Chapter – 16 ‘Valentine receives a Letter’
Tomorrow would be the last day at the geological site for Rebekah. They would be going back to the city and she would be back doing her mission work. Tonight they would be sitting around a small fire pit relaxing and talking of the events of the day. Valentine was a well-liked person in the group. He actually made the tedious work seem fun most days.
It was dark and the entire work group were gathered near the fire. After talking for a while the skies to the north seemed to light up with lightning bolts. It must have been a hum dinger of a storm taking place. Valentine asked Rebekah, “How about taking a short walk?” It wasn’t long until they were a couple hundred feet from the camp holding hands as they walked. He told Rebekah that he was glad that he had got to know her better and hoped she had enjoyed the time away from the city. They were gone about an hour and suddenly the wind picked up. He told her the storm was moving their way and would be hitting the area soon.
As they returned to the fire pit some of the group were talking about securing the tents a little better. Storms could be fierce as the group had encountered once before. Rebekah’s roomies stood and the blond, Jill, spoke, “We need to secure the ropes of our tent. I noticed a couple were pretty loose.” Valentine stood with Rebekah and walked with them. It was dark as they approached the tent. The moon and stars were not visible any longer. Just as they finished, the storm hit. First the wind increased; then the rain started to come down like bullets.
Rebekah and her friends were slightly wet by the time the tent opening was secure; Valentine was drenched by the time he entered his own tent.
A couple of wind gust caused the girls tent to shudder, which caused the two friends to scream. Rebekah thought of the story in scripture when the disciples were on the boat in a storm. Jesus had gone to sleep and the disciples were afraid the waves would sink the boat. They woke Jesus and he had to rebuke the storm Math.8:24. In faith, she prayed that Jesus would calm the storm they were having. Moments later the two girls were watching her pray as the wind died down to just a soft rain on the roof of their tent. When she opened her eyes both of the girls were staring at her. She smiled and spoke, “The Lord answered my prayer.”
The next morning the ground was still wet; there would be no work for a couple of days. Rebekah and Valentine left for Tel Aviv earlier than they had planned. It had stormed in the city as well and the CENTER had a small roof leak. To get a contractor out for the repairs it was estimated to be approximately five-hundred dollars; they had no budget money for this.
Valentine had repaired roof leaks on the farm house and barns years earlier with grandpa. He was able to get roofing materials and spent the remainder of the day making the repairs.
After showering Valentine took his mail and his dirty clothes to the laundry. The letter was from his dad. It was bad news; grandpa, his mom’s dad who was seventy-three, had a mild stroke that would put him out of totally running the farming business. His dad put it mildly and wrote, “It would be nice son, if you could come home and take over your inheritance. Your grandad will live but his working eleven-hour days are over.” There were a few more things wrote but Jaye knew this was a serious family mater. His mom’s only brother had died years earlier and she was the primary heir to the seven-thousand acre farm.
Just one giant challenge for him at the moment. He was falling head over hills for Rebekah and in his mind he thought she might be liking him as well. They needed to talk if she was at all serious about him. One thing he knew, he had to leave soon for America to help family.
Saturday afternoon Rebekah had her brother and Leah helping set-up the CENTER for the evening service. Valentine was deliberately running late going over in his mind how he would ask Rebekah about her feelings for him. It was an hour after the three had started, when he finally showed up; he was nervous but was able to help just like other times.
The evening service went great just like other weeks. As the four of them left Leah took Yosef’s hand when he reached for it. This surprised both Rebekah and Valentine. In fact they stopped and let Yosef walk further ahead; it was exactly what Valentine needed so he could talk in private. He took her hand as they walked slowly; trailing Yosef by several yards. He commented, “I have feelings for you Rebekah…” before he could say another word she stopped and turned toward him. “Jaye, I have feelings for you as well but you are a Gentile; I’m not sure how my family would react. For as long as our family history goes back it has been Jew marrying Jew, never anyone outside of Judaism. Could we talk with Yosef together?”
Together they ran ahead and caught her brother and Leah. Rebekah asked, “Yosef, can Jaye and I talk with you a moment? We have a challenge and need your advice.” Yosef looked at his sister and then at Valentine; he slowly nodded his head as he was in thought, then he responded without her asking the question, “Marry him Rebekah, he is a believer in Christ. Your yoke or anchor is the same as his. We are each branches of the same vine now; not different but the same John 15:1-5.”
Valentine suddenly thought, “Would she be willing to go with him to America; what if she wouldn’t? One step at a time. It would wait until the next day.” Tonight, in this moment, he would enjoy what God was providing.
Don’t we all have storms in our lives? Do we call on Christ to help us through them?
Attached
Matthew 8:24 24 … behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” [Jesus rebuked the storm and it stopped. What does the context of the verse mean?]
John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. [A Branch represents a person or a child of God – The Vine is DEITY, Jesus – what is fruit?]
DG