God Works through Slavery, 404 A.D.
It has been three years since I was captured and brought to Ireland. I despise this land as much as when I first came. I yearn to be home every day. I wonder if anyone is still there. I long to be with Bretta always; her company is most missed. My one connection to home is Patricius, with whom I rarely talk or see. Since he is a shepherd, he spends much time away from the Rath in the fields. From the little I have interacted with him, his temperament has changed since our capture. His spirits seem crushed, much like mine.
Despite the endless ache of loneliness, I thank my God every day because He has kept me safe all these years. He has given me the strength, peace, and hope I need each day to survive in this land. Every new day I wake, I pray that He will give me strength to do the things He has planned for me—and every night I fall asleep trusting that what I did that day was His will for me. Though some days have their struggles following His will, I keep pressing on, obeying him as best I can.
What I have to do every day has been the same the whole time I have been here. The days are exhausting and monotonous. I wake long before dawn, prepare for the day and walk to the kitchen. There I meet Etromma and Ita, the two other cooks. We prepare the meal for those who work in the fields all day. This task must be completed before dawn so I may be able to deliver them to the quarters of the slaves who work the grounds. This is one of the few times I almost feel free. To walk in the outside air and have time to think and pray away from the bustle of the kitchen keeps me focused on God's presence in my daily life. The days I see Patricius when I am delivering the worker's meals, I fervently cry out to God before I see Patricius that I can show him God's love.
While I am delivering the meals to the slaves, Etromma and Ita begin making the morning meal for Miliucc's household. By the time they are done with it, I am done delivering the slave's food and then begin serving the morning meal to Miliucc's household.
I abhor being inside the house of Miliucc. He is a member of the heathen Druidic cult and his practices sicken me. Those who participate in the cult make customary sacrifices and seek the stars for guidance instead of looking to their Creator. Every time I enter his house I pray for his eyes to be opened to his despicable sins against God.
The midday and evening meals are made and served to the house in the same manner as the morning meal. The work grows more tiring each day. Although after three years I have endeavored to befriend many of the servants, I still have no one to whom I can tell my deepest thoughts. It is then I miss Bretta the most, for I know she would listen to me and care for my troubles. At these times I cry out to God knowing He hears and cares more than any other one could. He is my only friend in Ireland.
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Today was a wonderful day! Patricius and several other herders began shearing the sheep yesterday. It takes several days, but today was the best day of this season. This morning as I made my rounds delivering meals to the slaves, I met Patricius waiting for me. I was very confused. While he had treated me with much more respect than when I served Bretta, he still did not make any effort to befriend me since coming to Ireland. But today he was waiting for me with a smile on his face! He told me that God had shown him the error of his ways and that the Lord had turned him from his hard-hearted ways, saved him from his sins, and brought him into God's fold. He then begged my forgiveness for how he had treated me at home. I gave him my forgiveness gladly. We rejoiced together in our new bond of freedom. I was overjoyed to see Bretta's and my prayers answered! I only wished that Bretta could know. I had already taken too long on delivering the meals, so I had to run back to the kitchen to continue with my duties. But all day today, I have been ecstatic, knowing that God does act even when everything seems to go wrong. I cannot wait to talk with Patricius more; it will be wonderful to be able to encourage each other. But now I must get some sleep. I cannot stop praising God for what He did in Patricius's life!
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Since Patricius came to recognize Jesus as his Savior it has been nearly two years. We have been able to share God's word with each other when we see one another. When he is not with the sheep in the field, we meet either before I start my work in the kitchen or after our day's work is done to sing or encourage each other. Each time Patricius comes in with the sheep he shares with me his new poems and songs. Today he brought this:
"I arise today
through the strength of Christ
with His Baptism
through the strength of His Crucifixion
with His Burial
through the strength of His Resurrection
with His Ascension
through the strength of His descent
for the Judgment of Doom
Christ to protect me today
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come abundance of reward
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit,
Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart
of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth
of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today,
through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through the confession of the Oneness,
toward the Creator
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us."
As we talked that night, he told me that a week ago, as he slept, he had heard a voice saying to him, "You do well to fast: soon you will depart for your home country." And he told me that again last night he heard the same voice saying to him, "Behold, your ship is ready." He said he is going to escape to find the ship that God prepared for him to go home. When he takes the sheep out to pasture tomorrow, he will leave. As we said farewell tonight, tears sprung to my eyes. My only connection to home and the only other Christ-follower here is leaving. Even now the tears stream from my eyes. I am once again, alone.
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