Estelle & Robert: To Know Him

To Know Him

The first of Ayyar was a hard day. Despite it being so long since Daniel's death, it was no less difficult when the anniversary came. A feeling of somberness and heaviness was thick in the household. Even Mavy, whose burden had lifted felt weighted down again. It would be grief that would never really go away. Had there been hope that one day they would be reunited, it might have been easier but each year that went by didn't dull the ache that it was permanent. The children were no less affected, Robert less so than Estelle who's voice was flat and down, even though they spoke of everything but the occasion. Robert had been just a baby and had no memories of his father. Estelle had been a toddler, but her memories were spotty at best. Fleeting. Yet the ache was still there.

"Children," Mavy paused thoughtfully, re-entering the house, basket on her hip, clothes piled that still needed to be put away. It could wait. "Why don't we go down to the Sea of Galilee and see if Jesus is teaching today? It's a beautiful day today and we could bring a lunch-"

Robert didn't need to be told twice, jumping up. "Can I go on ahead? Maybe Samuel is there already."

Mavy nodded, a smile lighting up her face, the first of the day, reaching out for him to kiss him before he bolted out the door.

Estelle lingered. It wasn't so much that she didn't want to go but she was sure it was simply a diversion to forget what the day was. For once she didn't flush at the thought of sitting with Samuel, her heart was on other things. She shook her head wryly, folding one of the items of clothes Mavy had set down. If anyone had told her a month ago that something would become more important then Samuel to her she would have laughed them off as foolish. Who would have known that day would come?

"What is it you have Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Something is different with you," Estelle shoved a towel in the cabinet, "Oh, I know you've told us you found Jesus as Messiah, but I never imagined it would be so real with you. You seem happy, something is different. It feels real, not like what you've been like-" She tripped pathetically over her words, trying not to scowl at her inability to word what was becoming so important to her.

Mavy swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat, not turning to meet her daughter yet, "Thank You, my Jesus," she murmured. She'd prayed, oh how she'd prayed, tears dripping into her pillow in the night hours, waking hours, cooking, cleaning, she prayed that her children would come to know Jesus. That they would not find peace but be troubled until they found Him, the Prince of Peace! Now, it was before her and she felt tongue-tied. "Oh sweetheart," she brought Estelle close to her heart. "It's real! It's so real! My heart was so heavy and burdened, I've tried for so many years to feel what I do now. I did everything well. I tried my best and could not work hard enough. Prophet Isaiah told us of this, and now I understand! I was slow to learn and hear! My efforts are filth before the Holy One of Israel. I cannot save myself. Somehow, someway, my heart was drawn to Jesus, and I know He's forgiven me. I will follow Him."

"Mama," Estelle's tears soaked into Mavy's garment, "I want that too. I want to be saved. I want Him."

Jesus did what only He could do what He longed to do, saving the precious girl in her mother's arms.

If only Robert would find Him too.

"Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?" Nabal and his Pharisee friends drew near to Jesus, tempting Him. Joel turned away from them, trying not to cause too much of a scene at his rejecting their constant attacks on Jesus so that he would not be harassed as well. No one would notice if he simply sat as far as he could away from them. He wanted no part in the hunt for Jesus to slip up. Nicodemus and he had spent many nights away from the other Pharisees, speaking in the stillness, secretly about Jesus. Both were believers, but it wasn't safe now to speak about such things. They would be shunned, something neither of them could afford.

Joel smiled at his old friend, seeing that he had chosen to do the same, sitting near to him. He knew that Jesus would speak the truth, no matter what, and it was an interesting discussion. Mavy was on his mind. He knew of no law that would prevent the two from marriage and had made his intentions known to her. It seemed that she felt similarly. It had been enough years that had passed, and it was only right that the widows were taken in, especially ones such as Mavy, who were followers of Jesus the Messiah. He'd simply not taken further action.

"What did Moses command you?", Jesus countered.

"Moses said to give her her walking papers, and put her away."