Grace set out in search of something, but it’s nothing she’s lost. What then? She met a woman along the way, and she is searching for something as well. The two women become instant friends. They walk together along a winding path chatting casually until Grace spies a dust-covered book lying half-buried in the ground. What in the world? “Letters from the Past,” the title read.
Grace fans through the book and is astonished to see each of the letters was addressed to her. Then, Merci pages through it and was equally surprised to see her name as the recipient of letters personally written and signed by women from a long, long time ago. How can this be? Still puzzled, Grace tucks the book into her bag.
Their path of search takes them along a raging river. Fear and anxiety grip them. “That’s me everyday of my life,” Merci hollered above the roar of the river. Her fingers curled themselves tightly into her palms. “What if the river overtakes us?” she cried out, as panic rose up in her chest.
“We’ll stay on the path,” Grace soothed. “It’ll be okay.” They locked arms and hurried along.Merci stumbled over something. She stooped down, picked up another book, and brushed off the dirt! “Praying the Scriptures,” it read. Merci flipped through it and saw a section of prayers for anxiety and fear. “Hmm,” she sighs, drawing the corner of her lower lip between her teeth. She put the book into her bag.
Soon they come to a deep, wide valley. The path led down a steep, rocky and weed-covered embankment. The two women look at each other. Grace’s brows knit together with concern as she looks around. “There’s no other way, but to go through it,” she says. She takes the lead; Merci hesitates. Grace looks at her friend, but says nothing. Merci swallows hard and takes the first step down the steep grade, sending a cascade of stones tumbling ahead of them.
A peculiar darkness surrounded them as they picked their way through the floor of the valley. “This is depressing,” Merci says of the all too familiar feeling enveloping her. The two friends trample on in eerie silence. Hunger and thirst, like two unwanted companions, join the two women.
After some time in the dark valley, Merci spotted something – a bright, glistening object high up the apposite valley wall. Hope began to soar as they scrambled and clawed their way towards the shining object.
To be continued next week.