A

A (Young) Woman After God’s Own Heart

Leah Williams smiled at her youngest brother, Timothy, as she tiredly raked the freshly scythed hay, her arms moaning in agony as she remembered herself as a young lass. She recalled with a grin that she had worked the same way as the tired lad now did. As hard as she could, yet not doing a whole lot. Bad weather was fast coming, and the entire William family worked outside in the driving wind, working hard to harvest the last crop of hay before it ruined.

Sixteen-year-old Leah knew the rest of the neighbors in the town of Blessing were equally as busy putting up their own hay, or they would have offered to help. The storm clouds had come upon the horizon so suddenly that there hadn’t been time to be prepared. The evening was cold and foreboding of a blizzard. Leah shuddered, wishing the family were seated before the fireplace, watching the cheerful flames and snacking on freshly popped popcorn.

Rake, rake, rake. The monotonous sounds of the rake being drug across the freshly scythed hay that Papa and Leah’s older brothers, Thomas and Joel, cut down ahead of them encouraged Leah to work harder. She ignored her muscles that screamed in protest. Her brown eyes took in her youngest brother, Timothy, straining with the large rake. Leah glanced at Ma. The older woman labored with her head bent, concentrating on her work. Leah flexed her blistered hands painfully. "I do love my brother. He has worked hard, and I am sure feels worse then I." Her heart swelled with love for her young brother, who did his work without a complaint. "If it ‘twas the good Lord who strained beside me, would I not relieve Him of His burden as best as I am able?"

“Timothy?” she suddenly called, striding purposefully toward the young lad. He looked up at her, his usually bright blue eyes dull with exhaustion. Leah took the rake gently from his weary hands. “Here, brother. Come, rest yourself beneath this umbrella to help keep this chilling wind from your bones. Blue can keep you warm.” She smiled gently, and rubbed his back comfortingly.

“But what about my work?” the lad stammered. “I must help Pa and Ma.”

“Don’t you worry yourself none about that. I’ll do your work, as well as mine.”

Timothy nodded, then lay on the hard ground, too tired to argue any longer. Blue curled around the boy, and Leah positioned the umbrella so it would both cover the two and not blow away. She hurried back to her work, and raked with renewed vigor. Though her arms, legs, and muscles she didn’t even know she had were sorer then she had ever remembered them being, her heart was happy.

Unbeknowenced to Leah, Ma glance up and saw Timothy lying on the side of the field, sound asleep. For a moment, her blue eyes hardened, for she was sure her youngest son wasn’t doing his share of work. The older woman happened to glance at her eldest daughter. Leah worked at a feverish pace, but paused long enough to smile tenderly at her youngest brother. Mrs. Williams knew in an instant that Leah had sent the little one to rest, and had taken his work upon her shoulders, as well as her own work. Mrs. Williams smiled softly in approval before returning to her raking. She would speak of this later to her husband. For now the hay needed to be put up, before the entire winters crop was ruined.

Just at that moment, Leah happened to glance up at the sky. The rolling clouds were almost upon them! The fierce and chilling wind whipped at the women’s clothing, and unseen fingers sent Pa’s hat rolling from his head and across the nearly shorn field. He didn’t even look as it traced its way through the field, but continued scything as hard as he could. Rebecca and John, ages eleven and thirteen were back with the workhorses for what looked like to be the last load of hay! Eight tired people feverishly pitched the remaining hay on the wagon trailer.

“We can do it, we have to do it,” seven year old Able grunted between chattering teeth.

“We’re almost done!” Leah encouraged. “Five more scoops, four more, three, two and the last scoop!” Pa threw the last scoop on the trailer with gusto.

“Yay!!” everyone cheered, even Pa, who usually wasn’t so expressive. The cheers woke young Timothy, who rose and tottered to where the family stood. Pa swung his youngest boy upon his shoulders and chuckled. He didn’t even ask why the lad had been sleeping instead of working. The large family piled onto the wagon just as a light snow began to fall.

After the wagon had been pulled into the red pole barn, the family hurried to the house. The snow now fell in great white sheets. The wind howled, and the little cabin groaned in protest. The family piled into the house, and before they knew it, a blazing fire warmed the hearth. The younger children stood close by, as close as they were able to without getting burned. The older children sat on the floor. Pa and Ma sat in their rockers. The nine people were contemplative as they stared at the flickering flames. Finally Ma spoke.

“Pa,” she began, her voice resonating with an unexpected pride. “Your eldest girl, Leah here, done you right proud today.”

Pa cocked his eyebrow at Leah. “What is your Ma talking about, Leah?”

Leah shifted uncomfortably. “It t’weren’t nothing, Pa.”

Pa kept looking at her, obviously expecting an answer. Leah sighed. “While we were raking, I noticed young Timothy looked mighty tired. I told him to go lay down, and I would do his work for him.”

“And she did at that,” Ma put in, looking up from her knitting. “I was a’ watching her and she did his work as well as her own.”

Pa looked from Ma to Leah. Finally he spoke, his voice resonating in the quiet. “Do you realize, young lady, what you have done?”

Unsure, Leah shook her head. "I'm not in trouble, am I?" she wondered. Pa reached for his big black Bible, then flipped through the pages until he finally found the one he was looking for. “This, dear Leah, is what you have done,” he paused, then read in his deep voice. “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Do you know where I found that verse, Leah?”

Leah shook her head. “No, Pa. Where?”

“In Matthew twenty-five verse forty. Come here, Leah.” The rest of the family watched in silence as Leah rose and walked to her father. He reached up and took her small hands in his much larger ones. “I’m right proud of you, daughter,” his voice trembled. “You have shown today that you are indeed growing into a young woman after God’s own heart. I love you, daughter Leah.”

The onlookers smiled as father and daughter embraced tightly. And far above, Leah knew Jesus smiled upon them.

Sign and View My Guestbook

My Poems and Writings

Home Making Skills for Keepers at Home

Voting Page

Courtship

For You Unmarried Folks- Like Me!

Terra's Helpful Household Hints

Modest Clothing

Amish Cooking, Baking & History

The County Fair

The Recipe Box

Long Hair Care and Tips

Quotes

Links