Hee hee!
But seriously, I do relate to Ruth because she took care of her mother in law, and I take care of my mother. Ok, I have never gleaned in a field, but there was one time when I had a job and Mom didn't (when I was in Denver in 06) and I helped her with groceries and stuff. I also helped her emotionally because she was devastated about her job situation.
I also relate to Ruth because I have somehow trusted God is good in the mist of an environment that would say otherwise.
Ruth was in Moab where the culture revolved around the Moabite theology rather than the theology of Israel. God probably had to do a bit of a worldview switch-a-roo in her brain for her to say to Naomi, "Your God will be my God." For me, I have grown up in the United States where the worldview is increasingly secular humanist.
Ruth probably also heard much of Naomi's moaning and groaning on their way back to Bethlehem. Ruth probably had to remind herself that, "Yeah, my husband died. Yeah Naomi's husband died, and my brother in law died, and we don't have food again, but the God of Israel is real and good." She made a choice amid hearing Naomi's lamenting to see God is good. Yeah, that was me. Even though my development wasn't perfect, even though Mom wasn't as well off as she would've liked, even though it was hard to see God during the events of the Columbine shooting and the September 11 attacks, even though the culture was saying that Christianity is narrow-minded, even through the deaths of my grandpa and uncle, even though the economy tanked affecting my post-graduation job prospects, God gave me the grace or - well - something - to believe He was real and He was good. Sometimes it was a hard fight to believe. Sometimes I didn't believe He was good. That's when I wouldn't handle things very well. Yet, like Ruth, I somehow still kept on believing God was real.
Ruth found Boaz on the threshing floor and uncovered his poor old toe-goo infested knobbly feet as a way of introduction. They had the, "I think you're neat, I just uncovered your feet, and as my kinsman-redeemer, God will have my economic situation beat!" Boaz scratched his old head and said, "Ok. I think you're pretty awesome too, young lady. God loves ya, so do I!"
As of this entry, I have not yet found my "Boaz." But I - FOUND MY GLORIOUS BOAZ WHICH IS JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've knelt at His nail-scarred feet crying trusting Him for healing from my past. I've danced with Him (think dance parties in my room post-quiet time) and had giggles and cries and arguments with Him (Yeah, those arguments generally didn't last long). :) :) So like Ruth, I have found my Boaz and realized He was for me and all I had to do was ask Him to save me! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Ok - just - a - little - excited - whew! :D heee heeee!
But seriously, that is AWESOME that God had worked out Ruth's story so one day I could resonate with it. Ruth probably thought a lot of her life was crappy and wondered, "Why me, God?" I've thought that plenty of times. "Why is my life looking like this so far? I know You have a plan for the hard stuff in my life, but I want to know what it is." But maybe like Ruth, someone else could be encouraged by my life to see God's soveriegnty even though hard times and God's real provision even when the situation looked hopeless and praise Him because of it.
Ultimately, Ruth's story points to Christ, and thanks to God's grace, my life points to Christ as well.
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