Mandy and I started reading Ruth together last week and what He taught me through these 4 little chapters has been huge for me. So I start in 1...Ruth has lost everything...her husband...father-in-law...brother-in-law...and now has been given the option to return to her home with her family. Her sister-in-law does just that...I mean, who wants to head to a foreign land with a mother-in-law that changes her own name and is definitely not handling her losses well at all...i mean, who really changes their own name and wallows (you like that word) in their...woe is me crap...well, that would be naomi here. And because ruth is so focused on Dad and not herself...she tells naomi...where you go, i will go...where you stay, i will stay...your people will be my people...your Dad will be my Dad...and i love how the write says that ruth was determined to go. i don't know about you...but honestly, i am not sure that i would have done that. And then the HS asks me, kendall...can you say that to anyone in your life right now...can you say that to Me? That you love Me enough to go wherever...stay wherever...call My people yours...and only love Me...can you rid yourself of all the other things in your life...and be so determined to follow me?

Then in the next chapter, ruth heads out to the fields to try to find some work...not only does she find work, she works all day and only takes A break...and when boaz sees/hears this, he invites her to eat with him. And tells her...may The L repay you for what you have done...may you be richly rewarded by The L, Dad of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge! ANd i love this picture...of everything we do, we are under His Wings...covered by the vastness of His Outstretched Arms...protected by His Hands...

And the next chapter was exactly what i needed to hear last week...so naomi tells ruth that she needs to go lay at the feet of boaz...to basically offer herself to him...good idea? I think not...i mean, back in the day doing that...gave the man the right to do whatever to and with you...but because ruth was listening to Dad and recognized naomi as her superior...someone to respect...and honor...no matter how illogical the ideal was...she did it in obedience...and guess what...those Wings of Dad's were outstretched over her...He completely took care of her...to the point that when boaz wakes, he finds favor with her. This just reminded me that no matter how ridiculous i might think something is that my boss says or does...that i have been called to be under him...respect him...and that I serve a Dad that is only interested in bringing His Name glory and giving me His best!

And then I love when boaz says that all of my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character...um....how long has ruth been in this country and already everyone knows her to be a woman of noble character? Seriously...i want that! And I had been reading the last chapter in prov...about noble women...and looking at the different attributes of a woman of noble character...and not trying to obtain these for an earthly husband...but so that My Dad will look at me and say that I lack nothing of value...that He has full confidence in me because all He sees in me is a reflection of Himself. That i am clothed in strength and dignity...oh and my favorite...that i will laugh at the days to come. There have been days since i have been on the field that i honestly thought...i am not going to laugh again...i dont get the humor of these people (for example, at my school, we were watching this movie and i promise you...the dumbest things had all of my teachers and another M rolling...i looked at mandy and was like...are they seriously laughing at this...and am i the only one who doesnt find this funny!)...what if my people dont get my AMAZING sense of humor...my partner is void of humor...and i can only laugh at myself/with myself for so long!! But look...He tells me here that I will laugh a the days to come...what a blessing...and how i long for my words to be full of His wisdom and that when people come to me, they receive faithful instructions because I am so in tune with Him. And i think of all the amazing women in my life...adn think, oh for one day for someone to call me noble...to say these things about me...because of the amazing refining process that He is doing in my life...how freakin awesome!!

so i head back to ruth...and just ask that one day that His characteristics consume me so that when these people look at me...even though i have only been in country for a little bit...but that they could say the same things about me. And the last chapter...so boaz desperately wants ruth...i mean without a shadow of a doubt wants to save naomi's family name by taking ruth to be all his...but what does he do? he takes this amazing woman and follows the law...by presenting her to the kinsmen redeemer. I mean, he doesnt want to do this...he wants to be the kinsmen redeemer for her and this family...but he is obedient. And because of his obedience, the kinsmen redeemer gives him the desires of his heart. Whta a beautiful picture of obedience!! Our Kinsmen Redeemer is there waiting for us to do the same. He knows our desires and wants...and is asking us to obediently lay those things at His Feet. So that He can do just what His Name says...redeem us...rescue us from ourselves and all that is mediocre...and give us all that is Him...all that is AMAZING...all that is INCREDIBLE!! Wow...why do i keep taking back all of the things that I lay at His Feet each morning...why don't i just leave them there with Him...My Kinsmen Redeemer? I am an idiot...that is why!! And so small that i cannot see/comprehend anything...

And then I love how the chapter ends, with naomi's friends telling her thanks to Dad for redeeming you...for you now have a grandson...for your life is complete...and then the chapter ends with the geneology...how because of ruth's obedience to go back with naomi...to do what she asked...to be so determined to follow hard after Him...that because of all this...her child...would be the lineage of how one of the greatest kings in the world, david comes from...which in turn leads to The Greatest King...The Only King! All because of her obedience in something that most would consider small things...but the HS has shown me how those small obedient steps lead to greatness. I guess the What About Bob quote bets fits here...baby steps...baby steps to the throne!

Wednesday, 16 Abril 2009

So, I have the most amazing day...I get to spend a full hour just talking and hearing from Our Dad...then language school goes well (lots of homework for tonight but my teacher was encouraged by the amount of verbs that I am actually retaining...THANK YOU DAD! Because we all know that my OLD memory...frankly, sucks!!) Of course after school, I am greeted by 20ish adorable kids who just want to slobber and love all over me...I LOVE IT! Don't understand one word they say except Otro Vez (again) each and everytime I pick them up and throw them or tickle them or hug them...that is all I hear! But it is so adorable and I just talk to Dad about all of their salvations...that they too will one day know the Creator of the Universe intimately and fall deeply in love with Him!! And after lunch...cleaning up and what not after 20 some odd children...I head to the internet cafe to send some emails...IT WAS FREAKIN SLOW today...and then head to the park here in San Juan. I find a bench...overlooking Antigua and all the mountains that surround Guate and not to mention the very active and unpredictable Volcano Fuerte that likes to just do whatever...whenever...and all I can think is...seriously, Dad...you created all of this just for me and you created this time just the two of us! I mean, where in the world can you find someone that will not only stop whatever He is doing...just to spend time with you...but bless you with the most amazing view of His Might and the most perfect temperature with the sun beating down on you and the wind slightly blowing...really, Dad...why in the world do You do this kind of stuff for me??!?! And not to mention that He is doing the exact same thing for you guys as well...and I cant wait to hear all about it!!!

So, we sit for a couple of hours or so...just talking...just listening...just reading...just journaling my thoughts...thoughts of How Awesome He is...thoughts of How grateful I am to be doing what He has called me to do...how incredible it is to hear His voice...through His Word...through His creation...through friends and family! ...what a sweet time we had today! It was PERFECT!! Sitting on a bench...with the I AM!!

Then back to my house for some more playing with kids...did I mention that I love kids...and He was so right to put me here. They speak on my level (when they talk slowly and not that 2-4 year old gibberish that no one can understand) and they just love to be loved! And I ask Him that my actions with these kids will speak loudly to my family here and the other teachers in the home...that they may only see Him in me! And so back to my room for some more studying...I have a big test tomorrow over so much vocabulary...YUCK!! and it is all oral...we are ONLY going to talk for 4 hours tom...my brain is going to kill me!!

But I just started talking yet again to Dad...I find myself doing  alot of there here and I am so thankful that I can do that...and so I open up His Word and keep reading in Exo...and you know more plagues are happening...and Pharoah still doesnt give a flip...but then He says that He is doing all of this..."so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth!! For by now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose...that I might show You my power and that My Name might be proclaimed in ALL THE EARTH!!" What...WOW...I am speechless...I can barely finish reading. For He is right, there is NO ONE like Him in all the earth...and He for some weird reason loves me and decided not to wipe me off the face of the earth...and He pursues me...and chose me for this very purpose...that He might show His power through me and that HIS NAME WILL BE PROCLAIMED IN ALL THE EARTH!! Are you freakin kidding me...this is why we are here...this is what He wants for us...and He says it to us in the middle of a bunch of plagues...go figure!!