5 minute read
Holy Hush
Women World Leaders is pleased to present to you Holy Hush, written by Deborah J. Watson. Deborah is the Executive Director of Studio222films.com and curator of the Branson International Film Festival. A writer, producer and director in the film industry, Deborah uses her talent to reach hurting people with a message of hope.
As many of her stories, Holy Hush is written as an allegorical narrative based on scripture and Deborah’s Christian Worldview. Rebekka, the main character that you are about to travel with, is on a journey of making a life decision of living with or without her husband Aaron. As she progresses through this difficult time, Rebekka notices the “little things” that are circling her life and leading her to a decision. In Part I of her story (which can be read in the January edition of Voice of Truth), Rebekka steals away into the wilderness to be alone and search the heart of God. It is in this moment she is reminded of Job 33:4 NKJ “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
PART II
written by Deborah Watson
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
“What IS my life without Aaron?” Rebekka wonders as she exhales into the morning breeze.
Suddenly, the squawk of a bird forces her eyes open to find a majestic bald eagle flying straight toward her.
Rebekka jumps out of its way and realizes her sudden move scares the eagle to land in another tree. The eagle sits still, hoping Rebekka can’t see him, even though they are staring intently at one another.
“Hey! That may work for you, but not me buddy! I see you!” Rebekka chirps back at him.
The eagle turns its head as if he has no idea what she’s talking about.
Rebekka decides to sit low to the ground and keep a watchful eye on her new friend, just to see what he’s up to. The seconds turn to minutes before he leaps from his perch and swoops down on a snake not too far away.
Rebekka gasps as she watches the eagle carry the rattlesnake far away from her. Maybe it was a cobra? Could have been an inland taipan. She bursts into laughter at her wild imagination going to the extreme, and glances around to make sure only the squirrels heard her.
Rebekka stops her gaze at the depth of the valley below. “This is the pilgrimage you promised me for our fifthyear anniversary! But oh no, you went huntin’ with the boys instead!” Rebekka shouts with anger, as if Aaron can hear her. She shakes her head and rises as she walks back to her tent.
“How could he possibly get mad at me for taking this trip?” she ponders. In an instant, she remembers all the little things that made him upset in the past. “I’ll be back before he even realizes I’m gone. Unless that pesky wife of Jimmy Lee opens her big mouth and says somethin’.” Rebekka smirks at the thought of sticking a sock in her ever-running mouth full of gossip and partial truths.
Rebekka slows her pace back to the tent when she sees the animal tracks that she noticed earlier in the morning. This time, there are multiple tracks – all walking a straight line toward her tent. She carefully adjusts her position for a clear view of the front of her temporary housing. Her shoulders slump as she realizes she left the door open as an invitation to a family of racoons.
“NO!” she cries out, startling the creatures enough to run off into the woods.
Discouraged, Rebekka takes inventory of her supplies. All the granola bars and peanut butter are gone. Thankfully though, her water cantina is undisturbed, and the critters had only begun their journey into her personal hygiene supply.
Rebekka sighs, “Well, they left me enough supplies so I can get back to town.” She begins to gather everything together and dismantle her tent, accepting that nature destroyed her hopes for a great adventure.
Rebekka mounts her rucksack on her back, and adjusts her shoulders for an even balance before starting the trek back to the village. She reaches into her pocket, removes her earbuds, and begins to place them both in her ears, taking one final look at her campsite to make sure everything is packed.
Behind her, near the rock, her journal lays open, exposing her writing. The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. The pages flap in the wind as if calling out to her, but she cannot hear them. Her focus is on making it down the hill before night.
Rebekka listens to her favorite podcaster reading words of encouragement from the Bible, “For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.”
Rebekka stops for a moment and looks around as if she has forgotten something.
“Is your life a melody or a symphony?” the podcaster asks, snapping Rebekka back to the journey before her.
Rebekka chuckles. “My life? A symphony? More like scream-o.”
Rebekka shakes her head as she continues down the mountain wondering how the podcaster could possibly relate to what she’s going through. How could anybody?
To be continued…
JOB 33:4 NKJ
PSALM 63:1 NKJ
WHAT CAN WE LEARN?
We all go through periods when we feel caught in the wilderness. Sometimes, just when we feel like we are catching our bearings, like Rebekka did when she began to journal, we become distracted by things happening around us. First by the majestic eagle, then by the snake. Our gaze can be taken to the depth of the valley nearby, and our minds can become fixated on situations that are rooted in anger, bitterness and judgement.
Life has those moments, where all we can perceive is the suffocating dryness of the wilderness of unforgiveness. Yet God continues to call out to us – offering us His word and His peace like a fresh drink of water. The question is, will we enter into His holy hush?
He already knows our hearts, our thoughts, our everything, and still waits for us to make the decision. Will we earnestly seek him in that place of rest? Can we embrace his mercy and grace that is new every day and freely given to us? Or do we merely train ourselves to accept the noise around us that we call life?
