Let me tell you a bit about my home and my life. I live in the port city of Joppa, about 35 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It's an important Christian center at this time. The new faith is spreading from Jerusalem across the Mediterranean. We have a beautiful harbor, situated about halfway between Mt. Carmel and Gaza, at the southern end of the fertile plain of Sharon. Like most houses in my neighborhood, I have a large roof guest chamber reached by an outer stairway. Sometimes I go up there myself, and when I do, I look out at Joppa's needy people wandering up and down the beach searching for rags swept in by the waters of the sea.
Many of the families around here depend upon the sea for their living. The men set out on "the Great Sea" in their wooden boats, and so often the winter storms tear their boats to bits when they hit the treacherous rocks. Often the bodies of seamen are swept into the churning waters and sometimes back onto Joppa's shores. I have great compassion for the widows and the fatherless. Seeing how so many were forced to wear ill-fitting rags, I began to see what I could do for them. I'm not wealthy, but I do have money, and could have given coins to the poor. But it seemed better to me to give of myself. I have a talent for sewing. I began to make cloaks and robes, tunics and other wearing apparel for the poverty-stricken. It was refreshing to see how people's attitudes changed when they received my simple but attractive new garments; they went away renewed in spirit. There seemed to be no end to the needs, and I rose early each day to sew.
Time went by, and one day I suddenly became very ill. Now I can only tell you this part based on what my friends have told me. Like I said, I was seized with illness . . . and death came suddenly. Saints in the Church and widows whom I had befriended came to my house, washed me and laid me out for burial in the upper room, and made ceremonial ablutions. Some in the group knew that Peter and other apostles were performing miracles, and a few had faith that I could be raised from the dead. They sent two men over to Lydda where Peter had gone to preach, asking him to travel the ten miles to my home and raise me from the dead. Such faith!
Peter listened to them, left his preaching at Lydda, and hurried on foot to my house. He dismissed the people who stood around my body weeping, told them he would pray. After a bit, he was heard to say, "Tabitha, arise" (Acts 9:40). I remember that I opened my eyes and saw Peter and sat up. Then Peter called the saints and widows and presented me to them.
Tabitha is my Aramaic name. In Greek, I am called . . . DORCAS.
Many of the families around here depend upon the sea for their living. The men set out on "the Great Sea" in their wooden boats, and so often the winter storms tear their boats to bits when they hit the treacherous rocks. Often the bodies of seamen are swept into the churning waters and sometimes back onto Joppa's shores. I have great compassion for the widows and the fatherless. Seeing how so many were forced to wear ill-
Time went by, and one day I suddenly became very ill. Now I can only tell you this part based on what my friends have told me. Like I said, I was seized with illness . . . and death came suddenly. Saints in the Church and widows whom I had befriended came to my house, washed me and laid me out for burial in the upper room, and made ceremonial ablutions. Some in the group knew that Peter and other apostles were performing miracles, and a few had faith that I could be raised from the dead. They sent two men over to Lydda where Peter had gone to preach, asking him to travel the ten miles to my home and raise me from the dead. Such faith!
Peter listened to them, left his preaching at Lydda, and hurried on foot to my house. He dismissed the people who stood around my body weeping, told them he would pray. After a bit, he was heard to say, "Tabitha, arise" (Acts 9:40). I remember that I opened my eyes and saw Peter and sat up. Then Peter called the saints and widows and presented me to them.
Tabitha is my Aramaic name. In Greek, I am called . . . DORCAS.
Copyright ©2004. Beverly Whitaker
Dorcas
Act 9:36, 39