People love me. People know that what I feel, think and experience is incredibly important. People will put up with my irritating personality traits just to be my friend. People want to know more about me despite being party to all the available information on me. People find me hilarious. People laugh when I laugh and cry when I cry. I can pretty much make any mistake I want and still be cared for. People are thankful for my friendship. People think I'm great. People want to spend time with me. People miss me now I'm in South Africa. People think what I'm doing is so important they give their money to enable me to do it. I'm being totally serious without any of my normal arrogant alter ego or without the a single bit of irony. I believe those statements to be true.
These “people” are my Ruths.
I don't deserve these “Ruths” in my life and I'm unsure why they feel that way, but like Naomi I journey through life with a group of “Ruths” who for some reason have clung to me and not let go. And the worst thing is some times like Naomi I don't even see them.
I find this bit hilarious and awful at the same time as Naomi almost goes Andy Millman (Extras) on us in verses 21. I imagine the scene, everybody in Bethlehem has come out into the village square to say hello to Naomi and her immigrant friend whom they automatically hated. As people greet Naomi she publicly tells everyone she is empty and has nothing! Ruth, having just spoken those beautifully stirring and powerful words “your God is my God. Where you die I will die” and effectively given her life to Naomi, is stood there looking at the ground. I'm watching on just thinking “go on give her some kind of a mention Naomi” and Naomi says “The Lord has afflicted me, the almighty has brought misfortune upon me”.
Can you imagine if a colleague or acquaintance was distraught because she had an invite to a party but the friend she had planned to go with had just dropped out, to go on your own would be social suicide. You are fully aware that you're not going to know anyone and it's a bit out of your league but to help her out you agree to go. You arrive and everybody is in dinner suites and cocktail dresses and you're in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. You thought it couldn't feel anymore horrible until people start approaching your friend to talk. To each person your friend explains that she is hating being at the party without a guest and feels so lonely and wishes she had asked her neighbour. You just stand there.
Now I know this is probably the most obvious place to go with the book of Ruth and I really wanted to dig deep and stay away from the Sunday school/bumper sticker slogans that it would be easy to write down but developing friendships is key to making life work. Again I say this in all seriousness I am a failure! If making mistakes was an Olympic sport I'd have beaten Michael Phelps' record hands down and that's with no training regime. I'm not even a particularly good friend but due to the fact my God is so full of mercy and grace despite my failures he provides me with Ruths.
I'm here in Africa because of my Ruths, it's not an exaggeration to say I'm probably here full stop because of my Ruths. I'm definitely still following Jesus because of my Ruths.
So my challenge is now that I need to be other peoples Ruth. Who do I need to cling on to? Maybe I've let go of someone? Ruth's name means friendship. My prayer for us is that we're able to seek out, to see, to be Ruths in a world where loneliness kills,
For the next recipe see www.thewaspes.com on "Thursday - Happy Birthday Marley" for crazy cake recipe
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