Anastasia : She Who Will Rise Again

Anastasia was a little girl who lived in a forest. The big, black baboon was old and wise, and he was Anastasia's closest friend. Every time Anastasia had a problem, she would go to the big, black baboon, and he would just make it disappear into thin air.

But one day the big, black baboon went his way, and never came back.

Anastasia looked and looked, but found him not. Sad and dejected, she walked along the forest path wondering whom she would go to the next time she was in trouble. As she turned an unfamiliar bend, stumbling over the roots of an old banyan tree, Anastasia fell down. Sulking and grumbling, she tried to get up, but slipped over the sloppy ground instead, and rolled down into a bush of thorns. Bruised and tattered all over, Anastasia started crying and called out to the big, black baboon for help.

But the big, black baboon showed up not.

Feeling bereft and deceived, Anastasia sat there quite rooted to the ground. She looked around, and it suddenly dawned on her that she had unwittingly wandered deep into the forest. She had never been to this part of the forest and did not know the way out. The tracks here were tricky and the darkness creepy. 

She felt anguish, fear and despair.

She had never been in such a situation before. Her parents had always kept her well protected. Besides, she always had the big, black baboon by her side. But today was a day unlike any before. Her parents were far, far away, and there was no trace of the big, black baboon.

Dismayed and disgruntled, she sat there not knowing what to do.

Fear was gripping her and despair ate her whole, but Anastasia could still feel the light breeze that gently touched her face. The wind played music in her ears and the thick forest leaves murmured, and then Anastasia saw a ray of hope.

A ray of hope it was.

A thin streak of sun shone from amidst the oak leaves, and she was instantly reminded of her cottage that stood on the river banks and its silhouette against the setting sun. The silhouette of her cottage against the setting sun...she pondered for a while.

And then, hope filled in her and she knew what to do.

She pulled herself together, got to her feet, and strained her ears to listen to the sound of the gushing river. The dense part of the forest lay to the east of her cottage, and her cottage stood on the river banks. Once she got to the river, all she had to do was walk along its banks heading west.

But the walk to the river was not an easy one.

She tripped and tumbled many times, and yet lost not the courage to get up and keep walking. The darkness was deep and the strange noises scary, but she kept walking nonetheless. She came to a halt as she reached the river, caught her breath and started off again with a new spring in her feet.

Her heart leapt at the distant sight of smoke arising from their chimney top. She redoubled her efforts as she recalled her mother’s cooking, and reached home just in time for dinner.

From that day on, Anastasia always knew how to find her way.

Anastasia in Greek-Russian means she who will rise again, and rise again she did.

By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His beloved Mother in Heaven.

#TheLittleThingsInLife #RisingAgain #Anastasia 

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