"Why the Long Pause?"

I wonder what Ruth thought and felt on the day of  her second betrothal. It had been a long and arduous path she'd taken. From the dusty hills of Moab, thru barren plains, the inhospitableness of desert stretches, to the small village of Bethlehem. Saddled with losses of home, kin, and husband, her outlook certainly could have been bleak. Upon arriving in town, hearing the well-wishes of the neighbors returned with  bitter acrimony from Naomi certainly would not have put any wind in my sails. So, why keep trying? Why get up every morning and head down the dusty lane to pick up the barley left by the harvesters? Why work to feed and clothe a body that only covers an empty soul?

There are silences in the Bible: in fact, too many for my liking. I want know the in-between stories of how Joseph persevered or what happened before king so and so rested with his fathers. Those lulls in the story where we all wonder how 'they got over' or 'how they put one foot in front of the other' through the long walk of faith and perseverance. How did hope not die within these Bible heroes like a forgotten stalk of wheat in the field?
All of my blogs are from my heart, but this one even more so because it is being written out of place of pain and hope.  Pain, because of loss, and hope, because somehow I must believe that God can be trusted in the midst of my hurt and disappointment: "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Even when God chooses not to rescue us from our pain, we must remain convinced of His goodness.  When we are disappointed and disillusioned by our relationships, we must make sense of our feelings of abandonment that occur when God chooses not to rescue us from painful situations- such as widowhood or poverty as in Ruth's situation. How did Ruth hope and not fear being left alone again? Brother Andrew, who is best known for his idea of practicing the presence of God, states, "He sees, he hears, he understands." Even if Boaz had not taken notice of Ruth, God saw her. His protection of her was more real than that  which Boaz promised- His care more tangible than Boaz's promise to attempt to redeem Naomi's land and Ruth herself.

I must ask myself if I trust that everything that has happened in my life is necessary to bring me to the place where Christ is formed in me- where His beautiful face is reflected in my own. God used the famine, the death of all the male members of Naomi's immediate family, Naomi's bitterness, and Boaz's long-standing singleness, and even Orpah's return to her people, to bring about his plans for Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, and even us, through the Messiah. Why did God use a maniacal leader and a series of nasty plagues to achieve the release of his Israelite people? Surprise! God uses the messy, inconvenient, and mostly painful realities of our relationships to change us into useful servants: "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). May you and I allow God to form Christ in us, especially in our trials.  Remember that God sees you; He hears you; and He understands. He will not let your hope wither on the vine. He will bring fruitfulness from this desert. He is present and He is holding you even now.

In Hope and Trust,

MJ