Ruth.

I guess I've been MIA for a while. It's a whole new year!

While I'd like to pretend that it's because I have a super exciting life and can just barely find time to think, never mind blog.. well, that's just not the case. I guess I haven't felt very inspired.. nothing to say that's just hilarious or helpful.

In the time since I last posted, I became a mom to the cutest, most energetic boy. He has all four feet and his tail wags perfectly. I only get mad at him when he chews on my throw pillows and potties in the floor. Which is sometimes a lot.. so I'm sometimes mad at him a lot. Other than those times, he's just perfect.

So the last two nights, I re-read the book of Ruth. It's a book in the Bible that I've read over and over and heard message after message on. But something was different this time. Maybe because I haven't read it since I've been married. Anyways, there were several things that I'd like to share with anyone who takes the time to read this.

1. Ruth was selfless

She set aside the possibility of ever marrying again or having children. She wanted Naomi to stop trying to talk her out of leaving her; she knew what she was getting herself into (or so she thought) and wanted to do it anyway.
Ruth 1:16-18 "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and they God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought (anything) but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her."

Also, Naomi gave ruth some pretty strange sounding instructions about laying at Boaz's feet (chapter 3) but Ruth trusted that Naomi would not give her bad advice; she was older and more accustomed to the ways of her people. Ruth was obedient and it worked out for her so well!


2. God had a plan for Ruth that never would have worked out if she had left Naomi

Ruth never would have passed Boaz's path if she had left Naomi to go back to her own people. Boaz was a kinsman of Naomi's husband, which gave him rights to marry Ruth. However, there was one kinsman in line before Boaz. Boaz told Ruth he would talk to this man, and if he did not want her for his wife, then he would marry her himself. And to think that if Naomi hadn't married Elimelech and Ruth hadn't married Mahlon (Naomi's son), none of this would have happened and Ruth wouldn't have been in the lineage of Jesus. To me, that means this plan was set in motion long before Ruth became a widow. Better yet, Boaz was known as a man of his word. What more could God have given Ruth?

Ruth 3:18 "Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished he thing this day."

Naomi was basically saying, "Chill, Ruth, Boaz is a man of his word and he will take care of what he said would (which was talking to the kinsman about marrying Ruth).

3. Ruth's reputation went before her

Boaz had heard (and saw for himself) good things of Ruth. She worked hard in the fields and this earned her great rewards. Gleaning in the fields was basically poor people picking up the leftovers.

Ruth 2:16 "And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not."

Boaz gave orders for food to be left on purpose for Ruth. He was looking out for her before they were married. 

In all of this, I learned a few things. Being kind, selfless, hard working, patient nurturing.. these attributes will only get you so far. Ruth was all of these things, but she was something else: she was obedient. God desires our obedience in life. Without His direction, our plans will fail. I don't know about you, but I hate when my plans don't come together just right. God probably does too. He probably hates when we get in the way of the perfect plan He set in motion just for us.

In 2015, I hope to be more like Ruth: obedient, kind and hard working. I hope to never get in the way of the perfect plan that God has the blue print to. Can you be more like Ruth and less like yourself? I'm definitely trying.