Episode 69 - "Mothering" as a caregiver with patience and kindness

As we look at the relationship between Naomi and Ruth , we understand that Ruth was a faithful daughter but also a caregiver to Naomi which likely required a sense of " mothering"

Transcript

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This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Hello, welcome back to Shine. I am your host Nicole Florence, and we've been talking about the aspects of mothering. Um we just got off of Mother's Day, and I am a believer that all of the aspects which define a mother, and let's face it, it's not just someone who births a child. We know being a mother brings about a purpose of nurturing and caring for each other. Um, I believe that all the fruit of the spirit that we are purposed to bear are truly those found within someone who is defined as a mother, right? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And today I want to talk a little bit about Ruth in Naomi. Now, many of you, you know, were familiar with the story. For those of you who are not, um, it it's a good short read. I would get back in your Bible. And we know that Naomi is a woman who has lost her husband, she has lost both of her sons, all within a 10-year period, I believe, as described in the Bible. And she is basically left with nothing. Um, her daughter-in-laws really, now they are widowed, um, could could really go off and you know, start a new family, find a husband, and they could really better themselves and their life, but also just their oral stature and society. We know that widows um were the least. You know, widows had no way to take care of themselves. And when Naomi and Orpa and Ruth were headed towards Naomi's home city, they were doing so it appears, with no or very little belongings and even no food. And so she of course is despondent. She's pleading with her daughter-in-laws that they should go away, um, find a better way for themselves because she was too old to, you know, get married again, have sons, and then for them to wait for the sons to grow up uh to marry. It was just kind of a you know, situation that had no hope. And as we read about Ruth, we understand Ruth, remember we talked about names, the friend, um, who's very loyal to Naomi and stayed with her. And as we hear about their travels, um, Naomi was so mad at her for staying, uh, she didn't even talk to her the rest of the trip. And when they enter the city, of course, everyone who knew of Naomi was very happy to see her. But what we find is Naomi is so grieved. Um, Naomi, right, we talk about names, which means sweetness and pleasantness, um, says to them, My name is no longer Naomi. Um, she is so bitter and and grieved that she changes her name literally to Mara, which Mara means bitterness. So we have this picture of Ruth as a daughter, as a loyal friend, but I challenge you to look at Ruth as a caregiver. You know, Ruth had no kids, and it appears she had no family to return to, and she is most likely literally taking care of this old, bitter, depressed woman. It sounds like Ruth is likely the one um getting her up, uh, getting her food, um, keeping her somewhat healthy and moving and purposeful, uh, in a way that I think only a mother could do, um, in a way that only a caregiver could do. And I can't imagine the amount of yes, love, but also patience that it took. You know, many of us, depending on your age, we are taking care of our own mothers or we are taking care of our mother-in-law's or other family. And it can be hard. You know, it's hard enough when they're sweet and pleasant, but I could not imagine uh the difficulty in the day in, day out of someone who was likely depressed and grieved and just better. And we know that when we are challenged to do those things, we do rely on those nurturing aspects of the fruit of the spirit that we all need. And remember, Ruth didn't have kids. This is something that uh these gifts were um innate with her or um God-given that she really had to um cultivate and and hone in on. Because let's face it, there were probably times that Naomi, or otherwise Mara, um was probably not very lovable, was probably extremely difficult as we learn about her bitterness. And we are challenged in those times to love those who do not love themselves. We are challenged to love those who are not lovable. And as we look at our mothers in society, there are many people among us that do that, not just for their biological kids, right? But they do that for many others, for those that are the least among us, for those who do not love themselves. So I challenge you as you reread uh the story of Ruth and Naomi, that you really start to see and understand that Ruth was a caregiver, not just a daughter. She was a woman who really honed in on a lot of those fruits of the spirit and did what she had to do to take care of someone that she loved. In many ways, like most of us are challenged to do as we walk our purposeful path. So I pray that if those of you are in those situations, that you have an overabundance of patience and kindness and love for those that have been entrusted into your care, uh, whether they are family, uh friends, whether it's through your purposeful work, that you see and understand the gifts that you have been given to mother those around you. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.