Iwona I’m constantly experiencing amazing things – things that I did not crave for, or I could not do much about them, and a lot depended on circumstances, from third parties, from innumerable cases and factors. Where there was not even space for hope, and if so, it was the kind of mother of fools. Fortunately, there is something more than hope. It is faith. And this faith has just put all these things in motion and much more! Faith is for free – maybe that’s why not everyone appreciates it. At the same time … a high price was paid for it and thanks to it, it is available to everyone, here and now, immediately. Unlimited. The limitation is only lack of faith.
Today, I will tell you one of many stories of mine, to build your faith, of course! Because each of you can experience this: -) EVERYONE.
There was a time in my life, when I hid with a hoe to the sun – I had no contacts there, not too much money to spend, no work, no flats on Crete with the assumption that I would spend half a year there. I just packed into one suitcase and at the end of May 2006 sitting on the plane board I waved goodbye to Poland .
I had plan A: for 200 euros I will rent a flat for a month. And then…. I am waiting for Dad (God), with whom I have already determined that I should go to Crete and stay there until the end of October.
Whenever I describe this story, it seems to be simple. Up to a point. Sabbath.
Such was my conviction: no work on the Sabbath. And it turned out to be the biggest problem in a tourist place like Crete. With time, it turned out that it was a problem that could not be overcome.
When looking for a job, I repeated it over and over to the further people, they were spreading their hands helplessly, or ridiculing me – like Dimitris, who called me a lazy girl who doesn’t want to work at all. In each next place I was told that I was demanding the impossible – because there is no option to not work until one day a week during the tourist season in Greece! No way!
After 2 days of fruitless walking in the heat, I came across my temporary destiny.
– Where are you going? – a man, about 30 years old askedme. (…) Giannis, repairing the roof, saw me walking along the coast and walked over me. The whole situation looked as if he was waiting for me and I was waiting for him.
– Do you have any place to stay – he asked.
– Yeaaah, but in a few hours the hotel day ends, so that I have few hours left – I can not believe he asked me about it! And that I told him how it was; I don’t like to share my problems with people even if it comes to imminent homelessness.
Without going into details, I lived in his „summer” house that same day. As it turns out, in the village, as for which I said a year ago, „God, how wonderful it would be to live here!”.
At the seaside, everyone was interested in me – a newcomer. Also the Giannis’s boss, Gianna.
– Ivona, I need a person to the kitchen. The season is just beginning, so for now, for one day, on Sunday.
Sure!! I was overjoyed! Good though one day!
The kitchen was great; I worked most of the time with Vivienne; a Romanian who did not know a word in English, so I had 12-14 hours of time each Sunday to study in Greek. Also my boss, Gianna and her husband, Giorgos took the honor of teaching me their language very well.
But…. The days were passing, and I was slowly running out of money. I counted on a miracle and I knew one thing: the miracle will not depend on me. I completely turned to God and I just knew that He would never leave me – because He promised it to me many times.
There were days when I was sitting on my mattress and I did not have the strength and willingness to move, to not hear the refusal again, looking for work for more than 1 day a week. In addition, some small, extremely active ants began to bite me unmercifully at night!
– There are no weekends in Greece during the summer season! There are no holidays, no days off! – I hear it again and again. And this phrase loves to be emphasized by Dimitris, the middle-aged, blue-eyed Greek who triumphed every time we met. He paced back and forth on the marble patio of the restaurant. Although the marble floor was about five centimeters higher than the sidewalk, he looked down at the passing, proud as a peacock; of place, of belonging, of the present moment.
It’s Greece – I hear it again and again, as if I’m not sure exactly where I currently am.
That Sunday, when I carried out my duties as usual, when I had a moment of reconciliation with my fate and thought once again, ‘There will be something to be. I’ve done everything that’s been in my power. Now I am counting on you, Dad’.
Then Gianna came to me and looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes.
– Ivona, I need you here seven days a week.
– It’s great !! … But … you know how it is … – I preferred to dispel her hopes immediately.
– I will talk to my husband and let you know right away. – Gianna went away, looking for Giorgos and I knew two things: that it will rather not succeed, but that God would not leave me anyway.
– We have already decided – she came back after a moment and replied. – You will work every day except Saturday. Except that you will move here, you will have a room with a kitchenette and bathroom. And a meal per day. Do you agree with it?
I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5)
Shabbat. Being abroad, I missed my community, for the joint start of the Sabbath. I even asked people in the area if they do not know such communities, but I found out again that no way, after all, this is a tourist town, inaddition the Orthodox Church rules here and I have some chimerical desires. There was no chance for it.
So I used to go to the port, climbed the rocks and had my tete-a-tete with Dad, thinking again and again ‘God, I would like to have someone to celebrate with the Sabbath!’.
A few days later, on Friday, I went to work earlier like never beofre – I wanted to sit longer on the beach.
Suddenly, I see a dark-skinned man grinning white who is coming towards me. Just in case, I look back discreetly if no one is waiting for him standing behind me, but no. When he is near enough, he looks into my eyes and invites me to the morning coffee.
– With a pleasure – I agree. I really like meeting new people, they always bring with them a surprise.
– Do you like smoking? – I look at the pack of cigarettes my new friend, Hezi, pulled out. It seemed to me that he lit the cigarette casually.
– No, I really want to quit. But it is the Higher Power that must help me, I have tried so many times …- by saying this, he is constantly smiling and does not seem to be overly concerned about this fact.
– You mean, for example …. God? -suggests.
– You believe in God? – Hezi.
– Do you believe God? – I say, and after a moment we both laugh.
– Tell about it! I need to hear it! „Hezi is inviting me.
– You know …. maybe in the afternoon, I’m just starting work and in the evening I have a lot of time because you know, I keep the Sabbath holy, so that I will gladly meet with you and talk, eh?
‘Ivona!’ he shouted warningly with his palm up, ready to give me a high five.
– High five!
I am giving him a high five without knowing what he’s talking about.
– But what do you mean?- I strive to learn the cause of this enthusiasm as soon as possible.
– I also keep the Sabbath holy! I am a Jew and I invite you this evening. You will see how the Sabbath begins in a Jewish tradition!
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
(Matthew 6:33)
On the our Sabbath, the consequences of a broken key and chicken from heaven – in the next episode.
Great content keep it up🙏🙏