Children of the City - Part 4

Now back to Joppa where the weeks are passing, and Judith and her mother are already on their way to make their daily visit to the prophet Jonah when they are delighted to find their friend already out in the sunshine. No, he has no need of a walking aid, for a young man is holding his arm, as well as his full attention. He made sure that they had found a sheltered place where the old man was seated. No, he was not old in years, but he was still very frail after his adventure in the stomach of the great fish.

Eventually the young man was able to explain that he came from the same village as Jonah, -  that he had been privileged to accompany the Prophet on some of his previous adventures and was thought of very highly, not just by the people of his own village, but by the king himself. But suddenly no one had had sight or sound of him.

The Mother of the twins was upset when she saw her daughter rise and offer a cloth to the young man, until she realised that he had become overwhelmed with emotion and was in need of her daughter’s support. It was a while before they shared a simple breakfast, made sure that their unexpected guest was provided for in the village, and after strengthening each other and as Jonah was encouraged to know that much as they all understood that God had saved him by the great fish for a purpose, he must indeed deliver God’s message to Nineveh.But what of the other family who had dared to hope and trust in God. We have left Judith in Joppa, for her mother was not fit for a long journey and yet somehow, she had a deep conviction that her brother was indeed alive and might by some miracle have preceded the prophet into the doomed city.

From now on their routine had changed, for the whole family were united in one purpose, of changing Jonah’s mind set now to carrying God’s message to the evil people of Nineveh, that unless they repented and turned from their wicked ways the whole wicked nation would be destroyed. But oh, what a reluctant messenger he was. 

‘Why should God give them the opportunity to repent? They will never listen. Their hearts are like flint stone.’

And yet- as they reached the outskirts, they realised that this was a very different reaction from what they had expected. People were already repeating the miracle of a man rescued from a watery grave by a great fish, for what but the gastric juices of a sea monster could have produced such pallor as Jonah now had.

Doomed? Or was there perhaps some hope for these wicked people?  What had happened to Judith’s twin brother? We might not have recognised him, for he has been included among one of the well-dressed slaves, now employed to teach literacy of Hebrew as well as the Ninevite language.

So eventually, as Jonah and his now growing party progress through the vast city it is Jonah himself who is amazed to recognise this Ninevite yet with an incredible likeness to their friend Judith from Joppa.

Oh, such excitement, - such an exchanging of stories-until there is an interruption. Such blowing of trumpets. 

A message from the King himself, demanding that Jonah appear before him.

Blogspot - personal update

23RD April

I have been finding that I have been depending more and more on the TV to pass the evenings, so I asked our pastor if he could recommend some books I might find helpful. The first had a wonderful title, ‘The Happy Christian.’ Surely just what I needed? But no. Some of you will have already read of how God healed my broken heart by repeating his promises to me. ‘I am delighting myself in the Lord, and he is giving me the desires of my heart.’ 

Instead of sending my Mr. Right back to me, or one even better, God gave me a wonderful joy and contentment in my singleness until, when eventually Joel, my Mr. Right came along, we were able to enjoy more than 20 fruitful years together before I was able again to renounceself-pityand again declare, ‘I am delighting myself in the Lord and He is giving me the desire of my heart‘From supporting Joel in his pastoral ministry, and then his support of mewhen God called me to write, -yes, and the joy I have received as I have shared with the planting of Grace community church.

But what is my problem? Where has my happy Christian gone? 4 years ago, I was weeping bitterly when I found they had dragged me back from the gates of heaven. I had lived independently until then. I had thought I was ripe for heaven, but evidently not. 

I have been 3 years now in a Care home, where Joel and I used to come in to take a service. Now I have a different role, but God has not left me. I am still delighting myself in the Lord, and he is still giving me the desires of my heart. I have put away my ‘Happy Christian’ book, and now I am finding deep comfort from another, which our wise Pastor has also loaned to me, ‘Invest your suffering.’I am so grateful for those who still have the patience to continue to help me to write my blogspot as well as those wonderful friends who refuse to let me give up, and most of all for such a wonderful Saviour who has promised never to leave me or forsake me.

Children of the City - Part 3

Continuing the story - Children of the City

It took a while for the dust to settle and for Judah to realise how he and his friend had been so miraculously delivered from having become an offering to the god/ gods of the Ninevites. But where were they? And who had been busy caring for him and his companion? Bowls of stew had been placed nearby, and he could hear a chatter of children’s voices.

Every now and again they were aware of falling masonry, but they were protected by an overhanging shelf where these homeless children seemed to have found a refuge. Nobody seemed to be in pursuit of them now.

Judah and his friend were content to be fed and cared for by these friends of the ruins of Nineveh but little by little they regained their confidence and began to explore their surroundings, taking care to keep out of sight. But one evening, Judah was arrested by hearing a conversation that was in clear Hebrew, his own mother tongue.

Signalling to his friend, they crept closer but the summons must have been to call the lads indoors and the refugees knew they needed to scurry back to their own bolt hole, but not for too long.

Who were these speakers of Hebrew who were surviving within the great city of Nineveh?  Themselves still surviving through the kindness of these refugee lads, Judah and his friend returned each day to their hidden hiding place. But had they been discovered? How was it that a generous meal had been left for them each morning?

No longer having to live as scavengers, the mystery was unwrapped. First Judah and his friend
were taken to meet the lady of the house, now no longer a slave, but honoured as a beloved wife and trying to get accustomed to conversing in the language of the Ninevites.

February 2025

January 23rd - so here I am. Safely arrived at the great age of 94, and yes it really was my best birthday ever, and here I am in my lovely writing jacket, a belated gift from a night carer, and the gift of a quiet hour on my computer before my ‘Magic Margaret’ arrives to hopefully help me to walk safely for a coffee by the sea, and bringing with her my last minute requests for shopping.

Micha with his beautiful Liz  is now our assistant pastor, has  taken over now as my blog publisher and sorter out for a 94 year out with a not so good forgettery and he had printed out for me the loving greetings of many of my friends who had been family to me all those years ago in New Guinea as well as the precious new friends I am still finding joining our journey, in Grace church as well as this lovely Care Home.

But I have another family waiting in the wings, so time for us to travel now to the seashore of Joppa.

CHAPTER 2

Judith found she had a full-time job in steering her mother from falling into the slough of despair that surrounded her but having met some women who understood their language she felt free to leave her mother sitting, she couldn’t say chatting happily with them, but at least finding comfort in being able to share their griefs.

But Judith now found herself listening to a different story, - unbelievable, and yes, wonderful, - but yet, yes, so unbelievable that somehow, they could not but believe.

At last, she remembered her poor mother and hurried back to search for her.

They were living now in Joppa with her mother’s brother. He, a fisherman making a comfortable living there, but now all the talk is of a man, Jonah by name who it seems was seeking to get to some distant shore but instead of getting far away, had found himself brought back, rescued it seemed by some mighty fish.

The story was to be repeated over and over again, and though people pronounced it unbelievable, and impossible to believe yet somehow the terrible colour of his skin was evidence that he had indeed been in the belly of some great monster was testimony that he had indeed been swallowed for a considerable time and was willing to affirm his story.

‘Oh indeed,’ her mother affirmed.  ‘Your father knew him as a man of God. His word is not to be doubted. Indeed, I will take you myself to visit him, but I have other news to tell you and I am sure you will find this even more wonderful. Come, take me home and let me prepare our meal before I tell you, for it is news of your brother.’

Of course, neither of them could wait for a meal before they could share the wonderful news that a red-headed lad who could well be Judith’s twin had been sighted within the terrible city of Nineveh. Oh, was there indeed hope? Oh Lord! May it indeed be so?

January 2025

Alexa assures me we are in yet another New Year, and I am in a Care Home and in spite of every effort suffered yet another ‘drop’ through falling blood pressure which has left me in so much pain.

Yet here I am, aged 93,  fast approaching 94, the only one in my family to have lived to old age and still in my right mind, so I want to make the most of the abilities I have left and keep in touch with my friends.

Micha, our new assistant pastor in ‘Grace’ has offered to take over the actual publishing of my blog, so if God is giving me the gift of long life I must do something to fill my days. What else can I do but write?

Aged fifty, I had left the mission field and now married to Joel. It was then God called me to write. My husband gave me every encouragement. My tutor lived locally and I had no problem in getting published. I wrote stories based on my adventures abroad but as the days of Sunday Schools diminished so did the editors willing to publish my books.

No market now through the Christian Herald, but when a prominent Christian Publisher told me they had considered my latest book carefully and thought it worth self publishing, so I have taken this route. But now in a Care Home I can no longer afford, not have I the energy  to take this route.

Coming up to 94, I try of live an active life. Scrabble, through the kindness of caring friends , once a fortnight, Prayer meeting – my priority, and friends who hopefully will be still able to help me to walk down the road for a coffee? And our Luncheon Club at Gilgal, always a special blessing. But what about writing? For many years I have always had a book on the go.

I was advised to send my latest to someone who is into publishing, but meanwhile I am turning to my faithful blog readers. I am so grateful for my friends who will gently remind me that they look forward to news of me. So – I wonder if it might be acceptable to publish just a chapter of ‘Children of the city.’ Based on  yet another aspect of Jonah, maybe I could add a chapter to my   monthly blog?

 

CHILDREN OF THE CITY – INTRODUCTION

Most of us will have read the biblical version of Jonah and the Whale. Jesus himself refers to this strange and oft doubted story. If our Saviour believed it then why should we doubt? Rather I trust you may be blessed as I use my God given imagine to understand why the prophet had been so willing for the destruction of Nineveh.

The setting is hillside just north of Bethlehem. The child had been named ‘Joyful Praise’ by her father at birth, but her mother found it very hard to call her that, for she was a twin, her brother and she with bright copper coloured hair so easily recognised.

But now their father is dead, slain by the terrible Ninevites. They were returning  from tending his grave. There had been no sign of her twin brother’s body though surely his distinctive hair would have made him unmissable? 

Mother and daughter found a sunlit nook where they could sit and eat the few grapes they had manages to collect from the burnt vines. And her mother turned over the paper in her hand. It was her daughter, Judith, who had read it to her once again, for her mother was unwilling to trust a woman, though she was her own daughter, for girls were not allowed in the synagogue school.

Judith did not hold it against the system in which she was brought up. She treasured the names which their father had given them.

‘Your uncle is a good man. He wants us to go to Joppa. He is doing well as one of a team of fishermen and has promised to look after us. But…..  ‘,Once again she was overwhelmed by her tears…

I apologise, faithful blog reader. Time to close this chapter, but don’t forget the wonderful name given to this young girl by her father. And remember her brother. Is it possible that  he is indeed still alive?  So what was he named?  

He was the first born, indeed the softly mewling tiny girl who followed her brother, had come as a surprise  to the proud parents. It had not taken the father long to name his son Judah, and so Judith was the inevitable choice for his beautiful and also red-headed little sister.

 I will have reached the great age of 94 before we follow Judith and her mother to the bustling port of Joppa. So please pray God will keep me in health so that together we may have a surprising encounter with a whale and a reluctant prophet.

Lots of love

Pauline