Does any of you teach children? Some of you may answer "no" because you are not a professional educator such as a school teacher. However if you are a mother, a Sunday school teacher or a volunteer for some type of children's activities the answer is actually "yes." In fact, the answer is "yes" if you are around children in any general way. After all, your very presence in someway effects their perception of adulthood. Therefore a large majority of us are indeed a teacher of children. I am a mother of three and also teach classes to children and youth at my church, so I believe that definitely qualify as a "teacher of children." However as of late, I have noticed that the messages I share are as much for me as it is for them.Every Wednesday I battle my kids (and often my husband) to organize and present themselves at church where I teach a class for school-age children. I thankfully have a great lesson plan already made up and given to me in advance by the Youth Director of our church. It often involves stories from the Bible that I've heard dozens of times before but more often than not God finds a whole new way to use them to teach me something personally. Tonight was just such a night.
The last few lessons we have discussed are about having courage to go the right direction in various aspects of life. Tonight we talked about the courage to love and appreciate our family. Our story centered Ruth and Naomi as outlined in the book of Ruth in the Holy Bible.
Naomi moved with her family-a husband and two sons-from their home in Bethlehem to Moab in order to escape famine. Her sons married Moabite women but not long after both the sons and her husband died. Naomi was left alone with her two daughter in laws in a foreign land. Naomi was heartbroken and encouraged her beloved daughter-in-laws to think of themselves and remarry in Moab while she returned home to Bethlehem and attempted to survive.
One daughter-in-law (Orpah) tearfully accepted her mother-in-law's departure. The other (Ruth), wasn't having it. She tearfully clung to her mother-in-law. "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you,"she said. "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
When Naomi found that she could not change Ruth's mind she took her with her to Bethlehem and found that it was harvest season for barley. In attempt to provide for them both Ruth went to a field where workers were picking barley and asked if she could walk behind them after they picked and keep any scraps she may find left behind. The workers agreed.
When the very wealthy owner of the field (Boaz) found out what Naomi was doing, not only did he not stop her, he allowed her to pick along side the other women employed to pick from the crop. He also gave strict orders for none of the male workers to bother her and allowed her to drink water and rest with the other workers as needed. Over time he continued to give Naomi opportunities for provision, their relationship grew and he eventually took her as his wife.
Daring to care, Naomi moved to a foreign place in order for her family to escape famine. When all the men in her family died and left her alone, she had the courage to turn away her only connections (her daughter-in-laws) for their own benefit.
In a time where women were almost completely dependent upon their spouses and her maternal clock was ticking, Ruth agreed to follow and help an older widow in a foreign place. She had the courage to walk up to complete strangers and ask if she could work to gather any leftovers when it was most likely their job to leave nothing behind. She also had the courage to face an unknown reaction from the land owner himself.
Regardless of their circumstance in life, all have something and/or someone to be thankful for. In today's dark and changing world, many women are facing giants and need the encouragement to walk in courage out of love. Due to my current situation in life, it is almost inexpressible how this reminder from the book of Ruth impacted me personally tonight. However in my next post I will try to share my personal testimony as to how these verses have impacted me. I hope that you will return to this blog and join me on my journey and that you will in someway be blessed, as we walk together.
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Note: I strongly encourage the reading of the book of Ruth from the Holy Bible in companion with this post. It can be read easily online, via Crosswalk, by clicking here. It is a quick read and your time will not return to you void.
Image used with permission courteous of Free Photo.Com
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