I don’t know about you out there reading this blog, but every time I decide to have a lie-in I wake up ridiculously early and have this immense urge to get out of bed. Suddenly, even the most comfortable beds of all times begin to feel like a card box and all I can think of is all the activities I could do once I detach myself from the pillows and duvets. This morning was a bit less dramatic on the activities side, having a bit of a cold and cough I simply didn’t want to wake Izzy up with my sneezing and proceeded to the kitchen, where the nicest ever discovery was waiting for me. I got a wonderful food parcel yesterday from Mr and Mrs Landlord and as a direct result of that when I opened the cupboard this morning a whole pack of chocolate biscuit was whispering into my ears: ‘Eat me, please!’ How could I have said no to the melting crunchy 7th wonders of the world! I had three of them keeping all of us involved in this greatly adventurous pirate operation happy! Pirate I say, because I wasn`t supposed to open them until I have Tamara and Shariq over for afternoon tea on Monday. But I haven’t had milk chocolate biscuits in that cupboard since I moved in and it is just wonderful to see the provision of God! I was thinking yesterday, I haven’t got biscuits to serve with the tea and by the evening I had a whole pack of them! Pure indulgence! God works in mysterious ways. I have been craving baked beans for about a week and for my biggest surprise there was the cutest can of baked beans in the food parcel I’ve ever seen. This is all so exciting!
I also have been craving chocolate and sweets for about two weeks now and last night on our monthly girls dinner at Buki`s there were the nicest chocolates and sweets I`ve ever eaten since I started Mission Year. Buki (http://www.bukiskitchen.co.uk/) made Tofu Stir Fry with Aromatic Thai Rice and it was just delicious. After plenty laughs and discussions we proceeded to the church`s bell tower for Benedictine prayer. As we meditated on our day the ticking of the clock above us watched over our thought. As time passed and we shared our struggles and pains, the longing for things we can’t even think sometimes we can have the clock as a reassuring hand of God beat our path through the rhythm of life towards eternity. If you want to quick and scream in your distress as much as you want to embrace the world in your happiness, do it He says. He knows our heart the desires, the hopes, the fears and sorrows. As we shared these desires, hopes, fears and sorrows we understood because of the brokenness of the world we will never experience life to the extent of perfection here on the earth. This can be heart breaking though to come to terms with, more so if you like myself were or still are a perfectionist. We read the story of Hannah, which helped us to put things into perspective.
1 Samuel 1 The Birth of Samuel from the Bible
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite[a] from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. 6 Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” 15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[b] saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”
Hannah Dedicates Samuel
21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always.”[c] 23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his[d] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[e] an ephah[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. 27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%201&version=NIV)
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