bold stance for freedom against Nazi oppression would tie in so very well with the theme.  And so we placed a call to Diet, then 92 years old, Diet graciously accepted our invitation to share her story.  Speaking with a still discernible Dutch accent and a voice softened with age, Diet spoke for about 30 minutes to a rapt audience.  She told of the oppression of the Dutch people under Nazi occupation, the cruelty of the ever-present Gestapo, the hardship endured.  She spoke, too, of the persecution of the large Jewish population in the Netherlands.  How she was burdened to help – crying out on her knees to God – “Lord, they are your people and they are so persecuted.  We have to help them.”

Diet gave accounts of working with her fiancé to find places to hide Jews.  Dutch farmers across the countryside taking in Jews; a well-meaning woman in the heart of the city hiding dozens of Jewish people in her small home.  She and her fiancé helped hundreds of Jewish people.  Always the problems of obtaining enough food, identification papers, the fear of being discovered by the Gestapo.  As she stated:  “we had insurmountable problems, but God always helped.”

She described being in a Nazi concentration camp, telling the audience:  “I can only say that God was always there.  And with my bobbie pin I scraped in the wall when no guards were looking: ‘Lo, I am with you always.’ …”

With 92 years of wisdom that comes from walking with the Lord, she told us: “There is not one life that from the moment you are born to the day you die that you don’t have a cross to bear.  … And some people have many crosses.  I had many crosses, but God was always there like He promised.  ‘Lo, I am with you always.’  And whatever happens in your life, remember that.  … But God has a purpose and He is in control and whatever happens He is there.  … God is nearest to His children that have the heaviest load and then you are a testimony to the world.  … And for the young people I want to say if you have to make decisions about life … God has a plan for all your lives.  And when you have to make choices, make the right choice.  And sometimes that brings suffering.   … In the New Testament they thanked God that they were worthy of suffering for Him."

As Diet concluded, she offered to take questions from the audience.  I, and I think many others, had tears over what happened next.  A middle-aged lady toward the front stood up and said, “I don’t have a question, but I am Jewish and I want to thank you for what you did to save my people.”  It was an incredible moment as the two embraced!

After the event Diet was available to sign her book, “Things We Couldn’t Say” which gives an account of her courageous efforts during World War II.  I noticed two girls in their late teens come up to Diet and kneel in front of where she was sitting.  One of the girls asked Diet:  “What can I as a young person do to be a leader in our culture for Christ?”

 What an incredible scene before me as these two young ladies recognized the example before them of a woman, now in her nineties, who boldly stood for Christ when she was about their age – and continued to do so.  I could not hear what Diet told them as she spoke for several minutes with them, but it was obvious the impact Diet had on these young lives.

I, too, purchased Diet’s book that day.  When she signed it for me, she inscribed, “Please read my favorite psalm – Psalm 27.”  I hope you will take a moment to read that psalm.  I also urge you to read Diet’s book, “Things We Couldn’t Say.”  You can order it here.  You will be blessed and inspired by her tremendous example of faith and courage from one who always remembered, “Lo, I am with you always.”

Diet spoke again at our headquarters just days before her 93 birthday.  Click here to view her inspirational  testimony.  If you would like to order a copy on DVD, call us at 231-924-4050 or email kimberly@americandecency.org.  May her example inspire all of us to live more courageously and to stand for what is right, as she did for 99 years – by the power and grace of God.

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