Christian

For Such a Time as This

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I truly believe that God places us exactly where He wants us for a specific reason. That being said, it is not always easy to act like I believe that. It’s incredibly easy to get pulled into the muck. It’s socially acceptable to gripe, complain, and belly ache about every little thing that doesn’t go my way. I hate that. I want to be the person who enjoys the moments on the way to the destination.

As I look back though my past, I can see the fingerprints of God all over the difficult times in my life. I know the value of having worked for an employer who was not a person of integrity, it makes me want to be a person of integrity all the more. I now realize how valuable the struggles of being overlooked for a job, because I now realize that would not have been a good fit for me plus it taught me how to have a good work ethic. I get why, in my first couple of years of teaching, my opinion wasn’t really listened to (because honestly I was mostly wrong and didn’t have the knowledge yet to even have an opinion on many things). I get all of that. I am thankful for every twist and turn that my life has taken to lead me to where I am at today.

That sounds great, but I still can’t manage to think that way while I am in the middle of a frustration. It’s especially true when I feel like I am being wronged, whether by a stranger or a friend. In my innocent little world, everyone needs to just assume the best about my intentions, needs to be kind to each other, and shouldn’t make up lies. Unfortunately, that isn’t how the world works.

We can take heart though.

I was recently re-reading one of my favorite Bible stories about a young woman, through no fault of her own, was ripped out of her home and found herself married to a king (one of many wives I might add). I am referring to Esther, of course. Now, as amazing as it sounds to be married to the king, for her it meant hiding who she really was (a Jew) and having to seek permission to come have a conversation with her husband. Not exactly ideal if you ask me. If you know the story you know that because of the fact she was in the palace, she was able to help save the Jewish people who were scheduled to be wiped out. If you don’t know the story make sure to check out the book of Esther, it is a pretty quick read. One of my all time favorite parts of that story is a line by her uncle Mordecai, “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 NLT.

So I say to you, who knows if perhaps you weren’t __________________ for such a time as this. Fill in that blank with whatever difficult thing you are dealing with. Who knows, maybe the situation you are in at this very moment, is exactly what you need to accomplish the next thing God has slated for you?

Build a Monument

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Ancient Israelites didn’t always do everything right (remember that whole 40 years they took to make an 11 day journey thing). However, one thing they did do over and over very well was to remember and celebrate what God had done for them. Throughout the pages of scripture, there are feasts and celebrations to commemorate various things that God had done for His people. I love the idea of feasts, but there is something that was done that I love even more.

Time and time again, whenever the Israelites had overcome something because of God’s divine help, they would often build a monument or a memorial to always remember what had occurred and how God had helped them. When the Israelites crossed into the promised land, the first thing they did was get 12 stones to represent the 12 tribes and build a monument to remember what God had done for them (see Joshua 4). There are numerous other instances throughout scripture of people building a monument at a place where they had seen God do a miraculous thing. Jacob put up a stone monument on several occasions in Genesis. Now, these monuments weren’t necessarily huge or elaborate as we may imagine when we think of modern-day monuments in our world. No, often these would be simple and made of a stone or several stones that were placed in strategic places to remind the people who were doing it of the miraculous work God had done in their lives.

My favorite mention of a stone monument is the concept of an Ebenezer stone in 1 Samuel, right after the Lord had helped rescue the Israelites from the Philistines. “Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!” 1 Samuel 7:12 NLT. I love that concept! I think we all need a few Ebenezer stones of help in our life to help us to see how “up to this point the Lord has helped us”.

I just recently crossed the 12 year anniversary of a life-changing time in my life where I lost a job and found myself in the middle of many course corrections that have led me where I am today (if you don’t know the story you can read about it in some of my older blogs or in my book here). As I thought back to where I was and where I am now, this concept of an Ebenezer stone came to my mind. My Ebenezer is not a stone monument I built, rather, it is two buildings that I used to work at. Every single time I see those places I can’t help but smile and remember how far I have come and how much my life has changed. When I feel discouraged or frustrated in my current circumstances (which can happen as an educator in the Covid era), I think about those Ebenezers in my own life and just thank God for all He has done for me and all he is doing for me, whether I know it or not.

One of the “Ebenezer Stones” in my life. Every single time I see this place, I remember all God has brought me through

So I want to challenge you. What is your Ebenezer? Is there a place or time that you know that “up to this point the Lord has helped me”. Take some time to think about that concept and find a way to acknowledge that and thank God for all he has done in your life.

Book Review: Dear Sister, Letters of Hope and Encouragement

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When we think of missionaries, we may sometimes glamorize it and somehow believe that people who are involved in overseas ministry are spiritual giants and not susceptible do discouragement or doubts. However, that is just not the case. Missionaries and their spouses need encouragement just as much, if not more that people in ministry in our own country.

Dear Sister is a collection of letters Gisela Yohannan, who serves as the international director of Gospel for Asia, to both the women in ministry throughout Asia, as well as the wives of ministers. This collection of letters spans from 1999 to 2005 and are actual letters that went out to the women over those years. She really encourages the women with scripture and calls out the women to really step up and step out for Christ. At the end of every letter there are very specific prayer requests that allow the reader to see what Gospel for Asia is doing throughout those years.

In the area where I live, there are a lot of refugees from many of the areas mentioned in the book. It is so neat to see how this ministry may have served the very people who would have been parents of some of the kids I may have taught over the years. It makes the plight of the people in Asia more tangible.

I hope you will check out Dear Sister. If you would like to get your own free downloadable copy of this book here

Book Review: Everybody Fights

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I am so excited to share with you the book “Everybody Fights: So Why Not Get Better At It?”

If you haven’t heard of Kim and Penn Holderness, it is likely because you have been living under a rock or possibly because you aren’t on social media. Whatever the case, you really need to check them out. They became social media sensations because of their funny and creative videos that poke fun at the normal everyday things of life. The best thing about their videos, is that they are family friendly, and often even include their own family.

I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to review this book, and after having read it I was not disappointed. This is a marriage book unlike any that I have ever read (and I have read a lot of marriage books). Kim and Penn do not proclaim to be experts at marriage. However, they do get real and raw about things they have struggled with and how they have learned to fight better in the process. They use real life examples of fights they have had in their own marriage and after each of them shares from their own perspectives what happened in that fight, look through ways they could have communicated better. The advice they share throughout the book is a combination of things they have learned in the school of hard knocks, as well as things they have learned from their own marriage coach.

Throughout the book they go through so many practical topics that absolutely every single person who has been married for any period of time will go through. Kim also gets real and honest about her struggle with anxiety and depression and how that affects their marriage.

This is not an overtly religious book. There isn’t a Bible verse in every chapter. However, there is a sense of dedication to making a marriage work at all costs. There is also an emphasis on working together and learning to better understand each other that every single marriage could benefit from.

If you want to check it out for yourself you can do that in a couple of ways. First, you can watch this silly book trailer here. You can also download or listen to a free chapter and purchase your own copy here.

Joy Comes Through Letting Go

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I have a confession to make.

I am a recovering Pharisee. That’s right. I have lived a good chunk of my life like those dudes in the Bible that Jesus called a brood of vipers (See Matthew 12:34). As a teenager, I was one of the most judgemental holy-rollers you would have ever met. If you were breathing air in my general vicinity, you can almost guarantee I was passing judgement on you while at the same time thinking I was better than you. Honestly, I look back at my teenage self and cringe just a little. Granted, it kept me out of trouble back then. I was a very reliable designated driver and wore a white wedding dress with pride. However, I know that I pushed people away in the process, and if I got real honest with myself, likely even pushed some of them away from God.

In the Bible, the Pharisees were the super religious people who knew every word of scripture, but really never took that knowledge and used it to help or love anyone else. They were so busy trying to find every fault in anyone that they couldn’t even see their own shortcomings. They couldn’t even see the very Messiah they had been waiting for right before their very eyes. What a shame. How many miracles did they miss out on because they were too busy fault finding, judging, and condemning to see what was happening before their own eyes.

Philippians chapter 2 does an amazing job of addressing those of us who live their lives so focused on what others do wrong that they miss out on what God really has in store for them. “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:1-4 NIV

When I think of my own life, I have found so much joy in the moments that I am encouraging others. However, that isn’t always an easy thing to do. It is so much easier to get pulled into a “what about me?” mentality and simply worry about life through the lens of how things will affect me, or the “at least I am not like them” mentality and look at others as less than. Sometimes (oftentimes) it is inconvenient to think of the needs of others above our own. And sadly, sometimes we will get burned when we do offer help to others. A little further in Philippians 2 it says this: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature a God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man ,he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8 NIV.

In order to find joy, we must let go of ourselves. We must let go of the selfish ambitions, judgements, and lofty opinions of ourselves. We must strive a little more every single day to put on that humility that Jesus had and choose to serve others. We need to stop striving for the approval of man, at the expense of our relationship with God. We must choose to value others above ourselves, regardless of how difficult that my be at times.

I am a work in progress in those departments. I still struggle in so many ways. But my prayer is that tomorrow I will be further in the path to being like Christ than I am today and that this time next year I will be even further in that process.

You Think Your Boss Is Rough

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Angry boss with face getting red Royalty Free Vector Image

We just finished VBS week around here. The last several years (10 if I recall correctly) I have been cast with the job of story lady. It’s interesting because every single year, without fail, I tend to learn something new. Either a story I am not super familiar with or maybe a small part of a familiar story that I never thought about. Sometimes it is intertwined in the scripted story, but often it comes from me going and re-reading the stories in the Bible before I tell them. That was the case this year. 

Our story was about when David was running for his life from King Saul in 1 Samuel. We talked about how God hears our prayers and the focus was Psalm 86. We also talked about how when we deal with being treated unfairly or dealing with hard things, God is there for us. Such a good lesson for kids. However, when I was reading the story from the Bible in preparation, something else stood out to me. David was the commander of Saul’s army, a high position that Saul himself gave to David. Essentially David was a very loyal employee of King Saul. David was the kind of employee that all the bosses I know, including my very own husband, would love to have. He was loyal (a trait that can be hard to come by), hard working, honest, never complaining or whining, and really really good at what he did. He was so good, that it made him famous. Unfortunately, his fame is what got him in the trouble he was in.

Through his military triumphs, David became more famous than the king himself. That is not a good position to find yourself in, especially when you are serving a king with an ego. If you go back and read the story, you will find that Saul wanted to kill David, which is what sent him into hiding in the wilderness. David had every reason to want to kill Saul to save his own life. However, time and time again, David made the choice to not harm Saul (please, if you are not familiar with the story, take the time to go read starting in 1 Samuel 18). I think there is a lesson for all of us in that action. David didn’t spare Saul because he was afraid, rather he spared him because he was God’s chosen person in authority over him. He knew it wasn’t his position to do harm to the very man God had chosen. 

Let me explain. We all have people in authority over us. Maybe you have an incompetent jerk of a boss, difficult family relationships, or any number of people who may have some sort of authority position who don’t have your back. Our human nature wants to have revenge in those situations. We want to participate in the slander of that person, or worse yet we want with all that is within us, for that person to fail (and maybe even take steps in order for that to happen). However, even if we don’t agree or like the person, we are called, like David, to remember that no one is given any authority without God knowing it. Our job is to serve with loyalty, honesty, and integrity while we are under their authority. But, just like David, there may come a time when we simply need to leave. Maybe it means quitting a job and moving on or maybe it means getting rid of a toxic friendship that is destroying your marriage, or possibly making drastic changes in your own life to get away from that situation. 

No matter what we are dealing with, we are called to honor those in authority. Honoring does not mean we agree with everything they say. What it does mean though is that we respect the position God has given them. I know I haven’t always done that right. I have my fair share of regrets in that department. I want more than anything to learn how to do that better. I want to be a person people are glad to have on their team. I want anyone in authority over me to identify me as someone who is dependable, honest, hard-working, and loyal, not as someone who will stab them in the back, not do the job well, or can’t be trusted. I hope all of us will strive for that!

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” Romans 13:1-2 NLT

Who are you, really?

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I wrote this a few years ago but thought it was worth sharing again!

                It’s that time of year again, high school and college graduations are going on nearly every weekend in May and into June. This time of year, I always think back to when I was about to graduate from high school and college, and how smart I was back then. Of course, I say that sarcastically, because looking back now I see how little I knew about life. It’s so easy in your teens, and early twenties to be so sure of your life’s path. We build our identities so much on what we do, who we know, and even what kind of clothes we wear or vehicle we drive.  However, none of those things are eternal. Jobs change, in both expected and unexpected ways, friendships definitely change, and material things go in and out of style and eventually end up worn out and tossed aside.

               So, who are you, really? If all the fancy clothes, “cool” friends, money, and talents were suddenly stripped away from you, what. would remain? Are you a person that does whatever it takes to fit in or be admired? Or perhaps are you willing to go into tremendous amounts of debt just to look the part of someone wealthy? Or maybe you are willing to compromise and “fudge” your beliefs a little at work or school because you don’t want to be called a prude? On the other hand, maybe you have a firm set of beliefs and are unwilling to compromise on those just to fit in with the world?

                Those are hard things to think about, because we have such an attachment to status. I know that when I first graduated college, my identity revolved so much around what I did that when I suddenly found out that my location was closing and I was being laid off, I was crushed. It was at that point that I really had to start figuring out who I was, beyond what I did or who I knew. I had to go back to Genesis and realize that I was formed in the very image of God and regardless of who I was or what I did to earn a living. I also had to remember that God had a plan for my life and He wasn’t surprised in the least about the fact that I was being laid off. “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 NLT.                At that point, my sincere hearts’ desire turned toward walking the path God Himself had laid out for me. I started praying more than I ever had before. I chose to put my focus on one thing: the approval of God Himself. That isn’t an easy task. In the materialistic world we live in, if you don’t run with the right crowd or have the fanciest house on the block, you can sometimes be looked down upon. Although having nice things is not a bad thing, letting those things own us is. It can also be challenging when you are not willing to bend on your morals, I have especially seen this as a teacher when kids are not use to being held to a high standard. It can be lonely at times when it feels like everyone else is just going along with the world. Whatever we do though, we need to focus on doing it as a witness of the gospel. “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 NLT. Whether you are a doctor or a garbage collector, that doesn’t really matter. Each one of us has a great commission from Christ to make disciples of ALL nations (See Matthew 28). We need to have an eternal focus in whatever it is we do for a living. We must have integrity, generosity, love, and honesty no matter what we do for a living. We also must be willing to stick to our morals and beliefs no matter who is trying to convince us to bend “just this once”.  I know that I have fallen short in so many of those areas. However, I pray constantly for God to use me to reach others.
                I pray for all my former students, friends, and relatives who are graduating that your focus would not be on the status of what you do, the money, how much stuff you have, or what others think of you. Rather, I pray that you would work every single day as if God Himself was your ultimate boss (Hint: ultimately, He is). Don’t become a fake person who changes depending on the people they are with. Be the person who, when others are going through a hard time and need a true and honest friend, they seek you out. Congratulations and best wishes to all of you! I can’t wait to see where your life’s journey will take you!

The Faith of a Mom

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Mother's Day 2021: 10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Mom | The Old Farmer's Almanac

As I write this, it’s currently Mother’s Day. Mother’s day always makes me pause and think of how I am doing in the realm of motherhood. As the mom of 3 young girls (ages 9, 6, and 5), I sometimes feel like a failure. I am not a typical “perfect mom”. I lose my temper, get frustrated, and I am not always bubbly and fun. I tried the stay-at-home mom thing, and only lasted a year. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my kids, I just found that I was not cut out for it. I enjoy working outside the home. Honestly, even if I ran my own business, it would have to be outside the house, I am just more productive that way.

Mom guilt is a very real thing. I struggled with that for a while, and often still do. It seems like everyone is nailing the mom thing while I often feel like I am just surviving. I grew up on James Dobson and Focus on the Family where there is a strong push for moms to stay home and even homeschool, both things that I don’t do, and don’t plan on doing. There is nothing wrong with doing those things, however, it really just isn’t for me. It hit me today when I was reading a short passage in the Bible, that God will use a moms exactly where they are.

I was reading about when Paul first met Timothy. If you will remember, Timothy became one of Paul’s most trusted friends and vital in growing the early church. In Acts 16:1 it says “Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek.” It may seem a little odd for this verse to stand out to me, but it really made me realize that God will use a believing mom no matter what the circumstance.

To me, it says a lot that Timothy became a believer, despite the fact that his father wasn’t one. It shows that his mother made a big impact on him. It also shows that you don’t have to have what may be perceived as the “perfect Christian family” in order to raise Godly children. As a matter of fact, him having a non-believer as a father may have even given Timothy a lot of insight into the way non-believers think. It also tells me that despite my failures as a mom, even if I don’t always do everything perfectly, God has a tremendous plan for my kids. Paul even notes the faith of Timothy’s mother and grandmother. “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Timothy 1:5

So the next time you find yourself not measuring up as a mom (or even as a grandmother), turn off the social media, quit comparing, and remember that God will use you no matter how imperfect you may feel.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

The Authentic Problem of Inauthenticity

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“I don’t want to go to church, it’s full of a bunch of hypocrites.”

We have all probably either heard that line or possibly said it ourselves. I use to brush that off and respond by saying, “of course it is full of hypocrites, we are all sinners.” Which is completely true. We are all sinners and no one is perfect. However, I don’t think that is a good enough response. As a matter of fact, I think that is a cop out answer. I would equate that to someone having questions about God or Jesus and us just responding by saying “you just have to accept it and have faith”. Honestly, that is nowhere near good enough as an answer.

So what are we to do?

I think we should take it a little more personally. I think that we need to dig deeper into that question to see exactly what people are seeing that labels us as a hypocrite. What are we saying but not doing? That question scares me. I know it is way easier for me to preach a good line, than it is for me to live it out.

I work at a public school as a teacher. That puts me in the eye of a lot of people. My biggest prayer is that who I am on Sunday morning is the same person as who I am Monday in class or Friday afternoon when I am exhausted and out of patience. But let’s be honest, we all fail. I pray that when (not if) I fall short, I will not be blinded to my own shortcomings. That being said, I don’t think that seeing my own shortcomings is enough, I hope to have the integrity to admit when I am wrong.

Several years ago, I had an experience that changed my perspective a little on my public witness. It happened when I had a student who was the child one of the leaders of a church in the town where I was working at the time. I did not attend this church, so I cannot attest to everything they believed, but it was a Christian church. I have dealt with difficult students and with difficult parents but this situation was really unique. This family proclaimed the same gospel I did. The one where you love others, give them grace, and make allowances for others. That was not the case and not the perspective I saw. This student caused me tremendous frustration in class and was a constant discipline problem. That happens, we have all read the parable of the prodigal son. Honestly, I have seen that so many times it doesn’t shock me anymore when a church leader has kids that act perfect in church, but out of line at school. That wasn’t my issue. The issue that broke my heart was the parents wanting to point fingers everywhere but their own child. They slandered myself and other teachers, blaming us for issues that their child had caused. My heart broke because I knew that everyone involved knew that the parents were church leaders. And honestly, I would hear conversations of people saying they would never attend church because that’s how those people acted.

“They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” Titus 1:16 NIV

Wow. Whenever I think of it it gives me a little pause in my own spirit. I pray that the way I act outside of church wouldn’t turn people away from coming to church. That scares me to think about. I know, especially the me from 15 years ago, probably did just that. When I would help spread the gossip or form uninformed opinions about people and declare them to the world, I am sadly certain I was probably labeled as one of those hypocrites. Honestly, there are probably still things I do that label me as such.

I pray that every single day that goes by, I would grow past that. I pray that any hypocritical actions or thoughts would be replaced by good, Holy Spirit actions and thoughts. I even struggle as I write this, because it is highly possible that someone may be reading this thinking about my hypocrisy in something that happened between us. I am also not perfect. I do hope though that the person I am tomorrow or 10 years from now, is further along in the pathway to sanctification than I am today. And I pray that the person I am today is a better person that I was 10 years ago.

How about you? Where do you fall in this story. Are you the person not wanting to be around Christians because the are “a bunch of hypocrites” or are you possibly one of those hypocrites like me? Maybe you are somewhere in between.

Lord, let us all grow closer in our walk with you. Help us to see our own hypocrisies and strive to be more Christ-like in our dealings with others, both in and out of church.

James 1:22 — Today's Verse for Thursday, August 2, 2018

It just so happened….

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I have always believed that even if we make wrong decisions, if we are earnestly seeking the will of God, He will always work all things out for our good (see Jeremiah, 29:11). However, when you are in an uncertain situation, and things aren’t necessarily working out the way you think they should, you may wonder if that is true in your situation.

I was reading a very familiar story this morning, the story of Ruth, when a certain verse jumped off the page. As a little background for anyone not familiar with the story here is a brief synopsis (you can read the full story in the book of Ruth):

A famine had struck the land of Judah. Because of the famine, a man named Elimelech along with his wife Naomi and their two sons moved to a foreign land where the worship of false gods was prevalent. Elimelech arranged the marriage of his sons to 2 women who were not followers of the same God as they were (a big no no in those days). Unfortunately, Elimelech and his 2 sons all died within a few years after they arrived. Eventually, Naomi received word that the famine had passed, and so she decided that she would return to Judah with her two daughter-in-laws but soon told them to return home so that they could remarry. One of them went back, but the other, Ruth, refused to leave Naomi telling her that she would follow her wherever she went and that Naomi’s God would be her God. So they both returned to Judah. Because they were both widows, they were very poor and eventually Ruth resorted to gleaning grain (basically following behind the harvesters and picking what they missed or left behind)

This is the point where this story took a little different turn for me today:

“Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone who allows me to? ”Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of land belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family. Ruth 2:2-3 HCSB (Emphasis added)

I had never really noticed that phrase before. Since when is there ever a coincidence in a Biblical story? Then I noticed there were some verses cross-referenced win the phrase “she happened to be”, so I looked them up. Here is what I found:

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” Proverbs 16:33 HCSB

“A man’s steps are determined by the Lord, so how can anyone understand his own way?” Proverbs 20:24 HCSB

That’s when it hit me. Nothing is a coincidence. If you know the end of the story, Ruth ends up marrying Boaz and they are part of the lineage that leads up to King David and eventually to Jesus. God knew exactly what the outcome was going to be. However, he did not prevent Ruth from going through hard things to get there. It had to be devastating to lose a husband. It had to be incredibly hard to live in such poverty that you have to go, essentially beg, and gather grain behind harvesters. But, God redeemed all of it. He gave her the strength to endure the hard, on the way to the blessing.

If you are in that place right now, take heart. If you feel like you cannot endure another thing, remember that “a man’s steps are determined by the Lord” and He has a plan to get you through whatever you are going through. Who knows, maybe your breakthrough will be found in the midst of the exact pain you are in, just like it was for Ruth.

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 HCSB