Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

The first chapter of Ruth describes a journey:  The journey to Bethlehem and the return trip home.  Undoubtedly, both journeys were surrounded by difficult circumstances, but the trip home finds Naomi and her daughters-in-law in mourning.  A far cry from the mere discomfort of rumbling stomachs on the journey to Bethlehem.

 Read Ruth 1: 7-14

Scripture tells us that though the land traveled was the same in both journeys, the cast of characters returning home was far different.  Naomi was the only one to make both journeys.  She returns to Bethlehem without her beloved or her sons, instead, accompanied by two Maobite women she wishes would just leave her alone and oh, she is so bitter with God.  I doubt she ever envisioned that this is how she would return home.  What she didn't know is that God was already at work in Bethlehem waiting for her and whoever else would come, poised to give grace simply for the taking, just as it is today.  If we will come, He will give.  It's as simple as that.

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home.  May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and me." {v.8}  Unfortunately, English lacks in translation at times and here is just one such example.  The word kindness is a weak translation of the Hebrew word hesed.  {Did you know the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament written in Greek?}  Hesed means to encompass all the positive attributes of God - love, mercy, goodness, grace, kindness, loyalty, benevolence, and covenant faithfulness: basically doing something for someone without any thought of what advantages it might bring to the one who expresses it.  I just wanted to emphasize that here so you have a better understanding of that concept as we go forward - it is a huge theme in the book of Ruth.

 It is at this point that Naomi tries fervently to get Ruth and Orpah to turn back, make a new life for themselves without her.  She even goes so far to tell them that there is really no way she can bear them any future husbands so move on!  Oh, and if that wasn't enough of a reason, she basically mentions that, by the way, "the Lord's hand had gone out against me so it does you little good to stay with me."

 It is here that we see Orpah kiss Naomi good- bye and turn back for home.  Ruth chooses to stay.  I wonder what it was in each of them that helped make their choices.  Were the adversity and sorrow too much for Orpah?  Did Ruth have more determination?

I know that there have been seasons in my life where I had choices to make.  Where all my circumstances were challenging and flat - out frightening.  I was never one to take a risk.  I always preferred to play it safe.  Not until the last several years, as I came into a greater relationship with the Lord, did I understand that I could turn and go back, crying all the way, returning to the 'safe zone'  or I could cry going forward, trusting that God is a good God and only gives good things.  Either way I'm going to cry - it's just what I do!

It is here that we begin to get a glimpse of Ruth's character.  Up to now, Naomi has done all the talking, now it's Ruth's turn.  She is nothing less than adamant that she stay with Naomi.  And Naomi wants nothing to do with that.  Is it because she wants to travel light - be footloose and fancy free?  Or could it possibly have something to do with the fact that she is returning home with a Moabite daughter-in-law?  Scripture never says, I just have to wonder. 

 At the end of our time today, we see that Naomi and Ruth finally arrive in Bethlehem - did you ever think we were going to get here?? { I am on verses 19-21 in chapter one.}  Go there with me to finish out our time.  I'm particularly intrigued by the statement that says, "... the whole town stirred because of them."  That right there tells me that Naomi was a woman of significance in her own hometown.   Others remembered her and were excited to have her back in their fold.   She was married to a prominent man in the town, was the mother of two sons and was a part of the nation of Israel.  These attributes alone made her a woman of great importance and rich beyond measure.

Contrast that with the woman who just arrived back in town.  It is difficult for us in this day and age to really comprehend the importance placed on child bearing in ancient times.  Nowadays we are more focused on individual success.   In ancient cultures, all focus was on the family.  All your dreams were were for your family's success and prominence.  There was little more important than raising children to love and honor you and walk in your ways.  Nothing was tantamount to that!  Barrenness was a horrible, shaming condition.  We can assume the same to be true for those who bore children and lost them, as well.

 It would be hard to miss Naomi's bitterness, at this point.  She left a woman of prominence and returned home empty.  She quickly tells people to no longer refer to her as Naomi {meaning 'lovely'} but to call her Mara, meaning 'the Lord has made my life bitter.'  Little did she know that the Lord was at work - literally underground.  The final verse in chapter one states that the barley harvest was just beginning.  His goodness was cropping up all around them!  Now, the mention of barley harvest may not thrill you, but for me I see it as a reminder of God's provision, sustenance, and hope - a reminder that God's timing is perfect!

Join me next week as our story unfolds into the manifest provision of our amazing God and an introduction to a biblical 'dreamboat'.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,
Kim

We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Program For...

LIFE!!!  That's what I am interrupting my Ruth series for!   I know at my last post I said I would be here tomorrow to continue with our story but then life happened.

 You see, my oldest is a Boy Scout and he and my sweetie, along with 48 other fathers and sons, have been planning {for months} a trip to the Northern Tier area, otherwise known as Boundary Waters.  It is a fantastic trip to the US/Canada border.  They will be on canoes {in groups of 8 or so - two dads, one guide, 5 boys} for nine days, covering about 80 miles.  They will see moose, bear, wolves - anything but another group of humans or anything man made for nearly TWO WEEKS!!!  Needless to say, this is a huge trip in many ways.  The preparation has been endless and expensive and exhausting.

 Well, wouldn't you know it, just days before they were scheduled to leave, my sweetie is moving cattle up to one of our pastures {because at this point we still had days to prepare!} and what are normally completely docile creatures, went completely rogue!!!!  He opened the trailer, they paused, then went berserk!  One jumped the pasture fence and all the others followed but just decided to bust through the fence.  You gotta love that herd mentality.  Sort of.

FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!!!!

 We aren't sure what sent them over the edge but we believe it might have been the presence or lingering scent of a bear or mountain lion.  There wasn't any we could see, but both have been seen near that pasture earlier this year.  Regardless, they were having nothing to do with calmly grazing like the other 150 herds we've had in that same pasture.

Todd then spent the next 72 hours, no kidding - he slept 4 of those 72 hours, trying to coax them down from the mountain and into the pasture.  He enticed them with water {they'd had none for almost 48 hours}, he bribed them with cow chow, and I think he may or may not have offered them $100 each if they would just behave as cattle should.  They were a tough sell and wanted nothing to do with it.

 Meanwhile, back at home, time's burnin.  There are no fewer than a million things that need to be done before they can depart for this trip of a lifetime and the vast majority needed my husband's participation or presence.  There was washing, labeling, and packing.  There were bills to be paid, budgets to be done and special t-shirts to be ordered and rush delivered.  There were forms to be filled out, meetings to be had and devotionals to be written for all the crews.

 It was crazy,  and the majority of that was accomplished in the wee hours of the night.  And morning.  Yep, we pulled an all-nighter.  Just like back in college.  I swore I would never do that again as I really never developed a fondness for feeling as though I had been hit by a truck, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

  

 And to top it all off, because things weren't crazy enough as we rushed out the door at 4:30 A.M.,  Todd noticed that his passport had EXPIRED 10. days. ago.  I think he thought we'd covered that a hundred times, I thought he'd checked it many times over, etc.  How did we miss that??!!  At this point, after no sleep, not one wink, we were both ready to lay on the floor kicking and screaming, wondering if they were truly meant to be on this trip.  Could anything be more difficult???

 Ready to fall apart, we just surrendered it to the Lord - what else could we do?  Just trust that He is sovereign and that what will be, will be.  The cows are still high up in the mountains, holding firm to their position.  The boys are on their way and I believe they can remedy the passport issue in Minnesota.  The bills got paid, the devotionals written and they have all they need for the next two weeks packed alongside them.  If they are missing something, they'll find a way to work it out.  After all, they are Boy Scouts, right?

So, I guess my long winded point is this:  I'll get back to my series on Ruth in a day or so when I can complete a thought and can focus my mind on something other than the craziness of the last 72 hours.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.  Oh, and if you wouldn't mind lifting a prayer for my boys, for their safety, for a great time together like they may never get again, for God to impact their lives as He never has before.  I have heard that Boundary Waters is remarkable - nothing short of amazing.  I'm praying just that over my boys.

Blessings,

Kim

Every Journey Begins With One Step

Well, here we are!  Do you have your passport?  Did you pack your most comfy shoes?  {Oh gracious, they are so cute!}  And because I'm a mother I just have to ask, did you pack enough clean underwear??

Alright then, the whistle has blown, the conductor is looking our way.  Give him your ticket and let's leave this platform behind - there are rails to ride and a story to know!  Oh, your ticket?  No worries, it's just an open heart and a willingness to listen.  Come on, the train is leaving!

 Turn in your Bible to the book of Ruth.  It is in the Old Testament {front half of the Bible} and is nestled between Judges and 1 Samuel.  Once there, carefully read verses 1-2.  I know that isn't a very big chunk, and on the surface doesn't seem to hold much information, but it is important to understand the context here before we move ahead in the story.  The story of Ruth takes place in the time of the Judges, a period of time {about 450 years} when God raised up Judges to rule over Israel.  You can read Judges 2:11-19 to get a better idea of the feel of the culture at that time.  In a nutshell, these verses point out that the people had a history of turning to God when they needed Him, and forgetting Him when they didn't;  a fair-weather friend, you might say.

 Verse one also states that Elimelech was from Bethlehem in Judah, located in ancient Israel.  That makes him and his family Israelites, important to tuck away in your memory as we go forward.  They were leaving their homeland and heading to Moab because of a severe famine in their own land.  No big deal, right?  If you're hungry, go where the food is!  However, we see in Deuteronomy 23:3-6 that the Lord had commanded the Israelites to "not seek a treaty with them {Moabites} as long as you live" {Deut. 23:6}.  This was not a simple journey, they were headed into enemy territory, a place they shouldn't be.  That information changes the whole tone of their journey, doesn't it?  Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, had a tough decision to make - stay in the land the Lord had provided {think: Israel - the land of milk and honey} or go to the bountiful land that was off limits.  We soon see that they picked the latter.

Before we know it, Elimelech has died and Naomi is left with her two sons.  Interestingly enough, both Mahlon and Kilion marry Moabite women.  Remember, these were not people they were to fraternize with, let alone MARRY.  Kilion marries Orpah {no, not Oprah} and Mahlon marries Ruth.  Let me make a quick explanation here:  God had told the Israelites not to marry people of other nations not because of their race, but rather their potential rejection of Him.

  And as if losing her husband wasn't enough, in just ten short years she has lost both sons as well.

  Can you imagine?  Scripture doesn't even begin to hint at how or why they all died - they are just gone.  My heart goes out to Naomi.  I can't even begin to fathom her pain and loss.  The closest I can come to relating to her pain is through a friend's loss of her husband.  Three years ago he was killed in a car accident.  She and her four children were in the car as well and, thankfully, spared.  I have so often thought about her and her new 'normal'.  I can scarcely understand that in one instant, something that was true yesterday, is suddenly false.  There are just some curve balls you can't see coming.

Are you still with me?  Am I making any sense?   Thanks for sticking with me through this.  I think we will stop here for today.  I know it doesn't seem like we have covered much ground, but we have!!  Tomorrow we will take a look at the journey home, the return trip, as that takes the rest of the chapter.

Tomorrow we will get a better look at our main character and the remarkable woman she is.  Charming, elegant, gracious - uncommon for her time.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll get right back to you!!

Blessings,
Kim

Are You Up For A Little Road Trip?

Ok... this is new for me.  I'm going to branch out and do something I've always wanted to do and that I am passionate about.

 I'm going to walk you through the book of Ruth.  Yep, I'm packing my bags {a vintage suitcase}, and donning my most comfortable traveling shoes {how about some cute red flats??}, and I'm preparing for a fantastic journey.  Ruth has got to be one of my favorite books of the Bible.  It's not too long {only four chapters}, not too lofty {I'm no great theologian} and it is full of the sovereignty of God, all woven into one great love story.  What more could a girl want?  It's the perfect summertime escape without ever leaving the comfort of your favorite chair.  Or in my case, my favorite pool chaise!

So for the next two or three days we will journey through the book of Ruth, taking time to see how this ancient story can still be relevant today.  And like I said, I'm no great theologian, just a girl with a heart for the Lord - can I ask for your grace and patience in this new writing endeavor?   Thanks! { I thought the three of you who actually read this blog would be merciful!! :0)}

So grab your Bible and your best traveling shoes and let's GO!!!

Blessings,
Kim

Because It All Belongs to Him

Tomatoes at twilight.  Juicy, red globes waiting for the picking.

Tangy, earthy loam of wet garden dirt hangs in the air after sky coming down in slow time.

We sit around the fire and eat that which He has provided and the youngest one starts to giggle while eating corn straight off the cob.  He's grinning all silly and she joins in because who is immune to the infectious giggle?

And I listen.  Listen to their laughter.

  It is the song of the seraphim.  The singing of angels. 

Across the circle sits that man of mine and we lock eyes and he winks and smiles.  And his smile lights up the whole block and a rush of exhale takes me back to the excitement of young love.  I smile thinking this: nearly seventeen years later, he can still entirely undo me.

Later, the marshmallows and chocolate and grams come out to the whispered, emphatic,"yes!!"  And we are all sticky sweet with  sugar goodness.

We gaze up at His heaven, that inky indigo, and talk long about stars and constellations and His hand making something so beautiful out of nothing.   The oldest knows so much, just like his dad.  They point to diamonds hanging in night's black and make the warrior and bear and dippers come to life for the younger ones.  Celestial dot-to-dot.

I look at them and suddenly I am surrendered to them.  To Him.  And just for a moment, in the middle of this night of ordinary, I see how ridiculously beautiful this life is!

This wondrous mess?  This is it!

And it all comes from Him and it all belongs to Him.

To the Lord your God belongs the heavens,
even the highest heavens,
the earth and everything in it.

Deuteronomy 10:14

And I kneel low in darkened rooms near sleeping heads and I give thanks.  Not for the things, no, thanks is never for the things, but for His touch.  His ever present, ever grace-filled touch.


Blessings,
Kim

For When You Just Need To Know He Is Near...

 

 

 

Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindness 

of God in your daily life. 

-Alexander Maclaren

617. summer tan on small shoulders

618. stripes of lunar light lay across our cotton

619. washing the ranch from between summer toes

620. waking to a rising sun, savoring summer's early cool

621. lemon scented dish soap

622. cricket's song ushers in the evening

...... and the list of His endless grace goes on and on.......

Forever May She Wave

I love the 4th of July.

 I adore red, white, and blue.

 I'm highly partial to family and barbequing and kids playing with cousins and
spectacular displays of fireworks.

But most of all I love this flag and what it stands for.

This weekend, take a moment to kneel before the Lord and pray for our country,

it's leaders and the direction we are headed.

Oh, and if you happen to see a soldier, please

 thank him or her for their service.

 We wouldn't be the land of the free

or the home of the brave

without their dedication and service.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!