Reason #200
Two years ago today, I bought a house. A home. My fifth time to move in five years. This was going to be it for a while. So I signed those papers, sunk myself into debt (or rather into an "investment") and took yet another step further into adulthood. Living the American dream.
The moving weekend was an intense weekend. All of my belongings were completely packed up, driven across town and put into new a new space. And, just to make it a little harder, the new house had to be totally painted on the inside. All done in one day. Of course, I have a family full of go-getters, so that helped. At the end of the weekend, I remember thinking about how much I loved my new home. It was perfect. Just the way I wanted it. And I was proud that it was mine.
Two years doesn't seem that long ago. I remember the first night I spent in my home. The new smells, the new sounds, now are all familiar. I had dreams, a plan for this home. My own plan. One that didn't pan out as planned.
Ruth had a home. And just like every other woman, I'm sure she had plans. Settled into life when all of the sudden an interruption came. Unplanned, unwanted, unexpected. And so she finds herself in a less than desirable situation. A heartbreak followed by many 'why's' I'm sure. Facing devastation, having the rug pulled our from underneath her feet, and now what? A life of comfortability and familiarity is no longer present but rather has been buried without hopes of resurrection. And so Ruth is left standing on her own two feet. In the midst of her crumbling world, and she has to pick up the pieces. Somehow, someway, she has to move forward, move on. Be strong.
But we read Ruth's story and we see there was a lot more going for Ruth than her bravery. She was a strong woman, but not strong enough to independently emerge from tragedy so victoriously. A divine story is being written. From the devastation and sorrow, beauty is being birthed. A second chance, too. And we witness a God, a loving Father, authoring something new, something totally unexpected, something incredible in the life of His hurting daughter. A girl, just getting by the best she knows how, is being taken care of more than she realizes. A child, with aching wounds, being cared for more than she understood. And although she has been removed from her home, although her "home-making" plans may have very well fallen apart, something better began falling together. Something better than Ruth had thought of or probably ever even imagined.
A redeemer enters her story, but the real truth is, a Redeemer has been with her from the start. Crafting a beautiful story line that testifies to true redemption. A story line that was forming the bloodline of His Son, the one who would redeem it all. A Redeemer who had a plan in the midst of it all. A Redeemer who provided for, tended to, cared for and healed His fragile daughter. A Redeemer who most certainly returned joy into the life of one who had her fair share of dark days. A Redeemer who became a safe haven, her shelter, when her home was no longer one. And most importantly, a Redeemer who never stopped working, even when she couldn't see it.
And so I am grateful for Ruth. Grateful for her story. Thankful that she didn't give up. Thankful that she allowed the Redeemer to write her a powerful story. A story that would encourage a simple girl thousands of years down the road. And although I didn't uproot and travel to a distant land, although my surroundings stayed the same for the most part, I am thankful that our Redeemer is always a shelter, a safe haven, for His daughters when their "home-making" plans don't go quite as expected. And more than anything, I'm thankful that our Redeemer isn't exclusive in authoring powerful, life changing stories of redpemtion for just Ruth, either.
#200 - Because He's got some ink left in the pen for me, too!
"He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." - Psalm 91:4
The moving weekend was an intense weekend. All of my belongings were completely packed up, driven across town and put into new a new space. And, just to make it a little harder, the new house had to be totally painted on the inside. All done in one day. Of course, I have a family full of go-getters, so that helped. At the end of the weekend, I remember thinking about how much I loved my new home. It was perfect. Just the way I wanted it. And I was proud that it was mine.
Two years doesn't seem that long ago. I remember the first night I spent in my home. The new smells, the new sounds, now are all familiar. I had dreams, a plan for this home. My own plan. One that didn't pan out as planned.
Ruth had a home. And just like every other woman, I'm sure she had plans. Settled into life when all of the sudden an interruption came. Unplanned, unwanted, unexpected. And so she finds herself in a less than desirable situation. A heartbreak followed by many 'why's' I'm sure. Facing devastation, having the rug pulled our from underneath her feet, and now what? A life of comfortability and familiarity is no longer present but rather has been buried without hopes of resurrection. And so Ruth is left standing on her own two feet. In the midst of her crumbling world, and she has to pick up the pieces. Somehow, someway, she has to move forward, move on. Be strong.
But we read Ruth's story and we see there was a lot more going for Ruth than her bravery. She was a strong woman, but not strong enough to independently emerge from tragedy so victoriously. A divine story is being written. From the devastation and sorrow, beauty is being birthed. A second chance, too. And we witness a God, a loving Father, authoring something new, something totally unexpected, something incredible in the life of His hurting daughter. A girl, just getting by the best she knows how, is being taken care of more than she realizes. A child, with aching wounds, being cared for more than she understood. And although she has been removed from her home, although her "home-making" plans may have very well fallen apart, something better began falling together. Something better than Ruth had thought of or probably ever even imagined.
A redeemer enters her story, but the real truth is, a Redeemer has been with her from the start. Crafting a beautiful story line that testifies to true redemption. A story line that was forming the bloodline of His Son, the one who would redeem it all. A Redeemer who had a plan in the midst of it all. A Redeemer who provided for, tended to, cared for and healed His fragile daughter. A Redeemer who most certainly returned joy into the life of one who had her fair share of dark days. A Redeemer who became a safe haven, her shelter, when her home was no longer one. And most importantly, a Redeemer who never stopped working, even when she couldn't see it.
And so I am grateful for Ruth. Grateful for her story. Thankful that she didn't give up. Thankful that she allowed the Redeemer to write her a powerful story. A story that would encourage a simple girl thousands of years down the road. And although I didn't uproot and travel to a distant land, although my surroundings stayed the same for the most part, I am thankful that our Redeemer is always a shelter, a safe haven, for His daughters when their "home-making" plans don't go quite as expected. And more than anything, I'm thankful that our Redeemer isn't exclusive in authoring powerful, life changing stories of redpemtion for just Ruth, either.
#200 - Because He's got some ink left in the pen for me, too!
"He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." - Psalm 91:4
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