The Only Friend in the Dale

         Prologue: The story that could be greeted with derision and disbelief but truthful. 

        It is time for the aircraft to land, but it propelled in circles and then headed Eastward bound far away from the airport for another 2 and half hours. Coming home after visiting mum, sitting almost at the front of the aircraft, alone without my family members, saw the air stewardess walking around with oxygen masks, in her hand made me very quizzical, and decided to converse with her. The response was her sobs which made me spell bounded and frozen for few minutes!  Absolutely no information and instructions from the pilot, possibility of threat detection, and fuel running out, must have given quite a mental anguish, pain, agony, grief and discomfort emotionally for all in the flight. I realized that we are either going to land in water, or in a remote island, or I am going to meet my Saviour in the air!

       Usage: Dale, vale, valley (often used as a part of proper names). Definition: A vale (i.e., broad depression). …(Dale, vale, valley in the Bible (64 verses). Hebrew: עֵמֶק, ʿēmeq, …Web Jul 19, 2017). 

      Deep calleth, unto the deep, the waves and billows, and water falls of fear, worry and anxiety trickles down, swells up the ebb and flow of rising emotions. Being in despair, of the possibility of not seeing my immediate family members and friends in this part of eternity, and as my soul faints within me, I align my thoughts toward God and remembered the Hebrew Names of God, El Roi, and Elohei Khol-Nechamah.

        El Roi means “The God who sees me.” Ro’iy in the original Hebrew can be translated as shepherd, or as seeing, looking, or gazing, (Bible study tools). Remembered, El Roi’s Faithfulness in hindsight, (Ref: Gen. 16:7-16).

      Elohei Khol-Nechamah (e-lo-hay khol-ne-kha-MAH).

This means “God of all comfort.” Blessed, be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 2 Cori.1:3 (KJV).

     God’s promises resonate within, built faith and hope helped with preparing for teaching, with the hope of possible landing! To keep it precise, when I reached home, the phone call from mum asking, “Where are you? Are, you safe? Japan had a bad earthquake when you were supposed to be there, and I am glad to hear your voice again” gave shivers in my spine. There was deep silence from my end, with numbness, and the shocking news felt like a thunderbolt. It appears as though I walked on water in the darkness! Sure indeed, God is our helper in times of trouble, when no one is there to lift us out of a storm. Thank you, God, El Roi (God who sees), and Elohei Khol-Nechamah (e-lo-hay khol-ne-kha-MAH) God who comforts.        

        Epilogue:

    Hebrew word, Yadiyad is often rendered as love and/or beloved as we find in Song of Solomon, (Chaim Bentorah). It is a huge privilege that we could call on Him with endearing words, with intimacy, and with respect as Abba Father!  Beloved friends can walk hand in hand and heart to heart and God is our friend if one would invite Him. This conviction transcends intellect and human rationality. Hebrew word Mitsapah, (Mizpah- Ref: Gen. 31:49) meant as Watch Tower who can protect our hearts and mind and is indeed a Tender Emotional Bond, one can share with our Father in Heaven. Being a true believer in Christ, is the start of that deep personal relationship with Him, and this never ends, and it runs to eternity!

     “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny” C.S Lewis. Universal grip of lies on every soul, the notion that we are all in varied time- bombs, living in borrowed time, and the brevity of life itself, God witnesses our struggles, comes along our side in our deep pockets of hopelessness. He even sees the sparrows and takes care of them (Ref: Matt. 6:26). As we are anxiously waiting on God, He is thinking beyond our anxious heart, to fine-tune us through adversity and create in us a man or women after His own heart! It leads one to live in Truth and Love in this part of Eternity. My soul leaps with joy when I remember the Only Friend in the Dale!