Sarai

An impelling story of promise and hope

Of a woman in an ancient land

A woman of beauty about to be betrothed

The evening is sultry, too hot to sleep,
as she climbs the steps to the roof,
as they often did in this ancient village.
There is merriment and joy in the distance,
as she looks down on a wedding taking place.
She is enthralled with the bride and her
beautiful jewels and dress, her painted face
with bright colors, waiting to meet her groom.
Under the stars, falling asleep, she dreams of
the day, when she will be betrothed,
just as every girl dreams, for this is the custom
in her land, to be married and have children,
was her deepest desire!
~~~~
And then came the day when her dream had
come true!
~~~~

With loving care, her maidens
Surround her
With perfumes and oils, smoothing
her skin
Placing sparkling pins and fasteners
In her long flowing hair
Her eyes enhanced, painted in black
With purple eyelashes
Then stepping into a gown of
Sparkling sequins of ivory and lace
Slipping into sandals of scarlet and blue
And finally silver bracelets and a
Necklace of gold!
Looking into the mirror, it reveals a
Woman of beauty!
And as her maidens slowly draw the
Beaded curtain aside with its tinkling
Bells
There is silence as she poses
Before her husband to whom she is
Promised to be betrothed
Abram gently lifts Sarai’s veil
Taking his wife to his tent to bare
His child

~
Years swiftly pass and her hope is
Not fulfilled
No sign of life felt in her womb and
She is saddened
Unable to conceive, Sarai devises
A plan
Inviting her servant, Hagar, into
Her tent to lay with her husband
To bear the promised one, and Hagar
Did bare a son
Calling him Ishmael
And Sarai became jealous, sending
Them into the wilderness
~~~~
With continued years of waiting her
Hopes dwindle
Now looking into the mirror
Her face is marred with wrinkles
And creases
Her bones waxing old, her back bent
Hobbling with a stick
And with no hope she had been given
~~~~
One night in the coolness of the
Evening,
Abram fell asleep and he was given
A dream
God promised him a son
And a great nation!
In sharing this promise with Sarai
She laughed behind his back
For she was
Ninety and Abram one hundred years
Old!
But God did hear her prayer!
A cry in the night, a midwife quickly rushes
To her side
And Sarai gives birth to the promised
Child
With gnarled hands and a once sorrowful
Heart
Her fingers are now entwined with a babies
Soft skin
One whose descendants would fill the
Land like the stars of heaven!

*The stars had never shone brighter
that night
*As feasting and rejoicing filled
their hearts
*The promise was fulfilled
*Surely this child is the progenitor
of all God’s children
*Pointing to the long awaited
Messiah!
*And now Sarai’s name was
changed to Sarah and Abram’s
to Abraham

This is inspired by the story of
Abraham and Sarah in God’s word