Ruth for President

Imagine growing up, meeting the man of your dreams, marrying him then losing him. Imagine still, living far away from your own family, pagan religion, land and beginnings. Imagine watching the majority of your new family passing away and you are left with no men surrounding you for security, comfort and protection. And on top of it all you are poor and starving. I know if it were me, I would want to go home. I would want to be home where people know me and can help me. I would yearn to be around familiar things and familiar people. That would be my desire. My innermost hope.

I have just described a woman I would have wanted to know. A woman who lived during a very different time. A time that women existed to take care of men, have children and do most whatever else was asked of them by men. A time when women did not own property or draw pensions as widows. The woman I have described went by the name Ruth. She could have been President had she been alive today. I am sure of it. Ruth you see was one extraordinary woman. She behaved in the complete opposite of what I would have done in her situation and what most anyone I know would have done. Ruth stuck.

Ruth lost her father-in-law, brother-in-law and husband during one of the worst times of famine (1046-1035 BC) in their home country from where they had fled. Left were the three widows, including herself. Despite being strongly urged by her ailing mother-in-law Naomi to leave her and return home to Moab, Ruth said no. She refused to abandon Naomi, even though this meant an uncertain future among people in Bethlehem. who much preferred to call her a foreigner and often treated her home country as the enemy.

Something inside Ruth cast her feet in place, directed her heart toward compassion and steadied her mind on completion. Her name translated in Hebrew means 'retut', ‘lovely friend’. Yes Ruth and I could have been friends. I could have learned a lot from her spirit. I can only imagine the other daughter-in-law, Oprah standing there as Ruth spoke to Naomi.

“Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
Where you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die
There I will be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me
And more as well
If even death parts me from you!”’                                                                                                                 

And so Ruth stuck. She had been through so much with Naomi and watched as Naomi became more bitter in her circumstance. Ruth became her closest friend and caregiver filled with so much humility. And for this kindness and obedience God had in store the greatest reward. Ruth would become the great, great, great, great grandmother to Jesus.

Yes, Ruth was awesome. She is a great example of bloom where you are planted and you will see a great harvest.