Breathing Easier

It seems that some people grow out of allergies and some grow into them. We had every pet available when my kids were growing up, but this girl of mine has now started sneezing whenever she is around anything with fur. She even has to keep her distance if her boyfriend hasn’t shaved in a few days! The problem is that she has a fundamental desire to have a pet, so I now have fish tanks taking up counter space in my kitchen.

The time had come for one of the tanks to be cleaned and I watched her as she tried to capture this adorable fish named Junior. The little guy darted and shot through the tank, struggling to avoid the net at all cost. He didn’t understand that his master was trying to help him, to remove him from the environment he was swimming in because there was something better. He had become accustomed to the filth and had gotten comfortable, not even realizing it was not the best place for him. There was fresh water ahead, a place where he could see more clearly and breathe easier.

We can be like that little fish, can’t we? Sometimes our Master needs to move us from the comfortable, or at least familiar, place we have been because he has a different plan or a new opportunity. It might be a different place to live, a job change, a new friendship or a challenging new ministry. Do we struggle against his leading or do we trust that He knows best?

I thought of this last night at "Backyard Bible Study" as we studied Ruth together. What if she had decided to stay right where she was in Moab?  Waved goodbye to cranky Naomi and gone back to her own people? We would have had a lot less to talk about last night and could have eaten more yummy buffalo chicken dip.

But Ruth would have missed out on an adventure of trust and obedience-a chance to meet and know her Redeemer more intimately.  And we would have missed out on her example. She trusted the Master’s hand and we would be wise to do the same. We just may end up seeing him more clearly and breathing easier.

~Cyndi 

Action step:
The "picture of Christ" in the book of Ruth is seen through Boaz, Ruth and Naomi's redeemer and rescuer.  Do you need a rescue from a situation in your life? What small step of obedience are you willing to make today to allow your Redeemer to rescue you?