Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Beginning and End (06/04/26)
-
TITLE: From Hope to Heartbreak, a monologue | Previous Challenge Entry
By Laurie Kiel
06/11/26 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
Do you know what it’s like to begin a marriage with hard work but hearts full of love? That somehow descends into deception and deceit? From hope to heartbreak.
I know it all so well. I am Rebekah. Wife of Isaac. Mother of Esau and Jacob.
I remember the day I thought I had made the most foolish decision ever. A stranger with ten camels comes to my father’s home while I am drawing water. He asks for a drink. And I say, “Of course. And I will draw water for your camels as well.”
Water for your camels as well?
What was I thinking?
Do you know how much water a camel can drink? Twenty-five to thirty gallons after a long journey. And the stranger had TEN.
As I draw bucket after bucket after bucket for the thirsty camels, the sweat pouring into my eyes, I wonder. Why had I made such an offer? But something had prompted me. SomeONE had prompted me.
Little did I realize that I was the answer to a prayer. An answer to the stranger’s prayer for whom to select as his master’s wife.
What a way to get a husband.
But Jehovah had his hand on it all. And He gave me a wonderful husband and a role in His plan. But Jehovah’s ways are hard to understand at times.
Twenty years.
That’s how long I waited to have a child. I loved Isaac, but a woman is not complete without a child.
Twenty years I waited. I tried not to think about how long my father-in-law Abraham’s wife, Sarah, waited. I never got the chance to meet Sarah. I would have loved to hear her stories.
And then Isaac prayed. Don’t ask me why it took him twenty years to pray. I think we are all guilty of that, resorting to prayer when nothing else is working, when it should be the first choice of action.
And Jehovah answered his prayer. With TWINS. As the twins struggle within me, I wonder why it is happening, so I pray to Jehovah. And He told me, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” (Gen. 25:23 ESV)
The older shall serve the younger.
(REPEATS THOUGHTFULLY) The older shall serve the younger.
(WITH DISBELIEF) The older shall serve the younger?
It’s against our customs. It’s against our culture.
Jehovah’s words were a drumbeat in my head as the twins grew into manhood.
I’ll admit. I loved Jacob. A mother shouldn’t have favorites, but I did. I loved my precious Jacob. But Isaac loved Esau.
Esau’s appetite cost him his birthright. Trading his birthright for bread and lentil stew? (SHAKES HER HEAD)
But it wasn’t enough for my Jacob to get the birthright. He needed his father’s blessing. And I knew that Isaac would give the blessing to his favorite, Esau, the one who was oldest by seconds.
And so I tricked my husband. I coached my son Jacob on how to deceive my husband. How to disguise himself as Esau so he could fool my poor, blind husband. After all, Jehovah had said, “The older shall serve the younger.” I was just helping Jehovah out. I should have remembered the story of when Abraham and Sarah thought they were helping Jehovah out by having Abraham take Hagar as a wife.
But it worked. Jacob got the blessing.
And I lost my son.
Esau’s murderous threats against his brother caused Jacob to flee.
And I never saw my precious Jacob again.
I spent the rest of my life missing him and lamenting Esau’s heathen wives.
Such a tragic end to such a promising beginning.
But it wasn’t the end.
When the time came for me to go to heaven, I found out the rest of the story. How Jehovah changed Jacob’s name to Israel, now the name of Jehovah’s chosen people.
From where came the Messiah, who redeems all our poor choices, and turns all our tragic endings into beautiful beginnings.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
