A Mini Novel, Dinah – A Pastors Daughter

The night was calm, the sky looked like a sheet of dark blue velvet and the stars shined like tiny diamonds, which meant that the night was different.

Jacob as usual was sitting behind his tent in company of his children, who liked to listen to the stories that Jacob told about his father Isaac and of his grandfather Abraham, every night they enjoyed these moments.

Suddenly someone approaches them screaming and running in the dark - Lord! Lord! – It was Zilpah, Leah’s servant, and Jacobs’s first wife.

Lord hurry it’s time, Leah is almost giving birth! - Said Zilpah.

Everyone got up and ran towards Leah’s tent, the uproar was intense; Jacob laughed of joy and raised his hands thanking God for another child.

-Please let me go through! - Said Bilhah Rachel’s servant, who was Jacobs’s second wife and Leah's sister. – Let’s go! Out of the way, I must go through with this bowl of water!

Leah was lying down; groaning in pain; Zilpah and Bilhah helped her and comforted her.

- Lets go Leah! You can do it, Have strength! -Rachel was at the entrance of the tent, as she watched her sister from far away, she rubbed her hands on her belly and thought, "Oh God of Israel, one day the Lord will open my womb and I would be able to give a son to my beloved Jacob"

Rachel opened the curtains of the tent and ran off. Jacob saw Rachel and felt sad for her, but the joy he felt to be a father again was so great that he didn’t move from the entrance of Leah’s tent.

- It's A Girl! It's a girl! - Shouted Zilpah - In the midst of so many sons lacked the grace of a girl!

Jacobs’s eyes and his sons were filled with tears upon hearing the news from the other side of the curtains.

Everyone hugged each other, they were very happy that the birth went well.

Jacob entered the tent and his heart filled with tenderness when he saw his daughter in the arms of Leah. – “Thank you once again for making me a happy man giving me a daughter” – Jacob told Leah while kissing her cheek. Leah closed her eyes and sighed deeply and inside thanked God.

Jacob held his daughter in his arms and could not stop crying –“why are you crying Jacob?” - Asked Leah “- She's so beautiful; she looks like my mother, Rebekah!”

He lifted the girl up to heaven and thanked God.

“Dinah!” - Said Leah – Our daughters name will be, Dinah! Because once again; God has judged my cause.

Dina grew up in a home full of love and pampering; her parents believed and served the God of Israel.

They taught her the living faith alive and she grew up happy, she had a blessed family, full of love and peace.

Dinah liked to run through the fields and feel the wind in her face. Her mother was always worried and yelled out her name every time she disappeared among the vast fields and small sand dunes that covered everything around.

In fact what she would have really liked was to go with her brothers, when they left early to the field to graze sheep, but she couldn’t, she was a girl and that was work for men, but she always followed them hidden, until one of them discovered her and returned her to the camp.

"Please father, tells me the story of my great grandfather Abraham and Isaac, Tell me! Tell me! “Said Dinah; pulling her father Jacobs’s coat.

"Very well-daughter, sit here," he replied, wanting to please her.

Dinah paid much attention to what her father told her, she thought it was great and admired the faith and courage of her great grandfather and how everything had happened.

Dinah sees her brother’s in the distance and jumps from her father's lap and ran off to meet them, they all lifted her up and she felt like the center of attention.

They all did what she wanted, after all she was the only girl in the family and they all over protected her.

Time passed and Dinah turned into a pretty girl, she was restless, cheerful and energetic, but apparently that sameness began to bother her.

Dinah could not stand the quiet and safe life she lived, now she wanted something different, new things, new emotions...

(Continues next Monday)