I have been silent in my writing to you. Unending news of wars had a heavy effect on my soul. In the past months of early winter and spring God’s word had given me an unusual uplift to my soul. I went to my prayer corner where my Bible and journals are on a small folding table. There I checked some of my daily devotional writings of various saints and in addition I read parts of Naregatzi’s prayer book. I read my Bible, focussing on small chunks of the Gospels, the Epistles, the Psalms and the Proverbs. Early mornings and evenings I sat at my refurbished old armchair with the small pillow in my back that I had sewn some years ago. I wanted to meet with God. He would meet me again in Genesis and in Job, the two ancient books of the Bible I loved.

One of those days I felt a surge of anxious thoughts that drained my energy. Why so many intrusions to my privacy – my cell phone, our landline, my emails! There were the overflow of mail dropped in our mailbox, the advertisements and extra mail, statements and what not. I became angry at life and at the God of my life. I said to Him: “Lord, nothing is private anymore!” His answer was, “Neither am I.” It took me awhile to understand what I heard. I quieted myself to know the meaning of those three words.

In mid April I remembered my old friend Zeyna* with whom I had spent our teen years and early twenties as newcomer immigrants to Canada. Taking a break from the gardening I relaxed with, I called her. She told me she was facing her Red Sea – a difficult decision that needed immediate attention. Would she leave her comfortable house to go to the adjacent country where her two older brothers had recently suffered debilitating sicknesses? They had no wives or children or real friends to care for them, the brothers were in desperate need of someone’s care. Would she sacrifice the comfort of her spacious home to go many miles away and reside at her brothers’ dingy apartments? Could she take care of their medical necessities, which would take several months or a year or till they can not longer stay alive?

She asked me to pray. I did not tell her that I was facing my own ‘Red Sea.’ Besides, I had no feelings of compassion for her brothers, recalling how they were not so nice to her when she was a young woman. I cared for her and loved her as a loyal friend. Zeyna* chose to close her beautiful house which she had purchased with her life’s hard work. She got ready to move to the city where her brothers lived. Only once she said to me on the phone, “I miss my home sweet home.”

What importance does Zeyna’s decision make for a major newspaper article? Might a journalist notice Zeyna’s story amidst college protests and current wars that make first page articles in daily news? Zeyna and I are no longer young, but the faith God gave to us kept our hearts connected with Him. He continues showing us that the grand sacrifice of His Son Jesus is the Good News now and forever. He sees the Zeynas of this world who give themselves helping the weak while no one takes notice.

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*Name change