Free to be...

I look bad in this picture but even so, I wanted to share because these two friends that sit beside me have taught me much about living life.

To the right is my friend Norma.  I sought her out years ago when I was told she has fibromyaliga.  She invited me to her house and I've clung to her since.  She's taken me to doctor appointments and cared for me in times I've really needed some special attention and a woman's touch.

She has such an enormous heart for God and actively shows it.  Jesus shines through her in awesome ways. Because of infirmities, God put us together and I'm grateful to Him for that.  She stood beside me in really rough weather and was and is, a strong anchor for me.  She's taught me to live and love, for sure.  I have grown much and don't cling to her like I used to, which is a very good thing, and it frees her up to minister to others who need her like I did and still do but in different ways.

To my left is Marilyn.  I met this graceful lady through Norma.  Actually this is Norma's sister.  They both are Canadian bred and have accents that bear witness to that fact.  She lived close to Chicago and Norma would let me come along for rides to go see her.  She grew to be, not just Norma's sister and a way for me to get to spend more time with Norma, but she became a good friend.

Her life was hard.  She lived with so much pain but she faithfully served God all of her days.  A month or so ago she was in a car accident and never recovered.  Yesterday she passed away.  She's now with Jesus, walking on healthy legs now.  I'm sure she's found a group of women to take under her angel wings and minister to.  She loved to laugh.  She loved to teach.  She loved to worship.  She loved to live life to the fullest and wouldn't allow her physical body to limit her.  Now she's free to be...

I'm so happy she's free to be...

"May (God) keep us centered and devoted to Him, following the life path He has cleared, 

watching the signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms He laid down."  (1 Kings 8:56)

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Time to Laugh...Time to Cry...

Eccles. 2-8 "A right time for birth and another for death,

A right time to plant and another to reap,

A right time to kill and another to heal,

A right time to destroy and another to construct,

A right time to cry and another to laugh,

A right time to lament and another to cheer,

A right time to make love and another to abstain,

A right time to embrace and another to part,

A right time to search and another to count your losses,

A right time to hold on and another to let go,

A right time to rip out and another to mend,

A right time to shut up and another to speak up,

A right time to love and another to hate,

A right time to wage war and another to make peace."

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Not Ever... -- Friday Fiction

I am hosting Friday Fiction. See the link below to read great stories. Don't forget to leave a comment. We don't know what you think about them unless you tell us - good or bad:)

Not Ever...

The young girl, Sarai, looked out the door. She thought of all she was losing on this day, the day her mother said should be most happy. She gathered up the jars and walked to the water hole. Even so early, it was hot. Her dress clung to her. Sweat dripped from her thin body. She got down on her belly and leaned over. Such a little girl thing to do but she didn’t care. Her reflection looked back at her. Her eyes showed fear. She was not happy, not one bit. She was frightened. To be torn from her mother’s arms so abruptly made her shiver. Sarai touched her reflection with her finger tip. The water rippled out, distorting her face. This she could relate to. Confusion reigned in her thoughts. Tears flowed from her eyes and fell into the hole.

Sarai picked herself up and brushed away the tears with her apron. One filled jar she balanced on her head. The other she carried with her free hand. She made her way into the quiet house. Her mother sat in the corner with Sarai’s baby sister suckling at the breast. She herself had only been weaned eleven years ago. Sarai longed to be there again, not torn against her will from the only thing she knew, the only people she loved.

Tehevita winked at her daughter. “This is your day, Sarai.” The girl sat at her mother’s feet and put her head in her mother’s lap.

“No Mommy, I’m scared.” Tears bubbled up from her eyes.

Tehevita tore the little baby from away amid squeals and squalls. She lay the baby down and took hold of Sarai’s face in both her hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Iscah darling, remember how men are looking at you?”

“Mommy, I want to run and play, I don’t want to keep house with a brother I barely know.”

“You are the most beautiful woman in these parts, my dear. You must be careful. Men will want you. Be on your guard. Abram is a good man, a very good man. Your father did well in arranging this match. You will be safe with him.”

Her eyes downcast, she mumbled the words her mother wished to hear, “I understand.”

Her father nodded to his daughter. “It’s time, Iscah. Your groom waits.”

She kissed her mother and whispered, “I’m scared.”

“All will be well. Trust me.”

Sarai walked behind her father, head down, not wanting to look into the neighbor’s eyes. She concentrated on one foot and then another as she made her way closer to the bridal dinner. She tuned out the giggles from her friends and the whistles from the young men. Suddenly a small boy ran past the wedding march. Someone scooped him up and out of the way just a second late. Sarai tripped.

She gasped and reached out to grab onto her father’s robe but a stranger caught her into his arms instead.

“My bride, my Sarai.”

The girl peeked up and saw a tall, handsome man. “Master?” His eyes bore into her own and she blushed.

He bent down and whispered into her ear. “Not master. I am your husband and you my wife.”

With that, the wedding feast began. Sarai picked at her food, knowing full well what was expected of her afterwards. She would cleave to her husband as she had been taught to do at her mother’s instruction, but in her heart, she promised herself she would never love him. Not ever…

******

I'll post more of the story next week.  Hope you stay tuned:)

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Abishag

In my reading today, day 24, lots of things jumped out at me.  For one thing, the second born of David's son's arranged for himself to become King. It wasn't the Lord's will, though.  When David heard about it, he had Solomon anointed King of Israel. He was put on a donkey and the people shouted and sang. Sound familiar? No wonder the people thought a famous person was coming when Jesus was on the donkey going down the road. They all sang hosanna and praised Him.  -- Traditions.  It helps when we understand these things. See what reading the Bible like this is doing for me? It's intense but I'm getting such a good look at things.

Okay, here's something else: 

As King David got older, he got colder. Happens today, too.  I guess instead of turning up the heat and piling on more blankets, a virgin was chosen to keep the King warm.  She did some housekeeping for him and lay beside him. What a chore.  I wonder what they talked about?  Did he sing to her?  Maybe she sang to him?  Her name was Abishag, the Shunammite.

Later, David's second born, who tried to claim the throne for himself, even though he knew it would be Solomon's, asked Soloman's mother, Bathsheba, to request a wife for himself from Solomon. He wanted none other than sweet Abishag.

I didn't remember who this woman was. I couldn't figure out why Solomon was so mad and had Adinijah, his own brother, put to death.  So I did what any woman trying to figure things out nowadays does - I Googled it:)

Because of Abishag's position, a servant of the King, it could have placed Adinijah as king. A commoner was not allowed to marry a servant of a deceased king. Good thing Solomon was wise or he may have lost his position.

Know why David never made Abishag his wife? Tradition says that kings were only allowed to have 18. She would have exceeded his limit. Wow. Crazy:)

Know what else my Google research told me?  Abishag, the Shunnamite, may have been the same woman Solomon writes about in the Song of Solomon. I can't wait until I get there and check that one out.  Pieces of knowledge like this makes the Bible come alive that much more.

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God rewrote the text of my life...

Today is the 23rd day of a pretty intense Bible reading schedule.  Let's see, if I could do Math in my head I could shoot out how many more days I have, but alas, I can't. Oh, I probably could but that might strain my summer brain. Can't have that happen, can we?  Someone can tell me how many left in a comment:)  

Today I read about David.  It's clear as can be the sins in his life that caused God's hand to move away from him for a bit but David always moves back to God.  He has powerful writings he shares with us, too. Awesome writings.  This is what he wrote after he was installed as king again but it was also after his son Absolom was killed.  David loved big, sinned big, and lost big but God is bigger and He loved David even more than big, he forgave his sins in a big way, and He returned to David what he lost in big ways.  And he does the same for us today. Our God is an awesome God. For reals. Forever.

^21-25 God made my life complete
      when I placed all the pieces before him.
   When I cleaned up my act,
      he gave me a fresh start.
   Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways;
      I haven't taken God for granted.
   Every day I review the ways he works,
      I try not to miss a trick.
   I feel put back together,
      and I'm watching my step.
   God rewrote the text of my life
      when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. 

(2 Samuel 22 - The Message)

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