Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
February 2010
God’s Extraordinary
Love in Action
5
WAYS TO DEEPEN
YOUR FAITH
Page 10
Time Clutter
Challenge
CULTIVATING A
SIMPLE HEART
embracing simplicity
february 2010
Welcome to the
February
issue of
Exemplify
Magazine!
After taking the month of January to focus on our new website (have you seen it
yet?) the team is thrilled to be back, ministering to you among the pages of Exem-
plify Magazine.
In this issue you will find a Time Clutter Challenge encouraging you to connect
as a family, an invitation to simplify your marriage for the better and a powerful
piece on the extraordinary love of God.
I pray this month you will embrace a gentle simplicity. Enjoy the little things. I
pray you would love your God- the author of laughter, quiet nights and snow-filled
mornings - with an unmatched joy this month.
In King Jesus,
Kristen Schiffman
“But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of
is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven.
It is a land the LORD your God cares for the eyes of the LORD your
God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its
end. “
www.inspiredheartsmedia.com
3 magazine February 2010
content
FEBRUARY 2010
018 042
rest upon
us,
O
Lord,
even as we
put our hope
in you.
Psalm 33:22, NIV
©IrisNelson
Meet the Magazine Team
Kristen Schiffman
Founder & Ministry Director
A New Yorker living in Texas, Kristen is just trying to make sense of sweet
tea and A/C units. Together with her best friend & husband, Eric, she enjoys
sketching out new ideas over Starbuck’s.
Andrea Mitchell
Editor-in-Chief/Director of Web Content/Family Columnist
Andrea Mitchell is a coffee drinking, Jesus-loving wife and stay-at-home mom of
three in constant search of just the right mug for her brew. You can find her at her
blog, UnderGraceOverCoffee.com where she shares the love she has found in
Jesus, along with the caffeine-laden randomness that makes up the majority of
her day. Grab your cup and come on over!
Christy McGraw
Director of Social Networking/ Web Editor/Singles Columnist
Christy is on a journey to becoming a woman after God’s own heart. She
delights in books, photography, her family and her friends. Christy has a
heart for young women and single women. She also loves emails! thesingle-
journey@gmail.com
Christine Johnston
Director of Communications
Christine is a self professed “knitster” who loves watching a scarf come to life.
She is the mother of four children, three of whom are full grown and one still mak-
ing her way through high school. She is married to her high school sweetheart
and loves going on lunch dates with him during the week. Christine’s steady and
sure faith in Christ, her value of justice and her compassion for that which Christ
has compassion on daily shape her Titus 2 calling.
Tara Rachel
Director of Ministry Support/ Fiction & Apologetics Column/ Web Editor
Tara Rachel is a born-and-bred Southern girl who loves sweet tea, Jesus, and
football - and not necessarily in that order. Visit her at Musings of a Future Pas-
tor’s Wife, where she blogs about her day-to-day life as the wife of a seminary
student/youth pastor and mom to a precious toddler girl, and the daily truths the
Lord teaches her.
Judith Roberts
Interview Columnist
Judith Roberts has been married to her college sweetheart for four years,
the team
and both she and her husband are active in their church. She is a college
instructor pursuing her doctorate and hopes to mirror Jesus in her everyday
life.
Kara Cox
Devotional Columnist
Kara is a single, thirtysomething follower of Christ who loves to laugh and
makes others laugh in the process. She is devoted to all things Autumn and
thinks that pumpkins, fallen leaves and fall TV premieres are a highlight of
life. She would also like you to know she is the most extroverted introvert
you will ever meet.
Wendy Miller
How-To Columnist
Wendy Miller is a butcher (of words as she edits her novels), a baker (of birthday
cakes and treats for her beloved family members and friends), and a candlestick
maker (not quite, but she enjoys crafts of all kinds). She appreciates the outdoors,
writing and laughing with loved ones. Wendy’s mission statement is to a live a pas-
sionate life filled with compassion, grateful to be called daughter of the Most High
God. Visit Wendy at thoughtsthatmove.blogspot.com/ or wendypainemiller.word-
press.com/.
Victoria Jenkins
Bible Study Columnist
Victoria began writing from Scripture out of the sheer inability to keep a
good thing to herself--the exception being brownies, those she refuses to
share. Soon after delving into her first Bible study, it became clear that God
was building a ministry through this new-found love for His Word. Whether
she is homeschooling, housewifing, or hiding from the laundry heap, God
continues to grow Victoria through the ministry He set in motion...and she
continues to hog all the brownies.
Jenifer Jernigan
Marriage Columnist
Jenifer makes her home in North Carolina with her husband of ten years,
three children, and English black lab, Bella. On a typical day, if there is such
a thing, you will find her sipping a cup of coffee, home schooling her chil-
dren, and digging into the Word. A former pit-dweller who has been saved by
God’s amazing grace, Jenifer has a burning passion to share with women of
all ages His unconditional love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
Alison Hunt
Columnist
Alison is a twenty-something single woman living in the now and hoping for
the future. Based in North Florida, she an administrative assistant by day,
and dreamer by night (literally). She can also be found reading under trees,
Zumba-ing, spending time with family, and catching up with friends over cof-
fee. Visit her blog at http://alisonlhunt.blogspot.com.
Brooke McGlothlin
Columnist
Lover of God and the man I’ve dreamed of since the 3rd grade...mommy of two
little boys born just 23 months apart...CEO of the McGlothlin Home for Boys (my
house)...passionate about life issues and finding Jesus in the everyday. Director
of Clinical Services for a local Crisis Pregnancy Center with a BS in Psychology
and MA in Counseling.
Deborah Boutwell
Book Reviews
Married for 23 years, 2 children (21 & 15 years of age), working outside
the home in a Christian publishing house, serving in a small Southern Bap-
tist church in various keys roles, hobbies include reading, writing, needle &
thread handwork.
Iris Nelson
Photographer
Born and raised in Germany, Iris now resides with her husband Mark and
Chihuahua Corky, in Arizona. Their grown son Daniel works as a software
consultant in Arizona, living close by. Although the move from Germany to the
US was not easy, God’s hand was evident. In Arizona, God called Iris back
into His flock. Her ministries in the past included leading women Bible stud-
ies; leading worship once month with the contemporary praise team.
Iris enjoys encouraging women by sharing His Word through the devotional
team-blog ‘Laced with Grace’ (www.lacedwithgrace.com), which she ‘birthed’
with a friend from California in 2006.
Are you
connecting
as a family?
Whenever I think of simplifying, my organized self immediately pictures decluttering. I am a classic “tosser” mar-
ried to a classic, how do I say this lovingly, “hoarder”. I see nothing wrong in disposing of or giving away something
I no longer have use for. My wonderful sweetheart, Kevin, on the other hand likes to keep things “just in case”. You
know, just in case time suddenly goes back to 1985 and he’ll need to read about the latest happenings in Sports Il-
lustrated.
As a tosser by nature, clutter is not an option for me. I hate it. It gets in the way, it’s messy, and cleaning it up takes
time away from doing things I would much rather be doing.
(Although, to be fair to my husband, I’m pretty sure he has never had to replace anything he accidentally threw
away in a fit of cleanliness!)
God has been working on my heart a lot lately in this whole area of simplifying as it pertains to my family. Not so
much in trying to downsize things (who knew the hoarder gene was dominant!), but in trying to declutter our time.
Kevin and I have always believed in keeping our kids’ schedules manageable. We don’t overwhelm our children
with too many activities – it’s actually a rule in our house that only one sport can be played by each child at a time.
Because they also have piano lessons one day a week, we feel this is sufficient activity for their lives. We want them
to be able to enjoy their childhoods, not be stressed by them!
However, when I sat down to think about Did you know that sooner or later, our idle-
this simplifying thing, I realized that a lot ness will show evidence of itself? Proverbs
of little things were getting in the way of 24:30-34 in the Message paints a vivid picture
our family being able to spend quality time of what happens when we allow laziness to
together. Things like the TV, computer, take over:
and the Wii are big time stealers in our
house – and not just for the kids! There’s “One day I walked by the field of an old
family column
First of all, it’s important that we are I know. That’s a tough one. Just typing that
guarding our families against eating the sentence convicted me more than I care to
bread of idleness. Watching one program admit! But think about it –
for enjoyment isn’t necessarily being idle,
but I would argue sitting in front of the
TV for hours, mindlessly viewing what-
ever happens to be on is.
Victoria (the author of this column) has such a heart for the
women who read our magazine and for our God. I’d love for
you to take some time to get to know her at her personal site,
LetTheSonShine.org.
-Kristen Schiffman
blinded by babylon?
Don’t ask me how He does it, but
God has been able to use one math-
ematical rule to teach my mathemati-
cally challenged mind all sorts of
things. I still marvel at the fact that
I remember anything involving math,
but I am absolutely in awe of how the
Lord will use any little thing to reach
His children. Time and again, He re-
minds me that the shortest distance
between two points is a straight line.
Living simply allowed Jesus to minister to the lost and How might you implement these childlike qualities into
hurting while He walked the road God had established your day and your faith in God?
for Him. Opportunities to reach out in love weren’t in-
terruptions to Christ’s journey. God moves in the mo- • AMAZEMENT
ments. I can’t shake the conviction this truth places on • WONDER
my heart, ladies. Jesus never turned down the chance • TRUST
to point a wandering soul toward God and every minute • LOYALTY
of His time was filled with purpose. • JOY
• LOVE
How do you justify neglecting spiritual work in order to • THANKFULNESS
meet the demands of the world? • AMBITION
What has your time? Your thoughts? Your energy? Pray each day this week for our Father to show you op-
Your all? portunities to be childlike before Him. Journal your dis-
coveries and praise God for each moment He reveals
Among all the activities of the week, we lose sight of the magnificence of simplicity to your hungry heart!
eternity. We lose sight of today and all it could hold in
honor of the King of kings. No matter how much we I know you want nothing more than to rest at the feet of
may love the Lord, there is no amount of fruitless activity our Almighty God. I pray that very thing for you. Let me
that will be pleasing in His sight. The status and wealth just tell you {and me} again about the fastest way there.
we gain while in this world aren’t the point of our faith. It’s that straight line, sister. Drop the work you’ve cre-
Scripture says this of the true riches of our religion “a ated for yourself. Turn down those worldly opportunities
devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplic- knocking at your door. Forget about the riches of our
ity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the Babylonian society and embrace the true, simple riches
world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have that Christ is piling up for you today. Don’t walk a tight
bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough” wire, RUN that straight line Home! Spend sometime in
(1 Timothy 6:6-8, MSG). The riches of our faith lie in the prayer over both lists you’ve made with me today. God
reward of being real with God. That’s enough. Actually, is waiting around to be gracious to you! Will you pencil
anything more is too much. He has simply wanted you Him in or choose to hand Him the pencil?
from the start.
union
man should be alone; I will make him a helper
comparable to him.” Out of the ground the
LORD God formed every beast of the field
and every bird of the air, and brought them
to Adam to see what he would call them.
And whatever Adam called each living God created Adam from the dust of the earth and
creature, that was its name. So Adam gave Eve, He created from the very flesh of Adam. In
names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and every sense of the word, they were a part of one
to every beast of the field. But for Adam there another; each one fashioned specifically to meet
was not found a helper comparable to him.
the needs of the other. Adam would provide for
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to
fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one and lead his wife; Eve would be Adam’s helper,
of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. his companion- she would compliment him and
Then the rib which the LORD God had taken aid him in the work God had called him to do.
from man He made into a woman, and He
brought her to the man. Because of this very union, the institution of mar-
And Adam said: riage was established for all times. A union that
“This is now bone of my bones would call for one man and one woman to leave
And flesh of my flesh; their childhood homes and cleave to one another
She shall be called Woman,
for life. It was meant to be a very simple union
Because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and comprised of these two individuals and God as
mother and be joined to his wife, and they their ultimate authority. What more would one
shall become one flesh. And they were both need other than his/ her spouse and God? Sim-
naked, the man and his wife, and were not ple enough right?
ashamed.” (Genesis 2:18-25, NKJV)
We can also simplify our marriages by riding them of the influences of others thoughts and opin-
ions. God created marriage to be between one man, one woman, and Himself. Nothing more,
nothing less. Wives are to submit to their husbands as husbands are to submit to God in the marital
relationship; both are to be seeking after God with their whole hearts, following His leading and
His plan for their lives- period.
How To Deepen
Your Faith Written by Wendy Miller
This month I’m going to spring an acrostic on you. I don’t know anyone
who has a personal bond with Jesus Christ who doesn’t long to draw deeper
into that life-saving relationship. We want to get closer to God but some-
times the method of how to draw closer eludes us. Whether we are uninten-
tionally lukewarm with God or we are blatantly not seeking Him as much as
we’d like to, we crave our relationship with God to deepen. Sometimes it just
feels like a matter of where to start. How do we begin to delve into our faith
with more intensity? As you read my acrostic example, please know that we can
do all things possible to be “right” with God, lifting Him up and seeking Him
in many avenues of life, but no matter how hard we go at this relationship
thing we are amiss to forget we have a conduit in this. We have an interces-
sor to help. As you read, allow the Holy Spirit to stir in you, reminding you
of the dazzling beauty that results from a committed and intentional faith.
H = Humility
Find time.
His works are glorious, majestic, mighty and
life-saving. Giving Him credit is merely dem-
onstrating that our vision is clear, that we are
free of spiritual cataracts. And when our vi-
sion is clear, we understand what a redeem-
Adore Him.
ing God we have. We understand the extent
of what He did for us and the power He in-
stills in us through the Holy Spirit. We under-
stand why deepening our faith with Him is so
appealing.
others in service.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s
might hand, that he may lift you up in due
time.” 1 Peter 5:6
Faith.
Thank Him.
I love the few weeks after New Years. They are filled with hope and excite-
ment and the feeling that anything is possible. In the past, I have been a noto-
rious New Year’s Resolution setter [with very little follow through].
All of those resolutions are good, but remember that little problem I mentioned
about completing my resolutions? Then in recent years I called them ‘New
Year’s Goals’.
Let me be honest, even though my new year’s goals were better organized
than the resolutions, the follow through still hasn’t been there. As I approached
2010 I knew things had to be different. I wanted things to be different. As I
prayed about this God asked me to make a change.
That change was to have one goal for 2010: to have have a simple, undivided
heart.
Sassy.
Loved.
Do you realize that even things that are good can become idols of This year I’m asking God to help me simplify. Not to let
your heart? Deuteronomy 6:5 says, You shall love the Lord go of more “things” that clutter it up, but to rid my heart
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with of those things contrary to His Truth that reside there and
all your might.” replace them with the faith to believe that what He says
is True…and the strength to live out that Truth no matter
Each time I choose to love something else more than I love what.
God I choose the consequences of sin.
Join me?
I must embrace obedience even in the small things. Each time I
choose something other than the Truth I communicate to God that
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross means nothing. Jesus came to set us
free from the power of sin and death. In the previously mentioned
conversation with my four year old I was faced with a choice; to
be mad and yell, “You have to obey because I SAY SO!!”, or to
look for an opportunity to teach him. Our conversation ended like
this:
How many of you used to watch Scooby Doo cartoons as a child? Do you remember the
famous tagline from the end of the show? At the end of every episode, when the super-
sleuthing kids had the “bad guy” cornered and unmasked, he shook a belligerent fist at them
and said, “And I would have gotten away with this, if it weren’t for you meddlin’ kids!”
Now I’d like to propose a question to you today: how many of you would like to become a
“meddlin’ believer”?
It is physically impossible to study defense of Jesus, Chris- Next month we will cover the background
tianity, and Christian doctrine without using the Bible, so manuscripts for the Old and New Testaments,
the validity of the Bible is going to be our first stop on this but I wanted to share these verses with you
journey. Over the next couple of months we will study how today to remind you exactly what we’re dealing
the Bible we hold in our hands came to be, as well as ex- with here. The very breath of God recorded for
amine some common accusations against the validity and His people! Hallelujah!
historical accuracy of the Word of God.
I can testify that when I first began this study
Today I just want to cover some verses that I hope will be and my eyes were opened more and more to
a refresher or encouragement to you. I have listed some the perfect tapestry that is His Word, it came
verses, and after each one, I’d like for you to write in the alive to me. It spoke to me in new ways. It
blank the word(s) of the verse that describe the Word of settled into my brain, etched into my heart,
God. flowed into my life. My friends, He wants that
for you too! And it’s not something you have to
Hebrews 4:12 __________________________ seek and yearn for – His Word is so awesome
______________________________ it is its own catalyst to spark the flame in your
1 Timothy 3:16 ________________________________ life!
1 John 1:1 ________________________________
1 Peter 1:24-25 ________________________________ I hope you will join us here at Exemplify next
month and for the remainder of this journey. I
Living. Active. God-breathed. Word of Life. Stands for- am looking forward to what the Lord is going to
ever. teach us together!
© Wam1975 | Dreamstime.com
36 magazine September 2008
God’s EXTRAordinary =
Baby Steps of the Physical and Spiritual Kind
Our daughter and son-in-law sent us pictures Lana is an ordinary 7 year old girl. She
daily. The lush green savannah was parched enjoys flowers, tea parties, baking, singing,
and totally lifeless. Thousands of dead cattle and dancing and anything pink. She flits and flut-
wildlife laid scattered as far as the eye could see. ters through life filling her family and friends
The worst place was in the river, the main water with kisses, cuddles and giggles, just like other
source for the villagers, and it was almost dry. The little girls her age.
pictures showed dead animals in the water and But in late September, this ordinary little girl
along the banks. did something extraordinary. She started a
People were bathing, washing clothes and pots, cookie business with her Mom called Mom &
and collecting water to take back to their huts all Me Baking Co .
from this contaminated water source. Our son-in- You may be thinking that sounds pretty ordi-
law and his workers were pulling dead animals out nary. Lots of 7 year olds start little businesses
of the water nearly all day long. They were warn- selling cookies, lemonade, taking care of
ing the people not to use the water for anything, pets, washing windows. And you’re right, but
but to use the clean water sources that they had God did something special. He put His EXTRA
installed for them to use. with Lana’s ordinary and together, Lana is
Laura and Travis ministered continually to the now doing something extraordinary for God.
needs of the village God has called them to. Lana saw a picture that broke her heart.
They wept as the people began to die from an- Children starving, going to bed hungry at
thrax, water borne diseases and starvation. They night, and some of them were dying from
knew what they needed was a miracle to provide eating dead cows.
water and enough food to start a food pantry There’s a draught and famine going on in
that would be able to feed the people in their Kenya Africa and people and live stock are
church and other villagers. dying every day. Most 7 year olds don’t even
The need was so great. It was bigger than know where Kenya is, let alone even care
any one of us could tackle alone. But God once about what is happening there. But Kenya
again added His EXTRA to our ordinary. is a very important part of Lana’s life and
Thanks to various forms of social media, we were has been for almost 4 years. Her Aunt Laura
able to share with others what was going on in and Uncle Travis and her 4 cousins Sarah (8),
Kenya. People’s hearts were stirred and within 10 Summer(almost 6), Savannah (2) and Skylar
days we raised thousands of dollars to be used (almost 7 months) are missionaries there.
for water systems and to stock the food pantry for Enter God’s EXTRA added to Lana’s ordi-
several months. nary.
Lives were spared and hearts were changed Lana decided she wanted to do something
in their village. Every Sunday brought more and to feed the starving people. A family of 9-12
more people to church and more and more cry- can eat for $20 a week. Now her baking has
ing out for God to save them physically and spiri- an EXTRAordinary purpose and Kookies for
tually. And He did. The people are not only be- Kenya was born. In four months time she has
coming physically nourished, but a spiritual revival raised hundreds of dollars for the food pantry
has taken place in their village as well. It’s now in that tiny village in Kenya. Little children her
months later and people are still receiving Christ age and younger have food to eat everyday
as their Savior and growing in the Lord. because an ordinary 7 year old girl allowed
But it wasn’t only there in Kenya that God was God to show His EXTRAordinary love in action.
changing hearts and lives.
Lord,
Reaching High
Through Reach
Magazine TV
“My life situations gave me strength and
Being a host at Reach Magazine TV, Sherrie maturity,” she said. “As a child, when you’re
Marlene is on the cutting edge of media entertain- thrown into a situation that is out of the or-
ment, but her aims are high – as high as heaven, dinary or threatening, you quickly learn your
in fact. role. My role, being the oldest, was to care for
and protect my younger siblings. As a result
Reach Magazine TV is a new program featuring I gained maturity and became very domestic
Christian hip-hop music videos, entertainment, at a young age. Forced into a leadership role
news and fashion. The show’s aim is to touch the in my family molded me into being a leader
lives of youth and inspire viewers to follow their outside of my family, so although my life expe-
dreams and always persevere through obstacles. riences were not always the ideal situations,
Sherrie, a Hesperia, Calif., native, said this is one they have definitely contributed to the person
show no one will want to miss. I’ve become.”
“Filming is going great, we have been blessed to Sometimes, though, such as with her the de-
have the opportunity to film at the San Diego cision to become the guardian of her two sib-
Zoo, Magic Fashion Trade Show in Las Vegas lings, the answer as to what was best was not
and Knott’s Berry Farm,” Sherrie said. “With always so easy to find.
every show, the viewers are left with an inspira-
tional message about persevering, and overcom- “(My husband and I) believe God should
ing. Also, with every show we incorporate our be the foundation all aspects of life,” Sherrie
tagline, ‘Reach for your best, Reach for success, said. “I took on guardianship of my brother
most importantly, Reach for God, because God and sister after only being married for a year
is love and love is everything.’ Our hope is that we and a half; I was seven months pregnant with
can leave viewers with substance.” our first child. Although we were very much
overwhelmed with the added responsibil-
Besides being a host of Reach Magazine TV, ity with my brother, sister and new baby, we
Sherrie is also a wife, mother of two sons, and knew we had to trust God and have faith it
guardian of her two siblings. In a previous Q&A, would all work out. My husband, Dave, is a
Sherrie said her parents struggled with their mar- very patient and supportive man. Dave and I
riage and various addictions, making her grow up now have two children, both boys; their ages
early. are four and almost two years old. Although
we have two children, we are a happy family
of six.”
Fiction:
Ruth
I can barely remember a time when grief was
not my constant companion.
My life has been turned upside down. Ev- The thought unnerves me, as always. Be-
erything I have known for the last decade has cause I just don’t know…
been ripped from me. And my heart has been
ripped with it. I glance over at Orpah, and at my mother-in-
law. Orpah has abandoned her food and is
I blink the tears out of my eyes and imagine seated, staring out over the water. My moth-
the stars spell his name: Kilion. er-in-law sits with her head low, tears drip-
ping off her nose into her lap. Both are silent.
A sob rises up within me, causing my whole
body to tremor with repressed grief. My eyes We are a morose trio for sure.
cast into a blurry blindness again, I roll over,
clutching my linen wrap close to my chest and I force myself to swallow the remainder of my
willing the ever-evasive sleep to come. food so not as to offend the young girl who
The morning sun burns through my eyelids, prepared it for us. My thoughts wander… to
sticky and stinging from tears mingled with Kilion… to this Bethlehem… to the Unknow-
desert dust. I smell animal flesh roasting on able God who was so important to both of
a stone. I can hear the lap of the Lake of Salt them…
as it slowly washes in and out. In and out.
Almost grudgingly, with little ripples. * * *
One of my first impressions of the Jews was This only made me love him more. He told
me on more than one occasion he felt his
fiction: ruth their wretchedness when it came to racial re-
lations. God had a purpose for bringing us together.
And I believed him. I believed his God, who
Little did I know I was destined to marry a I didn’t know and didn’t understand, had
Jew. reached out to me through one of His own. I
felt special and loved.
I remember when they started flooding into
Moab, like vermin chased out of a dark corner And then… Kilion died. His God took him
by light. I heard rumors and whispers – their away.
God had forsaken them. He had brought
famine upon their land as a punishment for So what am I supposed to think now?
their disobedience. Of course, this was sec-
ondhand hearsay from my fellow Moabites. * * *
No pious Jew would consider having a con-
versation with a Moabite, and especially any We walk until the sun grows too hot, then
conversation that would malign the name of take refuge for an afternoon lie-down under
their God. the shade of some low trees on the bank of the
Lake of Salt. I try to calculate how far we have
This made my blood rage and boil. I found traveled and how many days out of Moab we
them arrogant and insolent – forced to take are, but because of the sparse consciousness
refuge in our land for sustenance when their I have entertained over the past several days,
own God shoved them out. And yet they I have no idea where we are or how far we’ve
refused to have any communion with us, as come or how far we have yet to go.
though we were lower than dogs.
Orpah gathers her things and sits down as far
I wanted them gone from our land. away as she possibly can. She craves solitude.
She’s said little during this whole trip.
And then I met Kilion.
I hear Naomi talking softly to a member of
I remember being struck by his beauty – his our camp. Her voice was laced with bitter-
dark eyes, thick wavy brown hair, his skin the ness as she spoke about her God. Kilion’s
color of ripened olives. I fell in love with him God. Her voice expresses the contempt and
at first sight. And he returned the sentiments. anguish and need for answers I feel racing
We agreed to join in marriage. around in my own head and heart.
He was an amazing man. A hard worker. He Suddenly she stands and walks to me, taking
told me the most wonderful tales of his histo- my hand. She leads me over to Orpah, who
ry, his people, and His God. His stories did rises slowly from her reclined position, confu-
not match the hearsay of my fellow Moabites. sion etched in her pale face. “I need to speak
with you,” Naomi announced, her voice raspy
Oh, and the abuse he took for my sake! So and weak. There is no softness in her face,
many of his fellow countrymen shunned him, only the hard lines of grief and disappoint-
called him a blasphemer and an unpardon- ment and disillusionment.
able sinner. All because he chose to marry a
non-Jew.
She leans over and kisses my cheek, the mois- Orpah and I dash to her side, each hugging
ture clinging to hers mingling with my own her and trying to comfort her through our
tears. Beside me Orpah sits silently, tears own tears and anguish. Orpah meets my eyes
tracking steadily down her cheeks. Naomi with her own red-rimmed ones. “I will do as
leans in and kisses her, and the tears pour you say, Mother,” she whispers softly. “If it
faster, like an overturned pot. brings you comfort, I will do as you say.” She
gives me a pointed look. I know what she is
Our grief is tangible, thick, choking us, cloak- willing me to say.
ing us. It blacks out any light, any joy, any
hope. The three of us sit, bound intimately Naomi clasps her hand and kisses it. “I love
by the greatest tragedies our hearts could you so, Orpah.”
ever fear.
They both shift and look at me – Orpah, with
My world spins. Naomi is all I have left, and fierce determination; Naomi, with sorrowful
now she too is leaving me? Perhaps I should hope. And my heart rends within my chest
just throw myself into the lake and end this as my mind battles to make a decision about
misery once and for all. something in which I wished I’d never had a
choice.
My stomach lurches and I turn and vomit
onto a patch of grass. I wipe my mouth with I grab Naomi’s free hand and press it to my
the back of my hand and straighten. Orpah lips as I kneel before her. “I cannot leave you,”
is kneeling face down in the grass, sobbing. I breathe into her flesh.
“We are going back with you to your people,”
I stammer. Though I am a stranger, I would Orpah exhales noisily through her nose, and
rather be a stranger with companionship than I can sense her disapproval. Naomi slips her
a native and alone. hand out of mine and brushes back the hair
that has fallen forward onto my sweat-frosted
At my words Naomi’s face breaks again. My forehead. “Look, Ruth, my love,” she began,
heart erupts over the anguish I am heaping her voice thick with emotion, “your sister is
onto my beloved mother-in-law. “Return going back to her people and her gods. Go
home, my daughters. Why would you come with her.”
with me? Am I going to have any more sons,
who could become your husbands?”
Her people. Her gods. Plural. But…
Kilion had his God. Naomi has the same Lord Jehovah… I am not a Jew…
God. Orpah has her gods.
Ruth, have you not heard Me? I have called
But who do I have? My heart despairs at the you friend. Your lineage, your past does not
impending loneliness and isolation. matter to Me. Turn now to Me with your
whole heart, and I will welcome you with
I feel a rush, a sweeping wind, warm without waiting arms. And I will make beauty from
the aid of the sun. And I hear a voice. your ashes. I will turn your mourning into
dancing. Though your sorrow will last for
Ruth… Ruth, My love, I call you Friend. the night, My joy comes with the morning.
The tears are flowing again, but not for I will, Jehovah Lord… I draw in my breath
Naomi or Orpah, nor for myself or my lifeless and continue my pact. “Your people will be
husband. My tears flow out of the promise in my people and your God my God.” No lon-
the words of Jehovah. My life is confusion, a ger her people, Lord. Our people. “Where
great destructive mess. I crave the peace He you die I will die, and there I will be buried.
offers. I fear without it I cannot go on. May Jehovah deal with me, be it ever so se-
verely, if anything but death separates you
and me.”
Joy explodes within me as I cling to my moth- His first purpose for our being together was
er-in-law, the one who has stuck with me, to draw me to Himself. Oh, how blessed He
supported me, and loved me. I have no doubt is that He called me!
she prayed for me throughout my marriage to
her son. And now, in her time of great need, As I survey my mother-in-law, still chained by
I will return the favor. bitterness and grief, I have a sense of what the
second part of His purpose might be. To love
* * * and comfort her. To be His hands for her.
We divide the camp, Orpah and several oth- I smile as joy spreads through me, warming
ers returning to Moab. Naomi and I will con- me deeper than the hottest rays of the sun. I
tinue on with a few travelers, not stopping un- wonder with awe what other purposes He
til we have returned to the House of Bread, will see fit to do in my life. He has prom-
to the land of His promise. ised beauty from my ashes. The scattered,
windblown, charred, fragile ashes of my life.
We walk on, the Lake of Salt consistently to He has brought them together in the simple
our left. Moments of doubt creep into my beauty that is His love.
mind at times. What am I thinking, leaving
everything familiar? Going to a land where
I am a reviled foreigner, where I will have to
start over from scratch? Leaving the grave of
my husband and my people?