“Moses is on the mountain again.”

Those words started becoming a common phrase as I entered the church looking for my husband on any given day.  It was said in a tongue-and-cheek manner, yet to me it had become reality.  My husband was being drawn away by the Spirit into a time of prayer. At all times.  Day or night.  At home or at the church.  His life was being transformed.  And so was mine.

Family time was priority to us as parents.  We had breakfast and devotion every morning.  Supper and family prayer was practically every night depending on activities.  Having weekends usually busy with activities, Monday nights were our family nights.  We had established routines.  Then it happened.  Dad started being called ‘up the mountain.’  If we were home together, we knew when he was going into prayer once we heard both the living and dining room doors closing, shutting off that part of the house.  Or if he had called saying he was on his way home yet ended up walking in the door much later, he probably had passed the prayer room and felt drawn to go pray.  Yes, these times of prayer were taking him spiritually to a new level.  Any time someone would ask where they could find Pastor Ralph, the typical answer was, “He’s praying.”  Thus came the ‘Zippy’ time of my life.  Because as ‘Moses’ was praying, his wife was with three kids and a dog.

See, few people stop to realize the simple fact that Moses had a wife.  And two sons.  Imagine being left with two young boys for 40 days, among a million people you don’t know……and in the middle of a desert.  After hearing the ‘Moses’ comment enough times and watching the awe some had in their eyes for this godly man and his devotion, I wanted to get on the rooftop and let everyone know, “MOSES HAD A WIFE!”  Instead, I decided it was time for me to find more details about that wife.  Honestly now!  How did she do it?  How did she live with this man who had experienced the glory of God up on that mountain?

We only have a handful of scriptures that mention Zipporah, and none of them are during the time when Moses was on the mountain. Or when he sat judging a million people.  No details of her life during the 40 years of wandering.  Yet the little information I read spoke volumes to me of this woman who found herself in the midst of God’s plan for an entire nation.

Born into the home of a priest, she understood the cost of leadership.  As a Midianite, there is much doubt as to which god her family worshiped.  However, as a descendant of Abraham through Keturah, and seeing how her father later gave praise to God for His protection over the Israelites, there is strong possibility they were of a sect that actually worshiped the God of Abraham.  Whether that is true or not, through her actions towards Moses we can see that she understood someone following their call.  She was willing to follow him even though she had not heard from God herself.

Can you relate?  I can.  The call.  The reality of being one with someone else who is answering their call…..even when you don’t fully understand why.  It sometimes requires you to live out life with your own unfulfilled dreams.  A life of self sacrifice for the sake of another person living in obedience.  A life often spent knelt by an altar.  The altar brings peace in acceptance.  For the sake of the souls that are yet to come to Christ.  Sometimes it’s lonely.  Sometimes it’s indescribable joy!  But always it takes leaning on the secret strength found in His center.

This modern day ‘Zippy’ is encouraged knowing others have walked this road before.