Anything Dey Wey Hard for God?

Behind di cloth for tent door, one old woman cover her mouth with her hand so dat she no go laugh loud. Baby? For my age? Then one voice for outside di tent talk: why Sarah laugh?

Abraham and Sarah don wait for very long time. Almost twenty-five years before, God tell Abraham make e leave im country, and e promise say e go make am great nation. But dem never get pikin together. Now Abraham don reach ninety-nine and Sarah don reach about ninety. Dem pitch dia tent near di big trees of Mamre, near Hebron, for di hill country. Na di hottest part of di day. Abraham siddon for di shade of im tent door when e raise im head and see three men dey stand near am.

Abraham jump up run go meet dem, old man dey run inside sun. E bow reach ground. Abeg, my lord, no pass. Make I bring small water make una wash una leg. Rest under di tree, make I bring small bread. Di small bread turn to big feast. Abraham hurry enter di tent: Sarah, quick, take three measures of fine flour and bake cake. E run go di herd, pick one soft young cow, and give servant make e prepare am. Then e bring butter, milk and di meat, and e stand near dem under di tree as dem dey chop. Di book of Genesis tell us say na di Lord show imself to Abraham like dat, with two angels.

Where Sarah your wife dey? dem ask. Inside di tent, Abraham talk. Then di Lord talk, I go surely come back meet you around dis time next year, and Sarah your wife go get son. Sarah dey listen behind di tent door. And she laugh for inside herself. After I don old finish, and my husband don old, I go still get dis kind joy? Then di Lord ask Abraham, why Sarah laugh? Why she talk say, I go really get pikin when I don old? And then di question wey dey di heart of dis story. Anything dey wey too hard for di Lord? For di time wey I don fix, I go come back, and Sarah go get son. Fear catch Sarah. I no laugh, she talk. No, e answer am gently but firm. You laugh.

Turn di pages go front reach chapter twenty-one. Di Lord visit Sarah as e talk, and e do for her as e promise. Sarah get belle and born son for Abraham for im old age, for di exact time wey God talk. Abraham name di boy Isaac, and when e reach eight days, Abraham circumcise am, as God command. Abraham don reach one hundred years. And Sarah laugh again, but dis one na different laugh. God don make me laugh, she talk, and everybody wey hear go laugh with me. Who for ever tell Abraham say Sarah go breastfeed baby? But I don born son for am for im old age.

Di name Isaac na play on words. For Hebrew na Yitzhak, wey mean e dey laugh. Genesis dey always come back to dat word. Abraham laugh when God first tell am about di son. Sarah laugh behind di tent. And when di pikin born, Sarah talk say God don make laughter for her. So every time wey anybody call di boy name, dem dey talk: e dey laugh. Di laugh of doubt don turn to name of joy.

You go find dis story for Genesis chapter eighteen, verse one reach fifteen, and chapter twenty-one, verse one reach seven. Many hundred years after, one angel go tell another woman, Mary, say nothing dey wey God no fit do. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin dey feel too hard for your life now, and how e go be if you carry am go meet di God wey nothing too hard for?