Woman Thou Art Loosed! 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition (21 page)

F
URTHER
C
HALLENGE
:

http://wtal.destinyimage.com/ch14

And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
Ruth 1:20-21

This morning when I rose, the land was still asleep. I watched the miracle of beginnings from the veranda of my hotel. The waves of the sea wandered listlessly in and dashed themselves on empty beaches where the sand smiled at the peacefulness of the breaking day. Like the initial sounds of an orchestra warming up for a concerto, the seagulls cried and screeched out their opening solos. The wind watched, occasionally brushing past the palm trees spreading their leaves like the fan of a distinguished lady. Far to the east the sun crept up on stage as if it was trying to arrive without disturbing anyone. It peeked up over the ocean like the eye of a child around a corner as he stealthily plays peek-a-boo.

If I had not stayed perched on my window’s edge, I would have misjudged the day. I would have thought that the morning or perhaps the bustling sun-drenched afternoon was the most beautiful part of the day. I would have thought the sound of laughing, hysterically happy children running into or away from the ocean would, without contention, have won the award for the best part of the day. But just before I turned in my ballot and cast my vote in the poll, the wisdom of the evening slipped up on the stage. The early morning entertainment and the bustling sounds of the afternoon had distracted me. Now I looked over in the distance as the sun began its descent. I noticed that the crescendo of the concert is always reserved for the closing. How had I not noticed that the sun had changed her sundress to an evening gown, full of color and grandeur? The grace of a closing day is far greater than the uncertainty of morning. The next time you get a chance to notice the sun burst into its neon rainbow and curtsy before setting in the west, you will scratch out your early scribbling and recast your vote; for the most beautiful part of the day, in fact the most beautiful part of a woman’s life, is at the setting of the sun.

T
he most beautiful part of a woman’s life is at the setting of the sun.

I write this with my mother in mind. As she aged, her hair changed colors before my eyes. Like afterthoughts of an artist, lines were etched upon her brow. Her arms became much weaker and her gait much slower; but she was somehow warmer at life’s winter age than she was in the summer days. All of life’s tragedy had been wrestled to the mat and still she stood to attest to the authenticity of her goals, dreams and ambitions. What is wrong with hanging around the stage to collect an encore from a grateful audience whose lives have been touched by the beauty of your song? Just because the glare of summer doesn’t beat upon your face doesn’t mean that there is nothing left for you to do. Whose presence will stand as a witness that God will see you through? Who will care to catch a glimpse of your children run their race or catch them when they fall beneath the weight of their day? God never extends days beyond purpose. When my mother was walking through autumn and stepping into winter, my wife was in the middle of summer, and my daughters were in their springtime. Together they formed a chord of woman-hood—three different notes creating a harmonious blend. To the reader, I would suggest: Enjoy every note.

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22

Our culture has celebrated youth to such a degree that we have isolated the elderly. The Hollywood mentality accentuates the dynamics of youth as though each season of life didn’t have its own beauty. Anyone who observes nature will tell you that all seasons have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is important that we teach women to prepare for the winter. I believe age can be stressful for women in a way that it isn’t for men—only because we have not historically recognized women at other stages in their lives. Equally disturbing is the fact that statisticians tell us women tend to live longer, more productive lives than their male counterparts. It is not their longevity of life that is disturbing; it is the fact that many times, because of an early death of their spouse, they have no sense of companionship.

The Bible admonishes us to minister to the widows. Little instruction is given in regard to the care of aged men. We need to invest some effort in encouraging older women. They have a need for more than just provision of natural substance. Many women spend their lives building their identity around their role rather than around their person. When the role changes, they feel somewhat displaced. Because being a good mother is a self-sacrificing job, when those demands have subsided, many women feel like Naomi. Her name meant “my joy.” But after losing her children and husband she said, “Change my name to ‘Mara.’” Mara means “bitterness.” Don’t allow changing times to change who you are. It is dangerous to lose your identity in your circumstances. Circumstances change and when they do, the older woman can feel empty and unfulfilled. In spite of Naomi’s bout with depression, God still had much for her to contribute. So just because the demands have changed, that doesn’t mean your life is over. Redefine your purpose, gather your assets and keep on living and giving. As long as you can maintain a sense of worth, you can resist the “Mara” mentality.

R
edefine your purpose, gather your assets and keep on living and giving.

Naomi was a collection of tragedies. She had weathered many storms. Discouragement comes when people feel they have seen it all and most of it was really terrible! No matter what age you are, you have never seen it all. There are no graduations from the school of life other than death. No one knows how God will end His book, but He does tend to save the best for last. Israel didn’t recognize Jesus because they were so used to seeing what they had already seen. God had sent dozens of prophets, and when He finally sent the King, they failed to recognize Him. It is dangerous to assume that what you will see out of life will be similar to what you saw before. God has the strangest way of restoring purpose to your life. For Naomi, it was through a relationship she tried to dissuade. It is dangerous to keep sending people away. The very one you are trying to send away may have the key to restoring purpose and fulfillment to your life.

G
od has the strangest way of restoring purpose to your life.

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
Ruth 1:16

Ruth was Naomi’s daughter-in-law. Naomi thought their only connection was her now dead son. Many times we, who have been very family-oriented, do not understand friendships. When family circumstances change, we lapse into isolation because we know nothing of other relationships. There are bonds that are stronger than blood (see Prov. 18:24). They are God-bonds! When God brings someone into our life, He is the bonding agent. Ruth said, “Your God shall be my God.” God wanted Naomi to see the splendor of winter relationships, the joy of passing the baton of her wisdom and strength to someone worthy of her attention. We need to let God choose such a person for us because too often we choose on the basis of fleshly ties and not godly ties. I have noticed in the Scriptures that the strongest female relationships tend to be exemplified between older and younger women. I am certainly not suggesting that such will always be the case. However, let me submit a few cases for your own edification.

1. Ruth would have died in Moab, probably marrying some heathen idolator if it were not for the wisdom of Naomi, an older, more seasoned woman. Naomi knew how to provide guidance without manipulation—a strength many women at Ruth’s stage of life do not have. Ruth was, of course, one of the great-grandparents in the lineage of Jesus Christ. She had greatness in her that God used Naomi to cultivate. Perhaps Naomi would have been called Mara and perhaps she would have ended up dying in bitterness instead of touching lives if it had not been for Ruth.
   
2. Elisabeth, the wife of the priest Zacharias, is the biblical synonym for the modern pastor’s wife. She was a winter woman with a summer experience. She was pregnant with a promise. In spite of her declining years, she was fulfilling more destiny then than she had in her youth. She is biblical proof that God blesses us in His own time and on His own terms. She was also in seclusion. Perhaps it was the attitude of the community. Many times when an older woman is still vibrant and productive it can cause jealousy and intimidation. Perhaps it was the silent stillness in her womb which some believe she experienced. Whatever the reason, she was a recluse for six months until she heard a knock at the door. If you have isolated yourself from others, regardless of the reason, I pray you will hear the knocking of the Lord. He will give you the garment of praise to clothe the spirit of heaviness (Is. 61:3).
   

G
od blesses us in His own time and on His own terms.

When Elisabeth lifted her still-creaking body, which seemed almost anchored down to the chair, and drug her enlarged torso to the door, she saw a young girl, a picture of herself in days gone by, standing there. Opening that door changed her life forever. As you open the door to new relationships and remove the chain from your own fears, God will overwhelm you with new splendor. Mary, the future mother of our Savior and Lord, Elisabeth’s young cousin, was at the door. The salutation of this young woman, the exposure to her experience, made the baby in Elisabeth’s womb leap and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. God will jump-start your heart! He doesn’t mean for you to go sit in a chair and die!
In Jesus’ name, get up and answer the door!
People probably wondered why these women were so close who were so different, but it was a God-bond!

While I was in school, I worked at a local paint store. I had to acquaint myself with the products and procedures. I was intrigued by a refinishing product that restored old furniture to its former luster. I purchased the product to see if it was as effective as I had been told. I learned right away that the most difficult part of restoring furniture was stripping off the old wax. It takes patience to overcome the effects of years of use and abuse. If you are not committed to getting back what you once had, you could easily decide that the process is impossible. Nevertheless, I assure you it is not impossible. David, the psalmist, declares, “
He restoreth my soul
” (Ps. 23:3). The term
restoreth
is a process. Only God knows what it takes to remove the build-up that may be existing in your life. But He specializes in restoring and renewing the human heart.

And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
Ruth 4:14-15

Naomi almost changed her name to Mara. She felt that God had dealt very bitterly with her. It is dangerous to be prejudiced against God. Prejudice is to pre-judge. People, even believers, have often prejudged God. However, He isn’t finished yet. Before it was over, everyone agreed that the hand of the Lord was upon Naomi. Therefore, you are not off course. Trust Him to see you through days that may be different from the ones you encountered earlier. You are being challenged with the silent struggles of winter. I believe the most painful experience is to look backward and have to stare into the cold face of regret. Most people have thought, “I wonder how things would have been had I not made this decision or that one.” To realize that you have been the victim and the assailant in your own life may be difficult to accept—especially since most of those dilemmas are birthed through the womb of your own decisions. Admittedly, there are those who inadvertently crashed into circumstances that stripped them, wounded them and left them feeling like the victim on the Jericho road! (Lk. 10:30) No matter which case best describes your current situation, first pause and thank God that, like Naomi, in spite of the tragedies of youth, it is a miracle that you survived the solemn chill of former days. Your presence should be a praise. Look over your shoulder and see what could have been. Has God dealt with you bitterly? I think not.