Spending Time with Ruth

Last Sunday, our small group of Junior ladies spent some time meeting and discussing the Proverbs 31 woman.
At first glance, she was intimidating, but upon further study, we found she is simply being Jesus to her family and those around her.
While that notion of being Jesus can be intimidating (the perfection of Jesus after all can be crippling to many), it's what we, as Christians (or as I like to refer to it as Christ-following), are called to.
This week, we'll be sharing our evening with Ruth.
I love Ruth.
What a safe woman to be in community with. Her very name means friendship. She's loving and loyal and gentle-spirited. She works tirelessly in the fields even though you know she's got to be scared to death… a foreigner, an unprotected young, attractive woman working in the fields right near the men. But she didn't say a word. She kept her head down and concentrated on her work… gleaning from  the fields… in order to care for her mother-in-law and herself.
Quietly bold and courageous. Loyal and loving. Generous and humble. Faithful and trusting to a God she chose over her former gods.
I'm praying our girls may see a bit of themselves in the character of Ruth and may be able to glean some truths that they can hold on to… as they spend time in their own fields… whether they are in their own homes, school, sports teams, activities or workplace.
And for me?
I am challenged to be that loyal, loving woman. A woman who isn't striving for my own gain or notoriety, but one who focuses more on other's needs… it's what I continually come back to…
HUMILITY.
Lord, help me to be quietly humble and to have the capacity and desire to love others well. Help me to maintain my snarky edge without bite. Perserve my personality while molding me more into a picture of Jesus. Lord, I don't know if that's even possible. I like to think I'm letting go of myself completely…

I guess I'll do a novel thing, Lord…
…and leave it all up to you.