CHRISTIAN WIDOW'S SURVIVAL GUIDE PART 2
"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." - Albert Einstein
As we continue with part 2 in our Christian Widow's Survival Guide, let's focus on Ruth's story. Ruth 1:16, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God." Clearly, Ruth had experience an encounter with God that changed her life. No longer was she able to return to her past, but needed to move forward to her future. She had fundamentally changed and knew she couldn't go back to where she had come from. She needed to be around people who held the same beliefs as she did.
Ruth's faith in God at this point is incredible. She probably saw how her husband's family lived differently than how she did growing up. But the loss she and Naomi experience was life-shattering. She also watches her mother in law have a meltdown of nuclear force and probably heard Naomi complain about all she lost the whole way from Moab to Bethlehem. But it didn't matter to Ruth. She was going to follow this God.
When the two women got to Bethlehem, there was no time to waste. I'm sure what little supplies they had left were dwindling fast. Naomi, still in her state of miserable grieving, wasn't thinking about taking care of either of them. Her bitterness so complete. But that doesn't stop Ruth from digging in and taking the initiative to find some food for them. She asks Naomi if she can go to glean from the fields of grain to provide them with some food and Naomi agrees.
As it so happens, Ruth stumbles along into a field that is owned by a relative of Ruth's father in law. The man who owns that field is Boaz. He happens to be a little older, a whole lot wiser and a great deal further in his walk with God than Ruth was. He happens to see Ruth out in his field and takes notice of her, going so far as to ask about who she is. Ruth's amazing character had proceeded her and Boaz was given a run down about how Ruth was a young widow from a foreign land who had left everything behind to stay with her mother in law and was now working hard to feed them both. Boaz, who equally had great character, told his staff to leave her alone and let her take as much barley as she wanted. He then told them to drop some extra grain on the ground for her as they were harvesting, making it easier for her to collect it. He eventually makes his way over to her and tells her how wonderful he thinks she is for the decisions she has made in leaving her family and country to stay with Naomi. As a widow that has no secure future and just trying to make it through the day, I'm sure this was a huge encouragement to Ruth. In fact, she tells Boaz just how grateful she is for his kind words. Later, he tells her to come and eat with him and his staff. Here again we see Ruth's character in that she didn't eat everything that was given to her, but wraps up what is left to take back to Naomi. When Ruth is finished for the day, she has about 30 to 40 pounds of barley! Not sure how that girl got it home. I'd be sweatin' like crazy by the time I got back! 😅
You can imagine Naomi's shock at the lute that Ruth brought with her. Maybe Naomi thought Ruth didn't know the rules about gleaning in her country so she started questioning Ruth like a good mother does. Where were you? How long were you there? Who did you see? What did you do? Why did you go there? (I'm exaggerating the text, but you know how mother's are) When Naomi finds out which field Ruth had been collecting barley from, things feel into place.
I quoted Einstein at the beginning of the post, but as you can see, he got it wrong. I don't believe in coincidences and I don't think God ever tries to remain anonymous. He wants us to KNOW without a doubt that He is moving and directing our lives! When we are obedient to Him and working out our faith, He will make our future steps known! No secrets, no coincidences!!
This is where our story takes a beautiful turn. Boaz is Ruth's redeemer. In this time, it was customary for a relative of the deceased to marry his widow and buy back any land or possessions the deceased had. This would provide for the widow and the land would be saved from ruin. The relative, or kinsmen redeemer, would rescue what was sure to be lost for both the widow and whatever else his deceased relative possessed. Boaz is the representation of Christ in our lives. We have all suffered loss because of the effects of sin in our lives. Christ paid the price on the cross and purchased a way for us to get to heaven. All we have to do is believe and accept!
For those of us who are already Christians, whatever we consider loss, whatever pain we suffer, whatever hurt that continues to invade our lives, Jesus is there, waiting to redeem our pain. He can take our greatest hurts and make them our greatest hope. Specifically for us who are trying to survive widowhood, the greatest days are ahead of us. This is so hard for me to write, because I can't imagine a future that is brighter than what I had with Greg. It almost feels like a betrayal to even think that my life could be better than what we shared together. But my hope is not in my past. My hope is in my future because of God's great love for me and His redeeming plan for my continued story, using my beautifully broken past.
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