Cleaning the Lamps

Rivka. Cleaning the Lamps. Mother, I need to see who is at the gate. And when I come back... you're going to eat more of this soup. Yacoub! Uncle. Come in, come in. Welcome and... please come in. Mother! Father! Yacoub and his father are here. What do I do with them? Well, welcome them into the front room Mariam. And then fix them a meal. And I will be there in a few moments. Please come in. Father says he will be with you in a few moments. I... we are very glad to have you here. May our home be as your home. Noah! Get some water and help our guests wash. Hurry! All right, all right. Yes, what do you want? Yacoub and his father are here! We have to make a meal! Come, hurry! All right, I'll be there as quickly as I can. Hurry! Calm down, Mariam. No Father. Let me help you. Help, help him put it on. Ah, it's fine. Well, lead me to them, child. Moussa. Greetings Uncle Moussa. Yacoub. Please. Sit. It's good to see you, Moussa. I'm sorry about your, your illness. I pray God may heal you and restore you to health very soon. From your mouth to God's ear. Yes. How may I help you today, my neighbor? Today I have come, regarding my son, Yacoub. He's a good young man, and I think he would make a good husband for your daughter. And then Yacoub's father asked Father if we couldn't shorten the engagement. He said that times are hard and no one knows what will happen tomorrow. He wants us to be married in three months rather than twelve months! What did your father say? He agreed! We are to be married in three months. They brought in Ayoub and they all signed the contract. And then Yacoub gave me this necklace. Isn't it as lovely as anything you've ever seen? It is, my dear, it's lovely. But, Auntie, I don't know how Mother and Father will manage without me. I'm so excited about Yacoub, but on the other hand…. You and Yacoub will find a way to help them... together. And Sara and Ayoub are there too. But Sara is so sick. She won't be sick forever child. She's going to have a baby. I know, but she and Ayoub are still talking about moving nearer to his family when the baby is born. If and when the time for them to go is right, they'll go. God will guide them. As He will guide you and Yacoub as you talk together and pray together, and follow Him. Mother always told us... that we must grow up to be submissive wives, and that one day we would live with our husbands' families. But if Mother and Father need me... Submission is also an act of faith, Mariam. Yacoub and I haven't even started our life together and already I'm confused. Oh Auntie, I don't even know how to be me, and now I'm supposed to figure out how to be a wife? In three months? I'll never be able to do it. Mariam, being a submissive wife doesn't mean that you are not yourself. As Yacoub learns to love you, and you learn to submit to him, and you submit to each other before God, you will grow into the unique people God created you to be. So, marrying Yacoub will help me be a better person, a better me? I didn't say that Mariam. Our value and maturity don't come from being married, or not married. Each of us has her own path. And we grow by obeying God, by serving Him, and serving others. I want to serve Mother and Father. You should talk to Yacoub about that. You mean now? Well, you're starting to plan your life together now, aren't you? Yes, I suppose so. And making decisions? Yes. Well, then give him the benefit of your perspective. Don't make him guess what you are thinking. Let him know what's important to you. Not so that you force him to do things the way you want him to, but so that he can make the best decisions. You have insight that he needs. Mariam, look at all of these lamps we've been... cleaning today and filling with oil. They are so beautiful. You have so many different kinds. I love lamps. But you see, they all have the same purpose, which is... ...to shine. Exactly. But how many different ways they shine. This one makes beautiful patterns of light on the wall. And this one casts a strong light on my husband's ledgers when he works at night. This one is very bright. And that one casts a softer light. All the lamps... have very much in common. They all need to be cleaned and filled with oil before the flame can light them, but then each can have an effect that is quite different from the others. Jesus said that you and I are like lamps, Mariam. He told us to let our light shine. Our life's purpose is to shine with God's light in the world, but each of us will do that in a slightly different way. So, I'm like a lamp. Yes, wherever you go your purpose will be the same, to let your light shine. Sometimes I think I'm snuffing out the light. Like when I'm arguing with Sara. Oh, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, we all have those moments. Oh, but you, I think you're a particularly beautiful lamp. And whatever house you find yourself in, remember to shine as God has particularly made you to shine. Your beauty before God comes from being who He created you to be. Some of the most beautiful women I know-- and I am talking about inner beauty, that shining quality-- have had to shine at the darkest times, in, in the darkest places. They've had to depend on God to fill their lamps daily... moment by moment. But then He shines through them with a radiance that almost takes your breath away. What kind of dark times? Losing a husband, or losing a child. War or famine. There are so many things. Does that frighten you? Goodness, child. If we try to imagine all the difficult things that could happen to us, it would be very hard. You always seem to shine in the dark times. Ho, ho, ho, I don't know about that. I don't always shine as well as I should. Do you sometimes think... your life would be easier if you had never married? Easier? No, I don't think so. I think it would be difficult in different ways. You see, Mariam, we each have different gifts and different opportunities. And I will answer to God for what He has given me. My gifts, and who I am, would not change if I were not married. Sara has a friend who hasn't married and I think the other girls look down on her because of it. Some people seem to think a girl's sole purpose in life is to marry. But I believe our purpose should be to serve God in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, whether we are married, or single, or widowed, like Noura. We each have gifts and talents, and we must make the best use of those talents wherever God places us. Even when we feel unsure of ourselves? Even then. Jesus told a story about that. A man was going on a journey. And he called his servants to him... and he distributed his property among them. To one he gave five sacks... of coins and then to another... two sacks. And then to the other he gave one sack... each according to their ability. After a long time, the master of these servants returned and settled accounts with them. The servant who had received the five sacks of money said, "Master, you entrusted me with five sacks. See, I have put the money to work and gained five more." His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come, and share your master's happiness!" The servant given the two sacks of money also came. "Master," he said, "you entrusted me with two sacks of money. See, I have gained two more." His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come, and share your master's happiness!" Then the servant who had received one sack of money approached his master and said, "I knew you were a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your sack of money in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you." His master replied, "You wicked, lazy servant! So, you knew that I harvest where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest." And the master punished the servant for failing to invest the treasure that had been entrusted to him. God has given each of us treasure Mariam. Whether we are married or single, with children or without children, rich or poor; He has given each of us different gifts or talents within us. But we must value what God has given us and invest ourselves fully in the place and relationships He has called us to. When we have done that, we will be able to go up to Him and meet him face to face on the Last Day and experience the joy of His approval! And on that day we'll really shine. He will shine through us! Mariam, I want you to have this lamp. Let it be an engagement gift from me to you. And when you look at it, think of all that God has entrusted to you and remember always that you are shining with God's love wherever you go. But Auntie, it is so beautiful. I couldn't. My dear. it is not nice enough! You are a child of God. You're a princess in the kingdom of Heaven. You're a little sister to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! You take it and remember always, whatever you do and wherever you go, who you are in Christ. But I, I couldn't! Oh... you must. I insist. I won't let you go home without it. I have so much to discuss with Yacoub, but I must get back to Mother and Father. You can't go without this. There's a young woman here to see you ma'am. Bring her in. Daliyah! What is the matter? I'm sorry to interrupt you, but, um, ah, my mother is very ill, and I heard from Mariam that you have healing power from God. Will you come with me and help my mother? Um, I have no power of myself, but God does. I'll come, and I'll bring my medicines, and I can always pray for your mother. I'll come with you. It's on my way home. You girls go on. I'll catch up. Thank you Debra. Mariam, what is that necklace? I'm to be married to Yacoub... in three months! Oh Mariam that's wonderful! You're so lucky. I don't think I'll ever marry. Oh don't say that. I'm older than you are, Mariam. But Daliyah, a woman doesn't need a husband to be important to God. He loves us just the way we are. What were Mariam’s concerns and fears regarding marrying Yacoub? How does Rivka respond to Mariam’s concerns and fears? What does Rivka say concerning each woman’s (and man’s) value and purpose before God? What are your particular gifts and talents? What does the parable of the talents tell us about our gifts?