Last time, we watched Shula as she became “a woman” by starting her monthly flow like her big sisters, Miriam and Abby. But a continual flow sank her into deep depression and weakness, not to mention the loneliness of being pushed out of the family house.
As days passed, her body adapted to the ups and downs of her condition. She had her own narrow garden to tend and her sisters brought other food and water every other day, usually when Papa wasn’t around.
Once a week, she sneaked off to the river very early in the morning to wash her rags. She couldn’t ask her sisters to do such a thing. They already helped her enough, but the trip there and back exhausted her. When Papa went into town to see a friend or take care of business affairs, the girls would come and play stone games with her or talk and laugh about experiences they had in town at the market.
As she grew older, her mother took her to a doctor in the next town to see if she could find help with her condition. But it was to no avail. The doctor only suggested another physician in a town a half day’s trip away.Her sister, Miriam promised to travel with her. Sadly, that trip proved fruitless as well. The doctor did recommend a physician in the city, but that trip took a full day. Again, no progress.
Year after year passed with doctor after doctor offering no real help. Meanwhile, she busied herself with the garden and tried to keep up her strength. Miriam faithfully carried Shulah’s vegetables to the market which offered her a modest income. She saved these coins for many years.
Now, after almost twelve years, she decided to leave her village in hopes of finding someone who could relieve her of this condition.
She had to use part of her earnings to stay in an inn, but often just rested under a tree. Fields of grain, fig trees, and grapevines provided small meals for her as she journeyed toward the north to Capernaum. She found two doctors along the way who made some suggestions, but to no avail.
One day, she strolled through a market in a town not far from Capernaum and heard people talking about “the Master”. They chatted about how one young boy had been unable to talk. Shulah asked, “Excuse me for interrupting, but what happened to the boy?”
“Oh my,” the woman said, “it was simply miraculous! Jonah had never been able to talk from birth. He grunted or pointed, nodded his head or raised his hands, but he never could say a word.” The woman paused, folded her arms, and shook her head in remembrance.
“So, what happened to him?” Shulah couldn’t wait to know the rest of the story.
“Well, my dear, Jonah met the Master.” She smiled, closed her eyes, and tilted her head up in loving remembrance of the moment.
“But what did the Master do?”
“He healed him, my child. Jesus gave him his voice!” She clapped her hands. “And Jonah hasn’t stopped talking.” She laughed and waved her hands in the air.
(To be continued.)
~ Joyce ~