Mizpah

Mizpah? Respond to that small voice that urges you to contact a friend.

Or pray for a family.

Send that card.

Will it really make a difference? Just my card?

Did it to you? Would it to you?

There’s your answer.

Sitting in the quiet of this early morning today and reflecting on this weekend, I still have cards written to me by friends, family. I was rereading letters and recalling what was happening in my life at the time (or trying), some of it was painful. Some not.

Poignant are the letters from my Grandma. I have so many. She used to write “mizpah” on the outside of each envelope. She would say, “it means, may the Lord watch between you and me while we are apart.”

I can’t help but think of this word right now. A few weeks ago I saw people that I have not seen in over a YEAR. Normally I would see them weekly. Sometimes daily when we were in the midst of shows. I stared at them thinking how strange our lives have become. How painful. Wondering what has come into their lives over the past year.

So the word, Mizpah. mits-paw’; feminine of H4708; Mitspah, the name of two places in Palestine:—Mitspah. (This seems rather to be only an orthographic variation of H4708 when ‘in pause’.) (This is from the Blue Letter Bible and a wonderful resource. ) I think where my Grandma got this idea is from Laban’s words in his part of the covenant he made with Jacob:

“and Mizpah ( watchtower), for Laban said, “May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent from one another.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭31:49‬ ‭AMP‬‬
https://www.bible.com/1588/gen.31.49.amp

So, sigh, it’s been taken a bit out of context, but I’ll still take my Grandma’s blessing. I wish I knew where she received this word. Any thoughts, friends?

Nevertheless, the encouragement remains.

Reach out. Check in. Listen.