Unexpected Love

So, I know that I said I would only write one post a day; however, I couldn't help but share this special addition. Here's an entry that I wrote in my journal tonight. May it bring a renewed perspective on love, relationships, and the theme of "waiting," to your soul.
Cheers.

------

Today, I re-read the story of Ruth and Boaz. This is my favorite story in the Bible. It's so amazing to me how a young woman who was so committed to her family and who chose to wait (for what seemed like a long time, though the biblical account does not actually say) for a second chance with love. Her heart totally and completely worshiped God; something that mesmerizes me. She was clearly infatuated with doing His will, too - something that I fall short of every single day. Yet, His promise of new life through His death on the cross, gives me the hope that I need to try again and again and again. Ruth had a heart that honored God, her Creator, and sought to do His will, first and foremost.

And then, this man, Boaz, comes along. Well, he was there all the time, in Naomi's homeland. Ruth really took quite a risk in deciding to stay with her mother-in-law by going to an unfamiliar land. Yet, in some ways, Bethlehem was familiar because Boaz was related to Naomi's son, (Ruth's former husband) who had passed away.

I love how in Chapter 2 of verse 1, the account says: "Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz." Ha - God certainly knew exactly what he was doing the entire time.

This story resonates so much with me because I see so much of myself within the person of Ruth. By no means am I her; nor am I trying to make a comparison between us. I admire the commitment that she had to her family, the waiting she endured from the time of her husband's death to the time where her marriage with Boaz was made official; the loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, when her other sister-in-law, Orpah, returned home; and finally, the perseverance that Ruth showed in the face of hardships, such as relocating from a place of famine to a place of harvest.

Boaz heard all about Ruth through his foreman, yet never once do we read about him being captivated by her beauty. I'm sure that Ruth's physical appearance was marvelous, and there are many other biblical stories that talk about the physical appearance of women. Yet, that is another post for another time. It was because of these things that made Ruth attractive to Boaz. It was because of Ruth's commitment, her loyalty, her waiting, that made Boaz ultimately pursue her. And, if you have ever been pursued by God (or even by another person for that matter), you know that it's a lovingly beautiful mixture of emotions, desires, hopes, and dreams.

I love how Ruth and Boaz's relationship happened so unexpectedly. Neither of them were looking for love. There was no Match.com or ChristianMingle.com in those days. They did not expect to find love, not to mention, each other. It was God that built the bridge between them so that they could walk across to see each other. He is ultimately the Creator behind all of these things.

I also find it completely amazing that Naomi and Ruth traveled from a famine to a harvest. This story tells of God's provision not only in terms of food, at a time when people were starving, but also shares the concepts of relationships, and our role(s) as people in them.

God does provide, and, in a media infested world where all we hear (as women at least), is how to make our appearance captivating for men; because as such, we will truly be appreciated solely on beauty alone, is a lie. To hear, however, how God makes us beautiful not because of what we do but because of who we are, is really quite counter-cultural. Imagine if this thought process sat in the check-out lines at the grocery store and in the magazine racks at Barnes and Noble. What image would People Magazine conjure up if they chose to instead showcase men and women based upon their relationships with others, with their Creator at the forefront? Instead of the all-too frequent "Top 10 Tips to Get a Guy," what about highlighting the story of an everyday average woman and the good that she is bringing in the world? (Cheers to the sites, corporations, non-profits, etc. who are doing this latter part already for both sexes. Thank you!)

The unexpectancy in Ruth and Boaz's relationship continues to surprise me. Even the way that Boaz treats Ruth, with such gentleness and hospitality, are traits that are typically associated with women. This is, again, another counter-cultural example to the litter of lies that society feeds us in the 21st century about the roles of men and women. Just imagine if all men and women treated each other in the same way as Ruth and Boaz did? How different would our world be! I tend to think that we'd have healthier familial relationships and a decline in divorce.

Finally, the humility that Boaz had for his next of kin is worth noting. As a part of the culture, he had to approach the next of kin about purchasing the plot of land, which, as a part of the transaction, also acquired Elimelech's widow, Ruth. If I were Boaz, my humility would be at a minimum. I'd be jumping out of my skin saying: "I found her! She's mine!" When in reality, it was God that found both Ruth and Boaz. It was God that made the connection for both of them. Again, Boaz showed his loyalty not only to God and to his family, but to Ruth as well by simply, waiting. From experience, this act that we refer to most times as "simple," is actually quite hard and frankly, takes serious amounts of time. (At least, that's how I've experienced waiting.) Finally, Boaz was given the "okay" from the next of kin to acquire the land and Ruth when the man first in line could not accept the offer.

Ruth and Boaz's story is a wonderful example of how relationships (whether personal, familial, or romantic) should be. Reading this story gives me hope that, one day, I can experience the same joy that Ruth and Boaz shared together so many years ago.

# 2 - - > cravings & loves

Since I discovered that I had a sensitivity to gluten and dairy, my dietary needs were forced to change. As one who was so accustomed to eating pasta and chocolate, I needed to give that up for something better. At the time, though, I had no idea that I would fall in love with fruits and vegetables, a now huge staple of my daily dietary intake.

Anyway, as I had to get used to the texture and taste of gluten and dairy free products, my cravings started to change.

I now LOVE vegan chocolate. More specifically, Life Is Good, mini chocolate morsels. Put a small handful of those on some mango sorbet (another one of my absolute favs) and life, truly is, good!

Since I could no longer bring Sno-caps  into the movie theater, I had to adjust to a new craving, too. Swedish fish are also up there on the list. I prefer the large Swedish fish, because I can squish them a little before I pop them into my mouth. Squishing the candy fish actually makes them softer. The small fish do not have the same effect, and therefore, in my opinion, do not taste the same. I have heard from friends that the Whole Foods Swedish fish are amazing as well. I have yet to try them.

I have also developed a craving for coffee. I try to only consume it on special occasions, such as writing this blog post right now. hehe!

I used to drink coffee with a package of sugar, but now, drink it just black. Sometimes, I will put a little bit of honey in it to make it sweeter and cut out some of the bitterness. Either way, it's a great beverage in the coldness of winter or in the hot days of summer in an air-conditioned place.

I love breakfast for dinner. I haven't had it in a while, though. It culminates the notion of something greater than yourself - a simple calming act. I love the whole nine yards: eggs (either scrambled or over hard with the yoke broken), Virginia baked ham with syrup on it, home fries, toast, a cup of fresh fruit on the side, and a warm mug of coffee. All gluten and dairy free, of course :)

Moving away from food, (gosh, all this talk about food is making me quite hungry), my cravings also extend into other facets of my life. The best days are the ones that are not planned. When I was a kid, my parents and I would get in the car on a Sunday morning after church and go for a drive. These rides came to be known as "mystery rides" because we never knew where we'd ultimately end up. I loved it. Sadly, there haven't been many "mystery rides" in a really long time anymore.

On rainy days, like today, a cup of warm coffee, and a good book is just what I need.

In terms of fancy restaurants, my favorite is The Old Canteen. It's an amazing, old, little Italian restaurant on Federal Hill. It's all pink inside. I have a pink jacket that matches the walls. They serve a 7 course meal and you have to get dressed up to go there.

For flowers, I prefer Zinnia's over roses. I love the bright colors and roses, in my opinion seem a little cliche when overly used. However, the blush colored roses are absolutely beautiful.

I love perusing old bookstores ad spending hours in antique shops, because you never know what you are going to find. They also make for some great conversations with the store owners, too.

I love fair trade items and would much rather buy all organic foods and go to farmers markets than huge grocery stores if it wasn't so expensive.

Lastly, I love the ocean. If I could spend the entire day at the beach, with my toes kissing the sand and the seaweed floating between them, I would be in heaven. It's so calming and relaxing and makes for a beautifully wonderful day.

Well, I could go on and on, but that's all until the next post, folks.
Happy Thursday!

-alex