Do you remember that Friends episode where Joey was being interviewed by Soap Opera Digest?
Interviewer: So, apart from hanging out with your friends, what do you like to do in your free time?
Joey: Oh, well, you know, I really like to be a Mento for the kids.
Interviewer: I--I'm sorry, a Mento???
Joey: Yeah!
Interviewer: Like the candy?
Joey: As a matter of fact, I do!
Well, my "mento," Brooke, told me recently that she wrote a Psalm of confession to the Lord. And you're supposed to take your mento's advice (provided your mento is not Joey). I was feeling forlorn because it's hard to fit in at this stage of life: I'm not a 22-year-old college grad just getting started in the work force, and I'm not a 32-year-old mother of toddlers. I'm at the awkward phase in between. If I wrote a Psalm, it might start out, "O Lord! My heart is drying up within me! How long will You keep me in limbo?"
And I guess there's a certain amount of poetry in that kind of opening, but it sets itself up for self-pity, you know? So as a rule, I've prayed more in recent years for good friends to accompany me on the Journey of life than I have for someone to bring me toddlers (I don't like toddlers that much, anyway). But it was all just getting to be a bit much, when... lo and behold, I went to church this morning and the message was PERFECTLY timed.
Ruth. There were so many salient points that I would have to type the whole sermon out if I were going to communicate to you how awesome it was. So instead, you should go towww.journeyon.net and listen to it yourself. If there is more than one option, listen to Bob Bickford's sermon.
He talked about how Ruth was a widow, and so probably a bit older, and Boaz was definitely a bit older, and Naomi was oldest of all, and bitter to boot... but ALL of the main characters in the story were single. He said we tend to marginalize single people in the church, even in the names of our churches. He looked at all of the churches within a 10 mile radius and found that most of them used the name "Family" in their title, implying that church itself is really more of a place for families. And I think that's true, I've definitely met people who don't go to church now, but intend to "when I have kids and a family." Church isn't seen as something that's really engaging and open-armed for single people -- well, unless you're 22, and then there are a million of you there and you have your own ministry :)
But back to Ruth. This is a book about singles. What attracted Boaz to Ruth wasn't her face or form, but her godliness. And I thought, Man. It's been years since someone was attracted to me because of my godliness. In general, I feel more that godliness in this day and age is tolerated instead of lauded. Like, you may find someone to put up with your godliness, but it's certainly not going to be the reason that you stand out to him. And that makes me sad. Because the thing is, what attracted Ruth to Boaz was also HIS godliness. He was a well-off, more seasoned bachelor. He could have picked any beautiful young virgin he wanted to pick. But instead, he chose to REDEEM a slightly older widow who came with personal baggage (bitter mother-in-law, dead husband, new country). And that's not the only way he was godly. Boaz is like the ultimate stud of the Bible because he's the ultimate Pursuer. He does everything that makes us girls melt. Observe:
he said, "Don't go and glean in another field. Stay here... I have told the men not to lay a hand on you." (Boaz PROTECTED Ruth)
at mealtime, Boaz said to her, "Come here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar. (Boaz SERVED her)
to his laborers he said, "Let her glean here... even pull some extra stalks out for her"" (Boaz PROVIDED for Ruth)
Boaz was a "type" for God in the Bible. God uses Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer, to demonstrate His character. And all of this made me think, what do girls mean when they say they want to be with a "godly man"? Do they mean someone who reads the Bible a lot? Or prays a lot? or builds houses for Habitat for Humanity and helps old people cross the street? I think what we girls mean is that we want to be pursued and recognized and redeemed, like Ruth. We want someone who will protect, serve, and provide for us because they see our value as godly women. Not just as funny women, or pretty women, or intelligent women... but as women who love God and who try to follow Him and do as He asks. I feel like it's been awhile since I heard a guy say that he was looking for a truly godly woman. Most of the time it's "A hot girl who loves Jesus," and I've found that the godliness tends to take a back seat to the hotness when push comes to shove.
Weigh in. What do you think?
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