MAY 2013 Pastor Clay’s Potter’s Wheel For this month’s “Mother’s Day edition” of Grace Notes I’m passing on to you a piece of tongue-in-cheek wisdom which Captain Joseph Ledger, Chaplain of the 2-127 Infantry Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard, shared with me. It has to do with the Biblical character Ruth - a young woman who displayed high moral character and who waited patiently for a man, Boaz, to become her husband. You may read the account of Ruth, her mother-in-law Naomi, and Boaz in the Old Testament book of Ruth. It’s only four chapters and I commend it to you not only as an interesting story, but also as a fine source of wisdom we can emulate and apply to our lives today as we travel on our faith journeys. Regarding Mother’s Day, the book of Ruth illustrates, among other things, Naomi’s motherly love toward Ruth, and how Ruth displayed the values of loyalty, respect, courage, and generosity toward Naomi after her (Naomi’s) husband and two sons died. One of the sons had been Ruth’s husband. Naomi’s other daughter-in-law left, leaving Naomi and Ruth to struggle for survival in a patriarchal society in which women, and especially widows, were often neglected and marginalized. In such a situation many woman were (and still are) tempted to settle and/or compromise their moral character in their struggle to get by. But Naomi and Ruth remained steadfast in their faith (which is also our faith.) Hence, the foundation for the following “motherly” advice for young women: To all the girls who are in a hurry to have a boyfriend or get married, a piece of Biblical advice: Ruth patiently waited for her mate, Boaz. While you are waiting on YOUR Boaz, don’t settle for any of his relatives: Broke-az, Po-az, Lyin-az, Cheatin-az, Dumb-az, Drunk-az, Cheap-az, Lockedup-az, Goodfornothin-az, Lazy-az, and especially his third cousin Beatinyo-az. Wait on your Boaz and make sure he respects Yo-az. God bless you this May and especially on Mother’s Day as we celebrate all the women who strive to faithfully serve the families of God’s kingdom in “motherly” love. In Christ,
Pastor Clay