I'm currently listening my way through the Bible with Tara Leigh Cobble, who is the host of the daily podcast, "The Bible Recap." Each day she encourages us to find our "God shot," where we saw God show up in our daily reading, so I am used to looking for evidence of God's activity in the Bible, but the other day I found it in Heidi.
I love the story Heidi; it was my favorite in our Little Golden Book record collection and I listened to it many times (I can still recite bits and pieces). I know I read a longer version of the story for older children in later years, but I suspect that one too was abridged.
So I was happy to download a free unabridged audiobook from my Audible account, and not the least daunted by the 7hr and 20 min. listening time, since I listen through my headset while working on the lawns.
Much of the story was familiar. I remembered Heidi loved growing up on the mountain with her grandfather and the goats and Peter the goatherd, but then was sent to Frankfurt to be a playmate and companion to Clara, who was an invalid.
I remember that Heidi became desperately homesick for her beloved Swiss Alps, but I didn't remember Clara's grandmother trying to comfort Heidi. When Heidi wouldn't tell the grandmother what was troubling her (Heidi didn't want to appear ungrateful to Clara's family), Clara's grandmother encouraged her to pray to God and pour out her troubles to him.
Heidi took Clara's grandmother's advice and prayed to God that somehow she would be able to return to her grandfather and the Alps. In the meantime, she and Clara became good friends, and Heidi learned to read.
When Heidi eventually grows so ill that the family is forced to send her home, Heidi is thankful for the answered prayer, but she also grows to realize the delay was also God's timing. She now is able to read hymns to Peter's blind grandmother who lives on their mountain and be an even greater blessing to the old woman. Because of the two girls' friendship, at great cost Clara the invalid is allowed to visit Heidi in the Alps where she eventually finds healing and learns to walk.
Heidi gives God the credit for her friend's miraculous healing, and she tells Clara how what she had thought was unanswered prayer was God working out things for the best. Looking back over the events of her life, Heidi has her "God Shot" and her young faith is strengthened.
Heidi was written in 1880 and 1881. According to Wikipedia, it is one of the best-selling books ever written, and is among the best-known works of Swiss literature.
What amazed me was the natural portrayal of Clara's grandmother's faith, and the caring way she shared it with Heidi, who adopted it as her own and used it to bless everyone in her life.
I hadn't been expecting a God Shot while listening to a children's classic, so it was nice surprise. These are the kinds of stories I love--love to hear, love to tell, and love to write. I plan to be doing more of it.
