Don’t miss out on blessings God gives us
Hello my friends!
How have you been? I hope that you’ve been working hard to achieve your goals and follow through with the vision that you casted for this year. Can you believe that we are already half way through the year? Yep! That’s right! Tomorrow it will be June 1. Wow! Six months into the year. Six months to go.
For some of you, the first six months of this year has been about developing goals, outlining a plan to achieve them, and executing the steps detailed in the plan. For others, the first six months of this year was spent ignoring the unction your spirit to move out of your comfort zone and live the life that God has waiting for you. And still others are somewhere in between….allowing any and all barriers to block them from their prosperous futures. Where do you fit in?
Me? I find myself to be somewhere in the middle. There are parts of my life where I can confidently say that I’ve cast the vision, set the goals, developed a plan and followed through. Now, I am reflecting on my progress so that I may celebrate my wins and identify where I can make improvements. This part of my life is mostly work related. Work comes very natural to me. Admittedly, I tend to be a workaholic…or at least I used to be. My personality thrives on problem solving and achieving outcomes. Fortunately my work as an educator, administrator and consultant, allows me to thrive and feel fulfilled. This desire to be a problem solver also tends to spill over into my personal life and the lives of those I hold close (whether they want it or not — my bad). This desire, at times can keep me from seeing the support I’ve been given to reach my “goals.” Let me explain.
Do you know the story of Ruth? Yeah, Ruth from the Bible Ruth. Side note – the book of Ruth is my mom’s favorite book of the Bible. I’ve been hearing about Ruth for quite some time. I know her story pretty well. Anyway, let me bring you up to date with my girl Ruth. The overall story in this book of the Bible is one of redemption. (Read Ruth 1-4).
Ruth was a widow. After her husband (and all of the men in the family) died, she decided to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi and move to Israel. Because of her allegiance to Naomi, Ruth changed her zip code. How many of you would do that? I doubt too many would…especially y’all that live in Pennsylvania. We have the highest nativity of any state. Nativity means that we’re born here; we live here; we die here. We ain’t movin. (Stop laughing – you know you only live within a few hundred feet of your parents.) Sorry! I got lost in that tangent. I’m back. Let’s refocus.
OK — so Ruth not only moved to Israel, she also did all that she could to provide for Naomi. Everyday, she went to the fields to gather grain. One day while she was gathering grain she met Boaz.Bo was a wealthy land owner who owned the property where Ruth was gathering grain. After a little courtship and stuff (I’m trying to get to the point people), Ruth and Boaz married. Boaz’s decision to care for Ruth moved him into a position to be the provider for the whole family, including Naomi.
So how is this story relevant to Gina needing support to reach her personal goals? I’m getting there. Y’all now by now that I’m longwinded.
After experiencing such a great loss, Ruth chose to serve and commit her life to caring for her mother-in-law, a duty that Naomi did not require of her. Naomi actually told Ruth to move on with her life. She did not expect for her daughter-in-law to stay with her or care for her. Ruth moved to a strange land, gathered grain everyday, and sacrificed her life for Naomi.
She chose to put the work in. She chose to sacrifice and work hard without knowing or expecting a “gift” in return. She chose the road less that most of us would not travel. But God saw her hard work. God saw her sacrifice. God honored her.
Now I know that many of you are reading this and are immediately thinking that my solution is a Boaz. No. That is not what I am saying. Although, I must admit, my Boaz does make life all the better! Here, think of it this way. When the men in Ruth’s family died, she saw the problem (she and Naomi alone without providers), created a solution (to live with Naomi and work in the fields to collect grain), and worked hard to see the solution through. While she was working hard in the fields, God reminded her that he had not forgotten about her, that he saw her. Boaz represents God’s earthly presence — his present help that is always available to us. Boaz’s presence in Ruth’s life now meant that she had support.
How many of us are too busy working on the problem and maybe even the task of problem solving that we almost miss the support God is providing us to reach our goals?
When Ruth married Boaz, God provided her with a solution far greater, bigger than she imagined. He does and can do the same for you (Ephesians 3:20). What support are you ignoring? Is your head down, too focused on picking the grain that you don’t see the owner of the land who is willing to give you the whole field?
Don’t miss out on your blessing. It might be right in front of you.
Gina Jones is a life-long resident of Fayette County and serves the community as an encourager, educator and advocate. Learn more about Gina at www.gmarieproductions.com.