Benevolence > Beauty

I have come to the conclusion that boys are evil.

Well. Okay. Maybe not all the time. But they are definitely evil when it comes to playing with young girls' hearts. I guess some young girls do the same thing to boys, though. So maybe just teenagers are evil.

I was having a hard time with my breaking heart, so I (naturally) turned to my Bible and God for comfort. Sitting in the the church parking lot on a Monday morning, just me and God, I had an epiphany. I would like to share it with my audience.

God talked to me that day about considering a soulmate. He gave me a few guidelines to go by (things I hadn't been considering). I started like I usually do-- I opened my bible to a random page and began reading. I feel like God is in complete control this way, as I don't really choose what I read.

I opened my Bible to Ruth. I've read this book many times before, but it hit me different this time. It's always been a go-to book for considering a husband. I had been looking for the "Boaz" God has picked out for me. The problem was that I wasn't acting like Ruth. To get a better understanding of what this means, let us take a little walk through the beginning of the book.

If you are not familiar with this book, I'll explain the characters a little. Naomi is from Bethlehem, and she traveled to Moab with her husband and two sons. Both of her sons married Moabite women-- Orpah, and Ruth. Soon, Naomi's husband died, followed by her two sons. She is left with two daughters-in-law who adore her, but a country in which she does not belong. When Naomi decided to leave Moab and return to Bethlehem, her daughters-in-law wanted to accompany her. She knew that she couldn't provide them with another husband, so she commanded them to return to their mothers so they could marry again. Orpah left, but Ruth was determined to remain with Naomi. She wanted to take care of her, because she knew that Naomi had no one left to do that job.

Boaz (Naomi's kin) was first attracted to Ruth's hard work (see verses 4&5 in chapter 2). The Bible tells us that after discovering her origin, he was attracted to Ruth's compassion and benevolence toward Naomi. My epiphany came from this knowledge. I feel that it is incredibly important to note that a good man will be attracted to a woman who takes care of her family before herself.

Boaz told Ruth not to go harvest in another man's field so he could keep an eye on her and protect her. He had respect for her, because of her compassion for her mother-in-law. That is where a proper relationship starts: mutual respect.

Ruth remains in Boaz' fields. She harvests food for herself and Naomi--following Boaz' servents-- everyday. Meanwhile, Naomi masterminds a plan to get Boaz to marry Ruth. (The details are all found in the book of Ruth, but I won't go over them here.) In the end, Boaz marries Ruth and takes care of her and Naomi. My main point: Boaz was attracted to Ruth's benevolence before he even noticed her beauty.

Ruth accompanied Naomi anticipating an empty life. She gave up any chance she had of marrying again, because it was more important to her to make sure that Naomi was alright. Ruth's story teaches us an amazing story of selflessness, as she 100% put Naomi's needs above her own.

Can anyone tell me what is more attractive than that? Who would not want a spouse that takes care of your needs before his/her own? 

I am not married, so I am not an expert in this topic. But I try to listen when God is speaking to me, and I like to share what I learn. My advice to young women seeking a mate is this: don't search for your Boaz if you aren't willing to be Ruth. If you are ready to find your soulmate, then you must act like it! Put aside the heartbreak games and take things seriously. When you begin acting like the Godly woman you are supposed to be, then God will show you what He has in store for you.

Speak Life by Speaking Out Against Bullying

So, do you remember when the ASL ice-bucket challenge was in the spotlight? There was a ton of money being raised for that cause due to that. Which is a very good thing! But something else has grabbed my attention lately. Something that there isn't a fund for. This is a cause that no one is trying to cure, because no one sees it as that kind of an issue. Bullying is a very big issue, and I will dare to assume that it is curable--to an extent. But the cure has to start with you.

If one is to research the statistics for bullying, one will discover that there are many different ways to be bullied. As an example, nobullying.com lists some statistics:

Bullying has many forms verbal, social, physical, and cyber bullying. Middle school students reports many different forms of bullying during the school years. About 44.2% of bullying is teasing which is often playing jokes and calling a child names. Over 43.3% of children have rumors and lies spread about them verbally or online. About 36.3% of children experience pushing and shoving in lines or class, 32.4% report hitting, shoving, and kicking by peers, and 29.2% have been left out or ignored by classmates. About 28.5% of middle school students been threatened by peers and classmates and 27.4% report someone stealing their belongings as another type of bullying. Over 23.7% report sexual comments and gestures as another form of bullying. Where does bullying occur many parents and teachers wonder about the location. Bullying takes place on school grounds and often on the bus. This is not the only place it occurs however! Cyber bullying occurs on cell phones and online on social networks, boards, and through email. A study of middle school students reported that they were bullied about 29.3% in classrooms, 29.0% in the school hallways or near lockers, and 23.4% in the cafeteria. Other locations that school student were bullied were 19.5% of the time the gym or PE class, the bathroom 12.2%, and the playground or recess 6.2% .. This study shows that bullying occurs in many locations where children gather to study, play, or hang out. Only between 20 to 30 percent of students that are bullied tell an adult or teacher about the incident.

Dosomething.org lists some different facts about bullying. Notably, the fact that 90% of 4th through 8th graders report being a victim of bullying, and that teachers only intervene 4% of the time. (If you would like to read the rest of these facts, this is the link:  https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-bullying) This shows that the school system is not doing enough to "cure" the meanness.

These statistics point out that bullying is a very big problem! Perhaps more importantly, the statistics point out that not much is currently being done to stop it. Or, rather, that what is being done isn't backed with a passion for the issue. Although bullying may not be a disease or physical illness, it is undoubtedly a problem, and it does have a cure.

Everyone has been bullied in some way. Even bullies have been bullied. Perhaps, even without knowing it, you have bullied someone or made them feel bad. This is why I say that the cure has to start with you. You must show people you care and they will know that you are not a bully. This also shows people that, even if they are bullied, they have someone on their side as well. It helps to feel that you are not alone.

I would like to start a "Speak LIFE" or "Anti-bully" challenge. I'm challenging my audience to say or do something kind for someone that they may not usually talk to. Do this for five consecutive days and, if possible, for five different people. Try to choose people who may be bullied. Then challenge five of your friends to do this as well. It doesn't have to be something the whole world sees, just something that tells someone you were thinking about them. This will prove to people that there is goodness left in the world, and it might help to spread what goodness is left as well. I'm hoping that the "Speak Life" or "Anti-bully" challenge will have a domino effect. If we show kindness and challenge others to show kindness, we may stand a better chance in our fight against bullying. I believe this has to start with people outside of government or educational systems. We can see what those entities have done to "help cure" this issue.

My Lesson for Today

^"13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

¹⁴ Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

¹⁵ And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

¹⁶ O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

¹⁷ Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

¹⁸ O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

¹⁹ O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name." (Daniel 9:13-19)

These are the verses I have spent the last few days trying to memorize. (Yes, I have successfully done so!) It's long, I know, and I commend you for reading it all! It is beautiful and it teaches a tragic lesson of love and mourning. Let's take a look at it, verse by verse.

Daniel starts off by saying that his people knew what would happen because they were warned. They just didn't want to believe that their God would punish them for their sins, so they didn't ask for help. This is classic of children. Actually, it is classic of people in general. We always think that we're right and no one is going to correct us, so we don't ask for help or guidance. This can lead to big trouble! It definitely led to trouble for the Israelites.

The next thing that Daniel notes is that God does punish His people. Anyone who has read the Bible knows that a good parent will chastise his children. However, Daniel also notes that God punishes His people lovingly. It is important to recognize the last part of that verse, because everything God does is righteous. What child willingly acknowledges that his parents were right in punishing him? Daniel makes sure to point that out for us. He recognizes that his people have disobeyed God, and that they deserve what is coming to them.

In verse 15 Daniel reveals what God has done for His people ("that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand..."). He tells us again how good God is, and then points out how wicked people are. This shows that people fall into temptation easier than they may like to admit. Even God's chosen people, who saw Him work in ways we can't even imagine, fell into one of Satan's traps.

Verse 16 turns the tables a little bit. Daniel decides here that he is going to challenge God (to some extent). He asks God to "turn thine anger and thy fury away from thy city Jerusalem."  He is mourning for his nation. First, he tells God that he knows there is evil. Then, he says that they deserve the evil, because everything God does is right and good. After that he praises God's goodness and tells Him that he knows the people have sinned and done wickedly. So why does he ask God not to be angry? Why does he try to explain that the nation is already going through trouble? Keep reading.

Daniel continues to ask God not to be angry. Now he asks God to look upon His "sanctuary that is desolate." He knows that the only way that his people can come out of their turmoil is if they have God's help. And so he proceeds to beg God to save Israel. Again.

The last two verses are actually my favorite part. Daniel is still mourning for his country. But now, he's revealing his heart to God while he mourns. He tells God why Israel needs Him. He doesn't pour his heart out to God for his righteousness, but for God's great mercy. He knows that he is just a sinner, and that he isn't good enough for God. But he also recognizes God's great mercy and compassion. He knows that God loves His people, so he begs Him to show that great mercy once again.

Okay, now that we can see all of that clearly, let's compare it to our present-world state. Isn't America undergoing some evil? Europe?  Asia? You name it? Isn't our world enduring some evil? More importantly, we were warned, weren't we? Just like Israel. And, just like Israel, God is angry. The difference is that there aren't very many Daniel's out there nowadays that are truly mourning for their country. Not many people are begging God to open His eyes and see our desolation. Very few people are asking God for guidance, help and forgiveness.

Our world needs more Daniels. People need to mourn for their country the way he did. Christians need to stand up and be heard. We need to take a look at our surroundings and fight for what we know is right. We need to call upon our omniscient, omnipotent God for guidance, help and forgiveness. We need to pray Daniel's prayer and mean it the way that he did.

This enlightenment has helped me "find me" in a way. It has helped me learn to mourn for the lost, for the world, for my nation. It has helped me learn to pray by revealing my heart to God. He knows it anyway, but He likes it when I'm willing to share with Him. This lesson has helped me get a little closer to God, because it came directly from Him.