beautiful bedouin girl and a lesson in sharing

In News by Carla

One night Annie, Ian, and I opted instead of going out for a three course meal (the cost is roughly $5US mind you for this meal) for a 5 Egyptian Pound (less than $1US) falafel sandwich. We were going to walk down to the restaurant where our friends were eating and just join them. You all already know this, and I guess I did too, BUT restaurant people do NOT like it when you bring your own food into their restaurants to eat. Yep. So, after a few dirty looks and feeling quite uncomfortable? I got up to leave. In my defense, I just assumed that we were in Dahab, and maybe that we would get away with it. No. Annie and Ian joined me. We walked around a little bit until we found a place to sit by the ocean.
Walking down the streets here is very different in the daytime versus the night. Quiet during the day, this tourist centered town comes to life at night. Walking with a guy is also different than walking with another woman. Anyway, while munching on our sandwiches a young Bendouin girl came up selling bracelets. They make them out of embroidery thread and they are quite beautiful. I explained that I had already purchased a bracelet from another girl. When she saw that we weren’t going to buy a bracelet we began talking to her. She told us about her cousin getting married and how excited she was about the festivities. We asked her about her head scarf. She shared about being seven years old and beginning to wear a scarf over her hair because her father asker her to to this. She spoke about dancing, and her family. She was a really special girl, her name was Shaudia. I had a lollipop in my bag because the market did not have any 1Egyptian Pound coin to give me correct change after a purchase, so he decided to give me a lollipop instead—this place is so funny! I asked if she would like to have it? She did. What happened next? She gave each one of the three of us a little bracelet, as a gift. When you open up to people and share what you have? I’m often surprised and delighted about what happens.
I love being able to share what I have with others. Sometimes it is money, sometimes candy, sometimes listening– there isn’t a one size fits all formula. God is always faithful to prompt me with what sharing looks like in each circumstance.