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My Name, January 1

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Suggested Reading: Luke 8:1-3

Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Philippians 4:3 (NIV)

Many names are recorded in the Bible, names of people we may think we don’t know, but we do because they’re part of us – sinners, ancestors, seekers, – lovers of God, believers in the Lord Jesus, disciples of Christ – arrogant, disagreeable, ungrateful – caring, forgiving, kind – winners, losers, and try-ers – children, men, and women like us.

The names of women like Joanna and Susanna may not be familiar, but we can know something about them. Joanna had the guts to stand out as a woman of faith. Her husband was the household overseer of one of the most ruthless and cruel rulers in history, yet Joanna openly professed faith in Christ in the face of a Godless employer. Susanna has no description, only her name; but her service and devotion stand as a memorial to her faith and her integrity.

These names and others mentioned, particularly in the postscripts of the New Testament epistles, show us that God’s Word and message are personal. And in order for us to truly understand what God is saying to us, we must make Jesus personal and take God’s Word personally as well.

Women like us follow in the footprints of our Lord and in the steps of women like Joanna and Susanna. They not only followed Jesus, they were His friends and supported Him out of their possessions. They didn’t just profess to believe in Christ, they gave their all for Him – total commitment of time, heart, talents, and wealth, for His use, His mission, and His glory.

They didn’t think they were doing anything extraordinary. They didn’t expect their names to be recorded for us, and yet they teach us that God knows each of us by name and He sees and remembers our dedication and struggles. Our names were “engraved on His palms” at Calvary (Isaiah 49:16; John 20:25), and sealed with love and the Holy Spirit in His heart and in His Book of Life forever, when we believed in Christ as our personal Savior (Ephesians 1:13-14; Philippians 4:3).

In this Scripture we have another Name: the Name of Jesus. Jesus went against the social norms of His day in many ways, and in today’s reading we see His unashamed love and close friendship with women. He supported them Spiritually and, in true grace, allowed them to support Him physically. He let His friends love Him, and He didn’t insult their friendship by refusing their love, their gifts, and their help. He shows us the beauty of friendship in being a graceful giver and receiver, and accepting the gratitude of others.

Jesus knows your name. Do you know His?

Your Thoughts: Susanna, I got a copy of this journal for both of us, because here we are still walking together this NEW year, after two thousand years…-Joanne(a)

I won’t say “I can’t believe it!” Lord, but Joanne writing in my journal? It’s a miracle! My name in Your Book! That’s pretty amazing, too. (I don’t know why it took my so long to find that out. It’s not like I don’t know how to spell Susanna!) Okay, so I know my name is in the Book of Life and that’s way more important. And I know I can insert my name in Your promises, because they were written to me and for me. But my name is in Your Book! Thank You for sticking with me and with Joanne. Thank You for being my Friend. There were times I couldn’t see how I’d ever make it through to this place and time, but I forgot how much You love me. Looking forward to a New Year walking with You, my GOOD FRIEND! SJ

The end

 

A final note from the Cuffe Sisters.

Thank you for your dedication, comments, and support this year. And thanks, most of all, for taking the time to read A Woman Like Me. It’s been fun for us, and we hope you’ve enjoyed it, too.

The idea for AWLM came when we discovered a red Bible in a box of old hymnals someone rescued from a yard sale. Sound familiar? There was a name written in the Bible (not Joanne Hancock!), but it turns out that’s not unique. We’ve found personalized Bibles in thrift stores, donation boxes, and nursing homes, and they all make us wonder, “Where is the person who belonged to this Bible?”

The fictional story of Joanne and Susanna was our attempt to answer that question.

Now their story has come to an end, but we invite you to join us in 2014 for another Cuffe sisters’ original serial. In this new chapter of AWLM: Children of Promise, we’ll come back to our roots, because all of the women like us wouldn’t be what and where we are today without the past women like us who dared to go it alone, against the grain of society.

We’re women of courage and faith because they walked through the fire before us and beckon us to follow their trail. So we hope you’ll follow the page-a-day new trail of AWLM 1880’s style. We begin our year-long journey in the year of our Lord 1883.

Thanks – Sadie & Sophie

*******

Chapter 1. Dreams, January 1

Josie Delaney fixed her eyes on the trim ship raising its sails out on the bay.  She lifted her hand. Her fingers caught the tug of the rugged autumn wind for an instant before her arm dropped, weak as this morning’s water gruel, to her side. Delaney’s Treasure lay under the waves now, an ocean away.

She blinked back the sting of hot tears and shook her head. A lock of thick auburn hair escaped from her authentic Chinese vermilion head scarf as she stooped over the laundry basket on the withered grass at her feet.

She picked up a small pair of patched trousers and frowned at the tattered hems. She swiftly pegged it on the backyard line and retrieved a faded brown skirt. The damp wash, slapped from her hand, upended the basket. She bent to rescue the basket when a wiry arm clamped around her waist and jerked her off her feet. Her world spun. Josie instinctively rammed her elbow into her captor’s ribs.

“Ugh…” the grunt shot into her ear, carried on the familiar hot putrid breath of rotting teeth. “Settle down,” Roscoe Peabody demanded. “That ain’t no way to treat your landlord.” He set her on her feet barely long enough to spin her around to face him.

Josie wrinkled her nose at the greasy malodor emanating from every huge dark pore of this oily whippet of a man.

“You been askin’ for this ever since I knowed you, Josie Delaney,” Roscoe said. He leaned closer until her vision filled with the sprouting black boar-bristle nose hairs poised over the worm of a mustache crawling on his upper lip. But the rascally coarse hairs couldn’t hide the tongue licking moist thick lips closing in on her.

Josie wiggled an arm loose and clouted him up-side the ear. Roscoe grabbed her…



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