Strange Testimonies (or Stories We Tell in the Desert)
It was testimony night.
The leader poked the fire as the others stared at the flames, the stars, or the shadows on the desert dunes. “Who wants to share? Who’s seen God at work this week? Moses? You haven’t shared in – you know – ten years.”
Moses pulled himself up by his staff and inhaled the damp smoke. “I saw Him work in the hills one night a month back. One of my ewes was near death birthing a lamb. I saw the light go clear out of her eyes and I whispered a prayer to spare her. Next moment, the lamb arrived and that ewe was licking my hand, as full of life as the day she was born.”
Old Caiaphas sighed. “That’s it?”
Moses shifted his weight to his other leg. “Well, I still dream about finding a way to help my people, a way to loosen the bondage of their oppression. I talk with the Almighty about it when we’re alone out here. But, it’s been a long time since I ran off.”
“You need to let that go, Moses.” Caiaphas said. “Maybe that was His plan for you at one point but you blew it. There’s no way you kill a man and then God uses you to help others. You should be grateful for what He’s allowed you out here. A quiet life. A little family. Let it go, already, brother. That’s your testimony. You’ve been out in the desert twenty years or more. If He was going to use you, He’d have done it by now, wouldn’t He?”
Moses lowered himself back to his place and Joseph stood. Around one of his ankles was a tether secured to the waistband of another at the fire. Joseph looked at the ground as he spoke. “First, I want to thank Ari the jailer for bringing me out to the fire tonight.”
Ari nodded. “You’ve earned it, Joe. You work hard.”
“Thank you. You would think I don’t have a testimony from prison but I have a lot of time there to pray and meditate on God’s teachings. Some days, although I miss my family and freedom, I can’t imagine that it’s better than the relationship I share now with the Almighty in the long days of my imprisonment.”
Several around the fire grunted. A log popped on the fire.
“There was a time God gave me dreams that I would be a leader over my brothers. The dreams still come to me. I do believe God has a plan but, that sounds like a prison fantasy now.”
Caiaphas nodded. “You sure got a raw deal, kid. We all know what Potiphar’s wife pulled, although I have to say, I can’t imagine you weren’t leading her on a little. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, right? Maybe it was your arrogance that bugged God with all these dreams about being a leader and thinking you were better than everyone else. God wouldn’t have allowed you to be in prison if He didn’t think you deserved it somehow. Ari says you do well there. Maybe leading prisoners is what those dreams were about. Don’t get your hopes up thinking there’s more. You’re not even a niggle in that Pharaoh’s mind.”
As Joseph sat, the leader scanned the group, ignoring one man’s upraised hand.
“Ooh, I have a story.” The man said jumping to his feet.
The leader shook his head. “Sit down, Sampson. We’re talking God testimonies not your newest conquest tale.”
“But this one’s different! I promise. Her name’s Delilah.” He started.
“Sit down.” The men said as one.
Caiaphas looked around. “Hey, where’s that runt, Gideon? Are you hiding again, boy?”
The leader lifted a torch and located the young man huddled behind one of the camels. “For Pete’s sake, Gideon, there are no Midianites out in this part of the desert. Stand up and testify about seeing God at work.”
Gideon shuffled over.
“He said stand up, Gideon.” Sampson said as he snickered. “Oh, wait, you are standing up!”
Everyone shushed Sampson.
“Okay, I do have a testimony but it’s not one you’ll believe. He came to me this week. I saw Him.”
Caiaphas guffawed. “Came to you? Not likely. What did He say?”
“He said, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.’”
Sampson and Caiaphas rolled with laughter but the leader silenced them with a glance. “Tell us what else.”
Gideon looked off into the desert. “No. I mean, there was more. He said more. I asked some questions but I don’t think I can talk about it yet. I’m waiting for confirmation but until it comes, you’ll just think I’m stupid.”
“Got that right.” said Sampson.
Gideon sat and the group fell into a long silence. The only sound was the scurry of small creatures dashing scurrying about and eventually, Sampson’s snore.
Moses looked over at their leader and said, “Peter, what made you get this group together, anyway? None of us have any testimony worth telling but you made it sound important.”
Peter smiled as he poked again at the fire. “We’re gathered in the desert that lies between vision and fulfillment, between calling and consummation, between visitation and realization, loved ones. It’s just as important to pause and tell our stories here as it will be at the end. You don’t know that now but I know it and there are others who even now will hang on these words.”
“I don’t have a vision or a dream or a calling.” Said Caiaphas. “I’m just here out of religious duty. Why did you invite me?”
“Because, old friend, I can’t wait to see your face when we tell the end of our stories. God isn’t done with any of us gathered here.”
The men all glanced over as one at Sampson and Peter’s laughter rang out over the dunes. “Even that one, my friends. Just wait and see. The best stories have all passed through this desert, trust me.”
Is your testimony in the desert between vision and fulfillment? between calling and consummation? between visitation and realization, loved ones? Gather here, around the fire, and tell what you know. Trust God to bring about the end He desires. One day, we’ll tell our stories for a thousand years.
Strange Testimonies (or stories we tell in the desert) http://t.co/aTr6T896Ii #amwriting #amwritingfaith #longdesertnights #enduringtrials
— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) March 7, 2015
