The Big Eid is here! It is the celebration that happens to commemorate the time that God supplied an alternative to the sacrifice of Abraham’s son. Which son is in debate between the two major religions – was it Isaac or Ishmael? I don’t need to get into all that here or now, but either way, it’s a beautiful picture of God’s mercy, compassion and provision in the midst of obedience.

All around us,we can hear the bleating of sheep tied up in our neighbours’ gardens. Just after 6 tomorrow morning, these little sheep will meet their end. Some people say that this sacrifice is to atone for the family’s sins that year, others say it is a gesture of remembrance of what God did for Abraham many years ago. Again, the details don’t diminish the beautiful picture of God’s provision and potential active participation in our lives.

We weren’t here last year for the Big Eid. We had traveled to the great continent of Africa, and missed out on the whole thing. This year, we decided to participate as much as we knew how. Talking with our families back home, we mutually decided to forgo the traditional exchanging of crap gifts among the adults (it’s all for the kids, anyways, isn’t it?).  We decided to reallocate some of the money that would have been used on useless purchases and shipping to the blessing of a less-than-fortunate family during this very important time of year.

I called up a friend that was helpful in the past for hooking us up with live animals.  I asked her if my husband could go with her husband to buy a sheep.  She laughed out loud, “My husband has never bought a sheep before.  My father-in-law always goes with the driver and picks out the sheep himself.”  Serves me right for having privileged friends.  My dear friend, however, arranged with her driver to go and buy the sheep for us.  I was actually at her house when it was delivered to our garden, so it was a surprise to open our gate when we got home to see yellow eyes reflected in the lights of our truck. 

We moved the sheep down into a more lush area of the garden where it could access some low lying bushes.  My husband tied it to the tree.  Knowing its fate, it nearly killed me to hear Lola coo, “Hello, cutie!”  I didn’t have the heart to tell her what was going to happen to it.  But I did promise to take some pictures of her with the sheep in the morning. 

At 7:30 a.m, before the rest of the house was up and about, Lola and I ventured out into the garden. I found the sheep wrapped around another tree, making it very difficult for it to reach any foliage or even to maneuver.  Trying my best to mimic the sounds I had heard from the sheep herders around the area, I managed to get the sheep to walk back around the tree, untangling the rope.  Hungrily, it began to snack on the few tufts of grass desperately poking out of the dry, cracked ground.  Lola really took to him.  She cooed and sweetly talked to him.  She gathered grass out of reach for him and began picking leaves off of higher trees to feed him: 

Then later, as the sheep lay on its side on our driveway, waiting to be put into the back of our truck, Lola took on the pointless job of removing burrs from the sheep’s coat.  Her tenderness was so maternal, so sweet, so natural.  After we dropped off the sheep at the needy family’s house, Lola said, “We really need a pet, too.”  If there is anybody who I can envision becoming a vet in the future, it’s Lola.  She has such a big heart for animals.     

The family that we gave the sheep to was so surprised and grateful.  The household is made up of a daughter and her mother.  The mother’s husband married a second wife, and lives with her in a nearby village.  The daughter’s husband went crazy and took off, leaving her alone with two small children while he wanders around in the world somewhere, never to be heard from again.  I had met these women on one of our trips up to the mountain top, and since then make it a point to stop in each time for a cup of tea.  When we first showed them the sheep, they said, “Do you want us to kill it now and make you lunch?”  I made it clear that this was not for us, we had brought it for Eid, and it was to be killed tomorrow.  They cried with joy, for they didn’t have a sheep specifically for their household.  A thousand thanks, they said, a thousand thanks. 

I also have a thousand thanks.  A thousand thanks to the One that has provided for me with mercy and compassion in the midst of my obedience. 

Thank You.