I was deeply inspired and I needed to share with you.
Let’s ride in…
YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST
person to cry
Or do many other things.
This is meant to be a season of joy and hope but some people are experiencing sadness and hopelessness.
some are heartbroken.
Today, I was reminded of the reality of mourning during celebrations and the heaviness that comes with it.
Grief cannot be measured neither can a time frame be given to it.
because we grief differently
I have talked about grief on this space a number of times and today, I won’t be as elaborate.
Grief is part of what we face in life, however it also shows us the beauty of the depth of our love and the ability of my heart to be soft.
So, if you are grieving a person, a relationship, a dream, and all the ‘what could have been’, I am here to remind you that your emotions are valid and relatable.
Just because many people are feeling joyful in this season shouldn’t mean you are not allowed to grieve.
YOU WON’T BE THE LAST
to feel this way
The birth of Jesus was in a season where other mothers grieved for the loss of their babies.
Therefore, joy and grief coexisted when He was born.
The manner in which we grief is dependent on how we have choosen to, or on the love our heart was able to share, or simply the way we have choosen to process pain.
I had a great day during church service, I was opportune to witness a 50 year old wedding anniversary filled with testimonies and also witness a 42 year old wedding anniversary filled with adventure. I drank wine, ate and sang deeply but I had got to experience the other side of joy.
I am still learning to grieve in a way that remains healthy for my overall well-being because there is healthy and unhealthy grief.
The difference is impact
2023, the year I worked better on grieving relationships.
In this post, we will look at who Ruth was and what preceeded her story. We will also look at issues on immigration as children of God and answering the tough questions about fate and faith.
Certainly themes that will come up in this post are not new but they will be unique in presentation.
Let’s ride in….
Chapter 1
There was famine. The earth was parched, crops were not growing and the animals were dying. Hope appeared to starve as well, she was nowhere to be seen in the land of hunger and want.
Elimech was frustrated with the happenings in his country. Life seemed to be better in Moab, a country no so far away. All he had to do was to convince his wife and take his sons with him. Whatever was wrong with his country was beyond bearable, he could not keep hoping.
His business which had appeared promising had crashed and it was only a matter of time before his family would be severely in need.
His wife did not hesitate when he shared his thoughts and plans. Without saying many farewells, they left for Moab.
They were well known in the land and Naomi who had been an inspiration to the women of the land for her love for God were devastated with her sudden journey which held the possibility that they would not seen her again.
In Moab, Elimelech rebuilt his business and life flourished. However, he did not live long enough to watch his sons grow older.
Noami’s two sons had grown and got married to moabite women; Ruth and Orpah.
They were the best daughters Naomi could asked for especially Ruth who wanted to know about God who Naomi worshipped. Naomi had not realized that her consistent desire to return home had caused Ruth to develop deep interest.
Ruth always looked for an opportunity to ask questions and with each passing day, Naomi could see desire burn in Ruth eyes but she did have courage to return home. Her two sons were married and she did not have a need to return home.
10 years later
No grandchildren. No sons. No husband.
All Naomi had to show for all the years she had spent in Moab were her daughter-in-laws who were foreigners.
Struck with grief and regrets, Naomi decided to return home.
She had heard that the famine was over in her home country and life was moving well, maybe she could find a relative or a long family friend who could assist her.
Without consulting or discussing with her daughter-in-laws, Naomi packed what was left of her belongings and made her way home.
Ruth and Orpah followed her behind.
After a long distance, Naomi paused in her tracks and looked sorrowfully at her daughter-in-laws “Go back to your mother’s house. May God kindly care for you as you have done for my family and I. May God grant you rest in your husband’s house”
She had come close enough to hug and kiss them as they cried together.
After releasing them, Naomi continued “Go back home. I am too old and even if I miraculously remarry and have a son, how long will you wait for him? Go back home. I am sorry that I came into your life with badluck”
The younger women continued crying, the atmosphere ringing with their heart wrenching cries.
Orpah with red eyes looked back then looked at Naomi and with a tight hug and a long kiss on the cheek, she returned to the town they had left.
Naomi turned to Ruth “Why are you here? Your sister-in-law has left. Join her”
“No” Ruth said shaking her head sideways. Her veil was soaked in tears. “I cannot and will not leave you. Do not ask me to leave. Where you stay, I will stay. Where you live, I will leave. Where you die, I will die. Your God will be my God. Your people will be my people. I will not go anywhere without you”
Ruth had clung tightly to the older woman’s gown.
They stood for minutes and after a deep sigh, Naomi continued walking. Ruth hurried behind her holding both of their belongings.
Many Distances After
They reached Bethlehem dusty and tired. Naomi could still remember the way to their abandoned home despite the many changes in the environment.
She could still recognise faces that she had left behind and it appeared that they could remember her as well.
The whispers began as they walked by the gathering of people that had collected outside.
“Is that not Naomi?”
Turning wearily to the by-standers, she loudly proclaimed “Do not call me Naomi! I am Mara, for my life has been dealt bitterly with by God. I left this land full and I am returning empty. Do not call me Naomi!”
Ruth concerned about her outburst, held her firmly “We are home”
Without another word from Naomi, they proceeded to the abandoned house at the end of the road.
The barley harvest had just begun and they had returned; the hopeful young woman and the hopeless and bitter old woman.
N. B: Chapter 1 in this post was fictionalised. Kindly read from the Bible for the exact description.
A JOURNEY OF FATE AND FAITH
To start this study properly, you need to understand the base of of this book.
Moab was the product of an incetous affair between Lot (the nephew of Abraham) and his eldest daughter. This occured as a result of his daughter’s manipulation and his drunkeness. (Genesis 19:37)
Later on, the Moabites will become rivals to the Israelites and would not give them access to pass through their land even on friendly terms and also hired Balaam to prophesy against them and went as far as seducing the Isrealites into idolatrous practices. This causes God to prohibit the Moabites from entering into the temple until their tenth generation. However, inter marriage was allowed (only if the woman was the Moabite and not the man) and their land was not to be captured. (Deuteronomey 2:9, 23:3-4)
With these explanations, it shows why the sons of Elimelech married Moabite women.
The Moabites were mainly idol worshippers and their main god was Chemosh. Some passages that indicate these include: Judges 11:24, 1Kings 11:7, 33.
AN IMMIGRANT BECAUSE OF FATE
Elimelech and his family left their home country because there was famine and a threat of hunger that could lead to death.
Despite having properties that may have indicated he was wealthy (this will be expantiated in later parts of this series), he was unable to survive the famine and had to leave.
The Famine was the fate. It was not something Elimech and other Israelite could have controlled. A person could survive the famine if they had enough food stashed away or had enough money to leave the country to a better place.
In this immigration, we do not see God’s involvement or inclusion. They made a move because that appeared to be their best option.
Relating this to current events happening (close to home), many people are seeking to leave their birth countries for the sake of better opportunities. Many times I open social media pages, I am confronted with the suggestion to leave my country.
I have been told that with my qualification I would have a better life elsewhere and the hope that held people together has been falling apart.
Many who have the means and opportunity have left their birth countries to places which happen to have better prospects.
For Elimelech and his family, the better prospect they sought was a place where they could eat. A place that was not plagued by famine.
FAMINE
According to the English dictionary, famine is the extreme shortage of food.
This means that starvation is common and the main cause of death is hunger.
Many of us find it difficult to fast for 6, 12 or even 18 hours. When we are not fasting, we cannot skip a meal without omitting the small chops here and there.
Some of us go as far as being very selective and would refuse certain meals not because we are allergic but because we simply do not like them.
However during famine, there exist no choice and whatever is available is eaten (that is if anything is available).
Famine occurs as a result of drought, war or natural diasters.
Other things famine can represent include:
Therefore we can experience famine in certain areas of our life even if we have food in surplus.
INTRODUCTION TO A WOMAN CALLED RUTH
Ruth means Companion
Ruth a moabite married one of the sons of Elimelech and Naomi. She associated herself deeply with them to the point that she conisdered Naomi as her only family.
The Bible does not give details on how their relationship developed but it is clear with how Ruth clung to Naomi.
Ruth was certainly an idol worshipper but as she developed affection for her in-law, she decides to identify with the God Naomi worshiped. As said previously, we do not know what made Ruth to take this decison but it is certain she had had a unique experience that made her to make her firm resolution.
THE HOPELESS OLD WOMAN
Naomi means Pleasantness or joy.
Naomi had aspirations. She was young before she became old. She had left her home country with her husband and two young sons because in Moab the future appeared to be brighter.
She most likely did not think she would return home until her hopes were crushed again.
Her husband had died, her sons had died and did not have grandchildren neither did she have properties of her own. The only place she still had some properties left was in her birth country and she had heard that there was no more famine.
She may have not left if there was no famine.
She felt so guilty that her daughter-in-laws had become widows by marrying her sons and hoped that them being far away from her meant they would find rest and be safe. She needed to be comforted but could not help seeing herself as the cause of their misfortunes.
However, they both loved her deeply and had come to see her as a family and had enjoyed a meaningful relationship with her. This showed the kind of person Naomi was. She had not treated them as strangers but like daughters. She had been a source of comfort and healthy influence to them.
IMMIGRANT BECAUSE OF FAITH
Ruth’s decision to leave her birth country was birthed from a place of a soul-hunger.
There was no famine in her land and there was a huge possibility that there were willing suitors who would marry her. She was not going to Bethlehem for her personal gain but for a vision she had caught in Naomi.
Naomi was a great source of influence for Ruth and staying away from her was like drying her up.
She had nothing significant to gain from Naomi who was old and poor except a relationship with God who Ruth had come to respect. Staying back in Moab was losing a great opportunity to still know God and for Ruth that inspired her decision to stick to Naomi.
Orpah on the hand loved Naomi too but had not come to identify herself the way Ruth had. She looked back to her home and considered prospects that were better than leaving with Naomi who did not have a meaningful future attached to her again. Orpah loved Naomi but she did not see the vision Ruth had seen and had not loved the God Naomi worshipped the way Ruth did.
Orpah and Ruth were not on the same page.
Orpah was a good woman but she was not passionate like Ruth.
A TIME TO STAY AND A TIME TO LEAVE
There is a time to stay and a time to leave but this depends on what directs our timing.
The source of our timing is very instrumentmental on how we move.
Why do you want to leave?
Better prospect? Better life? Better future? Less suffering?
As a Christian who is to be led by the Holy Spirit in all things, does it seem fair that God does not give us permission to leave a terrible and unconducive place?
Many times, in our private corners we have cried out in deep pain for being in the place we are as a reason of birth.
God I want to leave
During these times, if we do not seek God’s face about moving, we quickly grab any opportunity that comes our way and cover it as God’s favour.
The family of Elimelech had left because of a famine but ended up losing everything they had in thebetter foreign land leaving only Naomi as witness.
Naomi a woman who seemed to have been a woman of hope turned on God and blamed Him for all the sad events that happened to her. She refused to acknowledge that she had not involved Him before leaving.
Isaac the son of Abraham experienced something similar, however he was sensitive to hear God speak. (Genesis 26)
The problem is not leaving to a better place but what the future will hold.
It is better to let God lead you.
Ruth knew it was time to leave and she did not allow Naomi’s persuasive words and suggestions to deter her.
Better prospects were not her motivation.
When we do not know the time to stay or leave, we will experience situations that are not necessary and live with scars for life.
I often say that there is no guarantee that what you are running from will not meet you where you are going especially if your hope rests in a place and not in God.
Where you live, who you marry and what you do needs the God-factor.
God what next?
I am currently at the stage of my life where my decisions will have a great effect on my future. I had to leave a certain place because I needed to and because I knew I had to. Now, the next place is on my radar and I need to trust God to make the right decision according to His leading.
What stage are you in? To stay or to leave?
The end result of leaving wrongly: You lose. You miss out on God’s purpose for you.
Moving according to God’s instructions comes with peace and direction.
Moving according to God’s instruction aligns with His plans and purpose for our life.
More than what we will gain physically, our purpose is tied to our movement.
Elimelech and his family had left when it was famine and Naomi and Ruth had returned when it was harvest.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 1
CONCLUSION
It is beautiful how certain stories inspire you freshly even if you have read, heard or mediated on it many times.
I am grateful to God for this opportunity to start this series and to share these meditations with you.
I am also grateful to God for the help He always provides when I start a series.
Thank you for being here, I believe this post blessed you. Kindly share to others.
Your comments and questions are welcomed.
If you do not want to share your questions publicly, kindly send it through the CONTACT option (click highlighted text) or if we are already connected through any social media platform, send it to me as a message.
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