Facing Tough Times with God & Family by Barbara M. Britton ~ Truth in Fiction Blog

I am in awe of the daughters of Zelophehad. Five orphaned sisters secured inheritance rights for women in Bible Times. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for these five sisters to go before Moses and all the leaders of Israel and ask for their deceased father’s land. This was a groundbreaking “ask” and radical for its day. These girls didn’t have parents to encourage them and I’m sure their male relatives didn’t appreciate the thought of receiving less property.

The sisters relied on God and His Word. They knew the Scripture about God defending the cause of orphans (Deuteronomy 10:18) and they believed it. They also had the support of each other.

In Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey, Mahlah, the oldest daughter of Zelophehad, must gather her strength to lead her sisters into an assembly of men. The girls came before Moses twice, so Mahlah had to remain strong in her faith.

When I wrote Mahlah’s character I made her bold and outspoken. I also made her rely on God when she felt weak or shaken. I could relate to Mahlah because at the end of 2015, I faced six hours of surgery to remove breast cancer from my body. This was my second journey into surgery. Because of my genetics, I had opted to have both of my breasts removed this time. I was confident in my decision, but surgery is scary. Six hours is a long time to be under anesthetic.

As I lay on the gurney, waiting to go into surgery, I was left alone for a moment. My family was in the waiting room, the nurse had gone to check on another patient, and there I was with time to think. Think about cutting, and stitches, and pain and possibly dying. I began to cry. Of course, I told myself not to cry because then I wouldn’t be able to breathe through my nose. The nurse came back into my waiting area and proceeded to comfort me. But I had the Comforter with me. He had never left. It was me who had let my mind wander down paths that should have had roadblocks. God had gotten me to this point, and I knew He was in control. I also felt the prayers of His saints encouraging me.

Like Mahlah, I trusted God no matter what the outcome. I had the support of my family and my broader church family. I could survive surgery and radiation and whatever pokey test came my way. I could be a lioness and go down the path God placed before me.

Two days after my six-hour surgery and two-hour recovery (which I don’t remember at all), I walked out of the hospital in my jeans and flannel, without pain, and headed home to heal. I am four years past my cancer surgery and radiation. Praise God!

After facing cancer, I held on to the mantra that every day is a blessing. When I wake up and my feet hit the floor, I praise God for a new day.

Life isn’t always easy. I remember the first time I had a physical and the nurse asked me if I had scheduled my mammogram. I joked, with a bit of mist in my eyes, that I didn’t need mammograms anymore. My body won’t be whole again until glory.

I like to think that all of my characters learn something about their faith in God while going through struggles (novels need conflict). Through hardship, I have gained a better understanding of God’s faithfulness and the strength He gives His children.

The theme for Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey is Go Forth with God. May we all remember this each and every day when our feet hit the floor.

 

 

While the Israelites struggle to occupy the Promised Land of God, Mahlah bat Zelophehad is orphaned and left to care for her four sisters. But daughters of the dead are unable to inherit land, and it will take a miracle for Mahlah to obtain the means to care for her sisters and uphold the vow she made to her dying mother.

Mahlah must seek Moses, the leader of her people, and request something extraordinary—the right for a daughter to inherit her deceased father’s land. A right that will upset the ox-cart of male inheritance and cast her in the role of a rebel.

But, God is the protector of the orphan and the widow, and five orphaned daughters need His help. With God, anything is possible. Even changing man’s tradition.

 

 

Barbara M. Britton lives in Southeast Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She is published in Biblical fiction and enjoys bringing little-known Bible characters to light in her stories. Look for Barb to venture into Christian Historical fiction in 2020 with “Until June.” Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America, and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America. Barb has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Find out more about Barb’s books at http://www.barbarambritton.com/books.html.

Barb is active on Twitter and Facebook.