Amina was able to acquire a small piece of soap. After using it to wash her face and hands, she ran it over to Aunt Mo. Mo insisted that Amina keep it since she was only able to get a small amount, but Amina refused and took off again before Mo could give it back.
Inside her own dingy tent, Amina unpacked her bag and started putting away the new supplies and clothing she had acquired from the day. The small tent had a thick padded mat with blankets and pillows for sleeping right in the middle. On one side of her bed a few crates lined the wall, stuffed with weapons and other various supplies. On the other side was a small bookshelf where she kept her books and a few personal items. At the front of the tent was a stool, and a wooden box she used as a table.
Amina kept it minimal; she didn’t spend much time in her tent, so there wasn’t much need for anything in it.
Unpacking her bag, Amina came across the book given to her: The wizard of Oz. Such a funny little story about finding a way home and friendship. It was always odd to Amina how Dorothy was never really away from home in the first place, she was only dreaming. But it’s scary how real some dreams can feel.
Amina felt like her life now was a dream or more like a nightmare. When was she going to wake up? When would she be taken to the home she was promised?
Amina placed the book on the shelf next to another much larger book. Amina grabbed the large book and opened it to reveal her own handwritten words from the Sacred Book. When religious books were banned around the world, Amina knew it was only a matter of time before she’d lose her copy, so she tried to write down as much of the new covenant writings as possible in her journal. She only got about a third of the way through. After that she relied on other people’s memories to help her finish. There were still a lot of holes, but she had enough.
Amina used to read a little bit of the journal every night, memorizing the words and soaking in the hope that came along with it. As time went on and her faith wavered, she became less motivated to read, but after today’s incident, she felt prompted to read.
She was hoping that Sabaoth would reveal something she hadn’t noticed before. A promise she had forgotten or wisdom that would tell her what to do. Fear about the rising danger in the tunnels started to creep in, slowly tightening its grip, and she needed to stop it before it took control.
Amina flipped through the pages until she randomly stopped on a passage.
Her lips moved as she read silently:
Care for the flock that Sabaoth has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly–not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve Sabaoth. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “Sabaoth opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Give all your worries and cares to Sabaoth, for he cares about you. And remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. So, after you have suffered a little while, Sabaoth will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.
Give all your worries and cares to Sabaoth? As much as Amina wanted this to encourage her and cast away any doubts she had, how could she when it felt like Sabaoth was so far away and silent when Amina so desperatel