Faith, Life, and Lessons

For those familiar with the Bible, the story of David fleeing King Saul before he himself is crowned king is likely a tale that is both comforting and disturbing. That David, a man after God’s own heart, would endure such dire circumstances seems unjust, but his relative faithfulness throughout the endeavor make his eventual crowning all the more deserved (until the whole Bathsheba debacle, that is). Despite having grown up with a basic understanding of this story, I recently noticed a minor detail with major implications. In an attempt to evade Saul in 1 Samuel 21, David goes to Ahimelech the priest in the town of Nob. Admittedly, I sometimes catch myself zoning out when I read passages with multiple names/places I don’t recognize. However, buried in this little passage is a passing comment where David asks the priest if he has a sword he can use to defend himself (David lies and says he’s on mission for Saul and left in such a hurry that he didn’t bring a weapon). The priest resp

To know Miss B was to know what it feels like to be deeply and unapologetically loved. Miss B wasn’t just kind, she was the type of kind that looks you in the eyes and tells you what she admires about you without even blinking. She wasn’t just funny, she was the kind of funny that made me think “I can’t believe she just said that, there are tears coming from my eyes I’m laughing so hard.” She wasn’t just faithful, she was the kind of faithful that said “I’m willing to take all the shit this life can possibly give me, prove that I can smile through it because I’m a child of God, give it to Him, and move forward.” And she wasn’t just peaceful, she was the type of peaceful that declared “I REFUSE to let anyone steal my joy.” Miss B was born into a life of guaranteed heartache. Raised in an abusive home, she ran away at 15, deciding to forge her own place in the world. One of her siblings, only 13 at the time, was already hooked on drugs by then. Soon after moving out of foster care at