SHABBAT MESSENGERS OF PEACE

The house has been spiffed & is ready for drop-in guests – I don’t leave the house on Friday, except to walk around the Park when the weather is cooperative.

The laundry was washed/dried, folded, hung up, and put in drawers.

Bread was made and baked.

Shabbat music played in the background all day.

By 1:52 PM, the gray clouds had rolled back and the sun was shining brightly:

I pulled the Shabbat Bobeche’s (glass wax catchers) out of the cupboard and debated with myself which one to use on the candlestick tonight …

Gold Stars Bobeche. These Bobeche’s are 28 years old.

I decided on the one with golden stars detail. I will use the double candlestick again this Shabbat. We bought the brass candlestick and bobeche’s 28 years ago, at the Candle Shop in the Lloyd Center Mall when we were between fellowships one Sabbath – we would go to Kehilat HaMashiach Fellowship in the AM, then end the evening on the other side of the city, at Lion of Judah Fellowship:

Double Candlestick fitted with bobeche’s. The bobeche’s are paper-thin glass, very delicate. Makes this rough-n-tumble gal a little nervous to handle them ;-)

This is the last time I will be using this double candlestick.

Double Candlestick waiting on the kitchen windowsill for dusk to arrive – it will be placed in the LV then, and candles lit. The hearts on the sill beside it, are hearts Elohim has sent me every time I need an extra boost of encouragement. There are 6 of them: 5 I received throughout 2019, and 1 I’ve had for at least a decade, found on a river beach along Westside Highway – that one has a red spot in the center of it, like a drop of blood.

I will start using a single candlestick next Shabbat. I am doing a Widow Shabbat now – there is no need for the double candlestick.

I have never used this candlestick before because I always used the brass double; Stacey bought this for Bob & I, 25 years ago. I will begin using it now every Shabbat. And through the Spring/Summer, I will use the glass flower petal bobeche’s.

I read my Scripture portions today out of Bob’s Bible. I smiled when I saw the bookmark, because Bob surprised me one Sabbath afternoon by taking me to this little Messianic Jewish home-shop; this green bookmark was a freebie for buying so much. LOL Aside from the in-home shop, David also had a ministry. One year, Bob took me to their Passover Seder – it was wonderful; and ended late, so we spent the night in Portland. Bob was always a good husband to me: he went out of his way to please me in all things. Bob was a gentile. I am of Hebrew lineage. Bob walked the Messianic walk with me when he was saved in 1981; he loved me.

The Shabbat is a memorial in recognition of Yeshua’s creating the Earth & mankind – in which six days were spent on creation and the seventh day consecrated (set aside; made holy) for rest (Genesis 2:3). The keeping of the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11).

While I do not recognize orthodox religiosity, I do adhere to observing Shabbat as Yeshua observed it with His disciples. I follow Yeshua’s example in all the ways I live my life.

Observant Jews strictly follow the orthodox rabbis 39 types of Shabbat restrictions: they do not write or use money, cook, play music, or garden. Businesses are closed. All forms of modern-day life is ‘deactivated’ – use of electricity is forbidden, cars/bikes are parked for 24 hours – buses and trains may be utilized, phones are unplugged and turned off, and computers are shut down. Orthodox Shabbat does not accommodate modern lifestyles. Formal attire is requested.

On the other hand, Yeshua, Who came to Earth born under the Law, lived a Jewish human life for 33 years (John 1:11), is the only person EVER to have perfectly observed The Sabbath. He did this perfectly because Yeshua IS Creator … HE CREATED OUR WORLD, US, AND THE SABBATH ;-) Yeshua declared Himself to be Who He IS when He said, “the Son of man is Lord of The Sabbath” (Matthew 12:1-8). Yeshua worked on the Sabbath – picking corn to eat, ministering and healing people is work; Yeshua boldly stated that necessary work on the Sabbath is prudent, therefore permissible (Matthew 12:9-14). Sometimes I get fancy with my appearance … other times, I just wear jeans and a nice top.

So, I do my household tasks early in the day so my evenings are free to honor Elohei in a restive manner. People who know me, know that from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown I set myself apart from society and its stresses. My home is my calm place for at least 24 hours. Drop-in guests are welcome … but I generally do not leave the house unless there is an emergency that requires me to do so. When Bob’s spirit was still clothed in flesh, we talked. When our children and grandchildren were here, we talked and engaged in family stuff. Now, I am alone; now there is no reason to talk during Shabbat, unless friends stop by for a visit. I do have about 4 ounces of wine Friday & Saturday evenings, so friends who struggle with alcohol do not come during that period of time. So, my Shabbat’s are pretty low-key now. I talk and debate sometimes, I walk around the Park sometimes, I read, I listen to music, I sing, I eat … and sometimes have friends in for Supper where we share dishes and visit, I pray … Shabbat is a day to honor Yeshua; it is also the people’s day: we save our conversation, best foods, best wines for it; our homes are open to the single, widowed, and otherwise uncoupled people who have no one else to spend Shabbat with.

But, for the time being, I am alone for my Widow Shabbat’s – and yet, not so alone.

My home is ready, for these set-aside-24 hours, to receive messengers of peace. The Shabbat begins and ends with song – and I sing to welcome the angels of peace who will arrive with peace and joy, to transport our spirits from the weekday stresses to the Shabbat day of rest.

It has begun to rain, and the sun is slowly slipping over the horizon, almost reaching its ‘rest’ here in the PNW. The candles are lit, the blessing spoken … the Shabbat has been ushered in.

La’chiam! Shabbat Shalom :-D