Lessons From Ruth

We had a special treat yesterday. We went to see at the Sight and Sound Millennium Theater with a group from our church! It was such an awesome play. If any readers are ever in Lancaster, PA - don't pass up an opportunity to see anything that is put on there. In the first five minutes there was a goodbye scene where Naomi is saying goodbye to her best friend. It really choked me up for obvious reasons.

The story of Ruth's simple faith and obedience to the Lord and faithful commitment to Naomi has a lot of life lessons to be learned. Lord, make me a woman of faith, trusting You regardless of my circumstances to do what's best.
Help me to keep this story close to my heart.

This all makes me remember a lesson the Lord taught me recently. Travis' vehicle died the week of Christmas last year. Since then I have been without one during the workday because being the breadwinner for our family, he obviously needs the vehicle that we do have in order to get to and from work I did try to drive him one day just to see if I could have the car one day a week - and of course we used a ton of gas, AND I spent almost six hours of my day in the car!!! Well, recently a dear friend had her vehicle die. I felt the stress with her remembering how stranded and desperate I felt when I was first in her position. Then a few weeks later, she and her husband bought a new van. She sent out an email with pictures of the new van with a caption under it saying "God is good, all the time!" And it struck me - is God good to me, even when my situation persists? When I get a "no" or "wait" answer, am I just as certain that He knows what is in my best interest? Of course - and as I intellectualize it right now as I am writing, I know that when I am faced with difficult circumstances again, in my human frailty, I may have to be reminded.

The scarlet thread that was woven through the generations to Jesus Christ the Messiah was dependent on the obedience of a Gentile girl, from an idolatrous culture, who chose to honor God above all else. Lord, help me be like her!