As I write this, the snow is coming down and the people in the know say we could get 8-12”.  Don’t ya love the word could?  I think the forecasters use could to give them an out when the predicted snowfall does not happen.  The same holds true for the possible tornado or storm.  To be fair, sometimes they are right and making people aware, of the possibility of what could happen, can save lives.

The trouble is people quit paying attention.  The news flash says a tornado is headed your way.  The first time, you get in a safe room.  No tornado.  The second time, you watch out the window.  No tornado.  The third time, you sit on the porch and watch the clouds.  No tornado.  The fourth time … you pay no attention and keep on watching the movie.  The most you might do for a snow storm is help empty the shelves of milk and bread.

We quit paying attention to the warnings.  The problem with this is that IF a snowstorm or a tornado really happens, we will not be prepared and it could be too late. 

Life is full of could, might, and possible.  Life is full of not paying attention because could, might, and possible did not happen.  Life is full of suddenly realizing we should have paid attention.  We realize it can be too late.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

 

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

 

     Matthew 24:36-41, 44

Life is full of could, might, and possible.  Go back and look at the scripture.  Do you find even one could, might, or possible?  Or do you find the absolute certain words will be and would happen?

Do not sit on your porch and watch for the Son of Man to return.  Live your life as if it will happen the very next second.  Celebrate the falling snow and see how it decorates the trees and makes the landscape look clean and pure.  Call your spouse, your parents, your children, and your friends to tell them they are valuable.  Work to the best of your ability and be honest and trustworthy.  Be compassionate and share with those less fortunate.  And at dark, lay your head down, place your cares and worries into God’s hands, and rest.

 RUTH

 Our Sunday School Class has been studying the Book of Ruth.  Most of us have read this book, maybe even more than once.  Why wouldn’t we enjoy this book?  There are –

• Trials:  drought, death, living among strangers
• Decisions:  stay or go, consequences of each
• Journeys:  return to roots
• New Beginnings:  faith, family, new love, and a baby

 Ruth could be a Hallmark movie --- until ---

Reading Ruth and teaching Ruth are two different things.  Of course, we can read the notes in the Bible, but, as the teacher, I had to dig deeper.  I wondered how this book was studied by those of the Jewish faith.  What lessons did they learn?  Was this more than a love story?

I found exactly what I needed at  https://torah.org/  I searched Ruth and began reading.  Could I learn more about Naomi and Ruth?  Could I figure out why these four chapters were included in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)?  Well, yes I could learn more!  I read.  I made notes.  I was prepared to expand on those chapters.  And the study of Ruth began.

Was the class excited about finding out that Elimelek fled the famine and abandoned his extended family and friends instead of helping them with his wealth and crops?  Did they realize Ruth was the daughter of a king and her people worshipped Chemosh, a god that demanded human sacrifice?  Did they understand the process Boaz had to follow to marry Ruth?

Did they see the continuing of the bloodline that Lot walked away from?  And, the biggie, did they see that Ruth is a story of redemption?

The class will finish the Book of Ruth in the next couple of weeks and I hope we will all realize the story of Ruth is our story.

Like Elimelek, we often walk away from those we could help with our excess of blessings.  Like Naomi, when we feel empty, we realize we want to go home -- back to our foundation, family, and friends.  Like Ruth, we realize we are worshipping the wrong gods and turn toward the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Yes, the Book of Ruth is a beautiful love story as we see Boaz and Ruth fall in love.  But this story is so much more.

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of King David.

Matthew 1:5-6

The story of Ruth is a beautiful love story, but it surpasses the love of a man for a woman.  This story is about the great-great-grandmother of David and the future birth of a very special baby.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

Revelation 22:16

 A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

One fall Bill and I were leaving Yellowstone National Park and were told the buffalo were congregating at the east exit.  I was so excited, because we were headed that direction and I love buffalo.  There was only one small glitch.  This meant we went out the northeast entrance instead of the east entrance.  The east entrance leads to a nice drive to Cody.  The northeast entrance ….  A couple of things you need to know.  Many areas out west do not have internet service.  The towns do, but not when you get on the back roads.  Back and side roads are closed by a determined date.  They do not wait for the snow to start before they close roads and stop service until next spring.

Bill asked, “Mary can we get to Cody if we go out the northeast entrance?  It isn’t like you haven’t seen buffalo today.”

Grabbing my iPad and the atlas (Yes, I still use an atlas.) I found where we were and where we wanted to go.  “Of course we can get to Cody.  The quickest road has been closed for the winter, but this other road is open.  No problem,” I replied.  We saw the buffalo and headed out the northeast entrance. 

As we drove, I kept checking the atlas and the iPad.  Bill was thrilled that the road was two lane and paved.  I honestly cannot remember the exact roads we took but we ended up on Wyoming 296/Chief Joseph Highway.  The iPad had lost service so I relied on the atlas.  It looked like there were a few curves, but nothing Bill would be uncomfortable driving.

After a while, I told Bill, “I think that is the last of the curves.  Looks like the road gets straighter.”  Then, out there in the middle of nowhere, the iPad had service.  I opened the map.  Enlarged the area we were approaching and gasped.  It all depends on your perspective.  From the atlas to the iPad, my perspective changed.  The atlas looked pretty good.  The iPad told a different story.  I remember telling Bill, “You know how I said we were out of the curves?”  A glare came from the person behind the wheel as he said, “And …”

I calmly told Bill, “You know how a child draws when they are learning to hold a pencil?  I believe they used one of those drawing to design this road.  We are not out of the curves.”

It all depends on your perspective.  The big picture looked good.  It was not until we got on that section of road that we realized how curvy it was. 

 

BUT, as I think about the roads we have been on, this one was a piece of cake.  Look at the Beartooth Highway.  We were on that one time.

A really interesting drive happened when we left Apache Junction. 

We started on a very nice, two lane, blacktopped road.  The two lanes turned into a wide, paved one lane.  The wide, paved, one lane turned into a narrow, dirt road.  A curvy!! dirt road.  What a blast we had.  Well, I was having a blast.  It all depends on your perspective.  Bill had a death grip on the steering wheel and, whenever we met other brave souls, he had to find a place to pull over so they could pass. 

  

Oh, memories.  Bill will tell you that I do not know how to find a nice, straight road to travel.  I tell him to loosen up and grab ahold of the wheel.  We are in for a ride!!!!!!

Besides – when I looked at the pictures in the atlas, the roads did not look so bad.  It was only when we got on the road that we realized it was not quite what we thought.

BUT isn’t this how we get off the path God has ready for us?  We are keeping on the path.  Having a jolly good time and then, right along the path is another way to go.  It looks really neat.  It is all tree lined and so inviting.  We cannot see very far down the way, but how bad can it be?  And when our perspective of the other way to go finally comes into focus, Satan laughs.

Moral of all this:  Be sure and have a true perspective of where you are headed.

 I AM A JIGSAW PUZZLE

My mother worked jigsaw puzzles.  There was rarely a time she didn’t have a puzzle started.  Putting together jigsaw puzzles has rules.  Rule 1:  Border first.  Rule 2:  It is okay to say you will only be a minute, when you know you will stand there and search till you find the piece that should jump right out at you.  Rule 3:  You never put the last piece in someone else’s puzzle without asking permission.

I am my mother’s daughter.  Sorta.  I agree with rules two and three.  Rule one might apply to a kid’s puzzle or a 300 piece puzzle, but – and my mother is spinning in her grave – I no longer put the border together first.  Those pieces go back into the box, until I have room on the table or until the rest of the puzzle is put together.  This started when puzzles increased to 1,000 pieces and larger.  A 1,000 piece puzzle barely fits on my card table and a 2,000 piece puzzle had to be worked in sections and assembled on the dining room table.  Even if I don’t put the border together first, I am my mother’s daughter.  I love to work jigsaw puzzles.

I am a jigsaw puzzle.  My life is being assembled one piece at a time.  It is a mix of bright, beautiful colors and dark, scary colors I wish weren’t there.  Words and pictures appear as I am assembled.  In the middle is a baby.  Darn, I was a cute kid.  From there pictures appear of family, good times and bad.  Then another face appears and I remember the joy of finding true love.  Children.  Friends.  Illness.  Death.  Work.  Moving.  Travel.  Church.  Swirls of color surrounding each as I aged and learned and moved forward or struggled and stayed in one place too long. 

When I see my puzzle, I realize there is one constant presence visible in each piece. 

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.

Acts 2:28

A puzzle has an end.  The border will come out of the box, the last piece will be placed, and the puzzle will be complete.  BUT, the puzzle, of my life, does not have a border.  My puzzle will continue to expand and grow as pieces are added.  Some pieces will be bright and beautiful.  Some will be dark and scary.  No matter what, the presence of God will continue to be visible in each piece.