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Living Life in the Battle Zone – Part 3

Posted by Bettina Dowell on Thursday, September 30th, 2010 in Bible study | Comments (1)

To date, we have looked at the life of a woman in the Bible named Ruth and how it compares to the lives God has called us to as military spouses. Sometimes, it may feel as if we are living in a battle zone, some of the same feelings Ruth may have experienced after her husband died. As we read in part 2 of our series, Ruth had decided to go with her also widowed mother-in-law Naomi to the family homeland of Israel.

As we pick up Ruth’s story in Ruth, chapter 2, our friend finds herself living in a land very different from her own amongst a people with a different culture, including a different God. Can you relate? To solve the immediate problem she and Naomi faced of needing a way to eat, Ruth asks if she can go into the fields and collect leftover grain after the workers have completed their harvest. Ruth found herself gleaning in the fields of Boaz, a man who was a relative of Naomi’s. When Boaz saw Ruth’s determination to care for Naomi and work hard in the fields, he encouraged her to only gather from his fields where he promised she would be protected. He invited her to lunch and instructed his workers to leave behind extra barley for Ruth.

When Ruth told Naomi what had happened, Naomi was thrilled, pointing out to Ruth that Boaz was one of the family’s kinsman redeemers. A kinsman redeemer was basically a relative who was able to pay a debt that someone was unable to pay themselves. This could include responsibilities such as paying for land that had belonged to a family member or marrying a family member’s widow in order to provide for them. (For more info, see Leviticus 25:47-55). Later on, Naomi suggested that it was time for her to find Ruth a husband and by the way, wouldn’t Boaz be a perfect match? Naomi gave Ruth instructions on going to the threshing floor and presenting herself to Boaz, and Ruth agreed to the plan.

Bible commentators have dramatically different views on the motives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz along with what actually happened that night at the threshing floor. What we can know from the Bible is that Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions and Boaz told her he was willing to be her kinsman redeemer, which basically was a proposal of marriage.

Ruth’s life had seen some pretty dramatic curve balls, much as becoming military spouses can quickly change our games. What I love about Ruth is that when her circumstances changed, she learned to serve in her current position. Though Ruth’s life situation had changed dramatically in status, location, etc., adapting to the new situation God had placed her in brought stability not only to her, but to her family.

What a valuable lesson for us as military spouses. Do you find yourself today in a place far from where you ever wanted to be or imagined you would be? If that is your story, you still have choices to make, though it may feel sometimes like you are powerless. What if today we chose to be the one in our family that brought stability by dealing with our own discontent? (in my life, I call it the Burger King/Sinatra syndrome – I always want to have it my way!) Whether that discontent is about deployment, orders, PCS moves or other life occurrences, how about if we chose today to admit our battle zones to our Father and began to adapt to our current circumstances?

And what might our families learn and how might they benefit as we choose to leave our discontent at the throne of our Father and find our purpose in His plan for our lives? It is not an easy challenge, but Ruth gives us a great example of what can happen when we choose to trust God. May our husbands be able to say about us what Boaz said about Ruth:

“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel,

under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

Ruth 2:12 (NIV)

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Bettina has been a military wife for over 29 years. She and her husband Rob have two sons and a daughter-in-law pursuing artistic careers in Los Angeles and a high school daughter at home with them outside Washington, D.C. She blogs at Simple Stories, Timeless Truths.

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Living Life in the Battle Zone – Part 2

Posted by Bettina Dowell on Thursday, September 23rd, 2010 in Bible study | Comments (2)

Last week, we looked at how becoming military wives can sometimes make us feel like formerly competent, capable women whose lives have been turned upside down as we now walk through our own challenging battle zones. We are going to look at the life of a woman in the Bible named Ruth, who had some battles in her own life similar to the ones we frequently face as military wives. As we see Ruth rise to meet her challenges, may we find strength to meet our own everyday battles with purpose.

In Ruth chapter 1 (you can find this book in the Old Testament of the Bible between the books of Judges and I Samuel), we are introduced to a Jewish family. This family, comprised of a woman named Naomi, along with her husband and two sons, had moved to the land of Moab due to a famine in Israel. The sons married local women Orpah (yes, you read right – Orpah, not the other lady who gives away trips to Australia) and Ruth. The Israelites had been commanded not to allow their sons to intermarry with the daughters of other nations, as the nations surrounding the land of Israel worshipped idols. God warned them these intermarriages could lead their hearts astray from Him. Naomi’s husband died, followed by the deaths of both of her sons. Naomi, Orpah and Ruth were left as widows, a condition which in Bible times could mean death as women alone had no way to earn a living to provide for themselves. Naomi decided their best course of action was to return to her homeland of Israel.

Naomi began down the road with her daughters-in-law, only to tell them to turn back and go home to their own families. After much discussion and many tears, Orpah turns around for home, but our friend Ruth had a different response.

But Ruth replied,

Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.
Your people will be my people and your God my God.

Ruth 1: 16 (NIV)

So Ruth and Naomi returned together to Naomi’s home of Bethlehem arriving at the time of the barley harvest. Naomi told the women of the town to no longer her call Naomi, which means “pleasant,” but to instead, call her Mara, which means “bitter.” Yes, Ruth apparently had the mother-in-law which keeps stand up comedians in business.

So, what can we learn from Ruth’s choices? Ruth’s life circumstances had changed pretty dramatically. She found herself moving from the status of wife to widow and was then faced with the decision of whether to leave her home and culture in order to care for her mother-in-law, a self-described bitter woman. Recognizing these changes enabled her to do what she needed to do and move forward, much like recognizing our unique circumstances as military wives can help us move forward with what God has called us to do. Ruth did not seem to look around to see what everyone else was doing before she made her choices. She recognized her situation for what it was and made a choice to care for her mother-in-law and make the God of Israel her God.

How often in the battles of our own lives as military wives are we tempted to waste too much time and energy acting like the life we live is not one of unique challenges? Yes, drowning in sorrow is not a particularly helpful tactic either, but we need to realize that our lifestyles of living without our spouses at home for lengthy periods of time, having them in combat zones and moving frequently are factors impacting every facet of our lives. Simply recognizing the additional challenges that may come along as a result of our unique lifestyles can allow us to make decisions based in reality. We can choose to acknowledge the struggles we face and align ourselves with the only true, unchangeable source of strength – the same God Ruth chose. What battle zone can you recognize today? How can you, like Ruth, allow God to be your source of strength and give you a sense of purpose as you live life in the battle zone?

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Living Life in the Battle Zone with Purpose

Posted by Bettina Dowell on Thursday, September 16th, 2010 in Bible study | Comments (2)

Having dodged this task with all my might, it became evident that there would be no more procrastinating. Business had to be conducted at a local public office and, like it or not, my two year old and my newborn son would have to be packed up, dragged along in the heat and readily available to “help” me complete my task. Read More→

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Count it all Joy

Posted by EbonyS on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 in Faith | Comments (4)

“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
James 1:2-3

Have you ever run a race? Remember that moment on the track when you first see the finish line? I always used to get a second wind when that finish line banner would come into sight. I’m not so good at running anymore, but that same feeling comes up every once in a while – “I’m almost there!”

I think Paul the Apostle may have been into sports. He likened his own life to running a race, and encouraged Timothy to “fight the good fight ” (1 Timothy 1:18, 6:12). He knew the benefits of pushing through, hanging in, and finishing strong. I started the month right in the middle of a good race, saw the finish line on the horizon, and as surely as obstacles are not made of whipped cream, fell flat on my face.

One thing after another tripped me up, person after person bringing bad reports, my faith being tested and in some cases, coming under attack. Out of nowhere the whirlwind hit, scrambling my well-laid plans and causing me to lose my focus. Various trials. And I’m supposed to find Joy in all this?

Yes. I am. Giddy, exuberant joy? Perhaps not, but joy nonetheless. Why? What good will it do to find joy amongst the scattered failures of this past month? I like to answer questions that come up while reading scripture with more scripture, and find the promise in Nehemiah 8:10 that “the Joy of the Lord is my strength.” There is certainly more to joy than just smiling all the time, or feeling good about the future. God’s joy brings strength.

Why do I have to be tested? 1 Peter 1:7, “These trials will show that your faith is genuine.” Each time my faith is tested, and I pass (get up one more time) my faith grows stronger, more pure. Each obstacle that I face? An opportunity to grow my faith. Each time I miss the mark, or stumble and disappear into a cloud of dust – just one more chance to exercise my faith.

Being infused with God’s strength allows us to get up again and Faith kicks in to keep us moving forward. What a powerful combination! That gives me hope, and a second (or third) wind.

But once again, I have questions: Why do I need patience? Back to the Word, where I discover that the words patience, perseverance and endurance are used interchangeably in the New Testament and its various translations. Guess that makes sense. A runner’s got to have loads of endurance to run a good race. What does that mean for everyday life? Hebrews 10:36 says, “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.”

So, if I take everything I learned while studying the verses above and apply them all to the scripture in James, my translation might go something like this: Count on God’s strength while your faith is tested and proven, confident that you will receive endurance to finish the race.

This month may not have turned out the way I had planned, and yes, I am starting this particular race over, but this verse (and what I’ve remembered along the way) will continue to encourage me as I run.

What scriptures or passages keep you going when things get tough?

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Margin and Frittering Time

Posted by Pattie on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 in Practical Help | Comments (0)

I’m diligently reading and researching time management on a quest for the best information out there for all of us, but I didn’t want too much time to pass before posting again. I also found my quest derailed by a little thing I’m calling my Broken Tooth. I have a crown on a back molar, and it chipped and cracked on Monday during lunch. So I had to make time in my research and writing schedule (such as it is) for a couple of dental visits.

The idea of “making time” for something like the dentist makes me think of Richard Swenson’s book Margin—which, if I can find, I’d like to read again. (It’s actually stored in my husband’s boxes of pro gear in the garage, but he has about 15 boxes out there. And it’s hot. And I’m choosing to spend my time writing instead of hunting down one book out of all those boxes.)

Anyway, Dr. Swenson’s premise is that we need margin (think of the margin on a typed piece of paper, that blank space surrounding the text) in our lives as a reserve of sorts, for the overflow of life events that occasionally spill over. We need some room for those times of crisis.

Thankfully, in my case, it’s not really inconveniencing anyone but me (as far as time) and my husband (as far as money) for the dentist. But what about those who work full time while their spouse is deployed? They spend all day working, and all evening taking care of the kids and the house. Where is their margin?

I also surmise that many of us find ourselves frittering away our free or unclaimed time, doing tasks that suck our time without any return on our investment.

While I grant that it’s going to be harder for some of you to figure this out, let’s work together on something practical before next week, so we can move along from there.

So here’s your assignment (if you’re so inclined to join me): Write down what you do for one day and how much time it takes. Extra credit if you do it for more than one day.

I bet we’re going to be surprised by what we find. I predict we’ll find our “time suckers.” I’ve done this exercise before, but for the purposes of this blog series, I’ll do it. (Obviously, I need it if I’m still struggling with how to manage my time!)

Next time, we’re going to talk about priorities and the fairy-tale idea of a balanced life.