Ruth and Naomi.  What a story.  All about relationship.  Newly widowed Ruth is led by God to follow her mother-in-law, Naomi, to what is for Ruth a foreign land.  Naomi returning to that same land also a widow and a grieving mother who’s two sons have died.  Returning to her homeland all but having given up on life becoming bitter over time.  Ruth, steadfast, faithful, living in the Spirit, by Naomi’s side as her kin.  And this reality goes on for years – the bitter reality of Naomi’s – kin-less in her own eyes,  and the faithful, loving reality of Ruth.  Side by side.

Boaz, the landowner, encounters Ruth in the fields working extra hard for surplus grain for her mother-in-law.  Boaz comes to know and love her as the woman she was. They marry.  They have a child.  Naomi is blessed with ‘kin’ once again and nurses the child.

That child becomes Jesse’s father and David’s grandfather.

And so it goes – the kinship line – the way – onto to Jesus.

The way to Jesus is always paved in relationship.  Loving relationship.  And all in God’s time.

I heard this so loud and clear this morning at worship, perhaps because I personally need to be reminded it seems – over and over – that in God’s time and through Him and in loving relationship, whatever I’m hoping will come, will come.  Naomi thought it would never pass that she’d have kin again.  Nor did Ruth, actually.  But Ruth didn’t get ahead of herself.  She’d didn’t pine everyday over yesterday but lived into the reality of today, of now.  She also didn’t just make it through everyday in hopes that tomorrow would be different.

It is such a challenge to keep the Holy Spirit animating me in the way the Spirit animates Ruth.  To keep me in the moment, letting go and letting God.  To not look at the road ahead and see only thwarts and roadblocks or worst yet, to see no road.

Letting go. Hmmm.

So, I hear this once again in worship this morning, and then the Spirit had more for me.

Getting into my car to make the short drive from church to the local Peets, my specialized Pandora radio station pumps out a Kenny Loggins song (Wait a Little While) – one which I have always enjoyed pop-melody wise but not listened to for the lyrics in a very long time. Yet the second it started to play, I began to sing, recalling the lyrics from some deep well of my youth.  And once I began to sing, I began to cry – a guttural, yes Lord I get it – in your time – cry.

Loggins took the words right out of  – first – my mouth…

Here’s a sweet September morning, there’s the sense of Autumn on the rise
He steps into the wind and sadly sighs
“Why does it always seem to be, there’s a cold December wind in front of me?”
The more he fills his empty evenings
The less he feels that there’s a chance to find
Something that can bring a peace of mind
Is there a place where you can go?
A little something you should know to turn the tide to your favor?

…and then from the mouth of the Holy Spirit’s…

Wait a little while to welcome what you’re after
Give it the time to find its way to you
And soon as you no longer try, you’ll turn and find it standing by your side
Come and get it, when you let it, it’ll come to you

The Spirit was saying to me – one of God’s people, like Naomi and Ruth – wait a little to welcome what you’re after…give it the time to find its way to you.  God has to make way for His way with and for me.  And that way is paved in loving relationship and in His time.

I typically don’t post on Sundays preferring the silence of the Lord’s day to unfold as He ordains.  But this I had to share.

Read about Ruth and Naomi.  Their story teaches us so much about our abba Father and his son, and amongst other things, our God of loving relationship and His time.

Letting go and letting God.  As soon as I no longer try, it will surely find its way to my side.