Ruth:
A Test in Faithfulness
Author: Estelbain
Email: Estelbain@hotmail.com
Genre: Bible Stories made real
Summary: Ruth is a normal jewish women living in Moab, she is married and lives a happy life. Then her world comes crashing down around her, till all she has left is her mother in law. With Ruth buoyant personality and never ending faithfulness, redemption may be just around the croner.
Note: Before we begin. Sorry for any and all spelling mistakes. My coumpter crashed and I'm working on one that doesn't have word or even a spell check on it.
I recived this idea (from daddy I hope!) when I was helping to teach sunday school in my church. I wanted to take this bible story and try to make to it so people can realate to it. We all have gone through hard times or are going through them right now. Its nice to know that even then people went through the same stuff.
If anyone cares, I don't know when I will be able to upload my next chapter on "Love's Time Well Spent" becuase when my computer crashed it took my files with it. I'm justing doing my best to redo some already posted chapters.
One last thing if anyone would like to take it upon themselves to be my beta I would love them forever. Enjoy and God bless Estelbain
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It's ironic now looking back, you never think of anything like this. Sure back when Elimelech died and Naomi grieved I started to think about it, but I couldn't fathom this. My naive heart came up with this romantic notion of us dieing old and gray in each others arms, encircled by our beautiful children and grandchildren and maybe our first great grandchild would sit and play on the bed. I never thought it would come to this. I never ever thought it would be like this, this bad. I didn't know I could feel this alone and deserted.
Maybe if I had been able to say good-bye, to kiss him one last time, hold his big rough hand as he faded before my eyes, I could accept this. Maybe my heart would cower and believe it. Just seeing that mangled and battered corpse, did do it.
My naive heart refuses to believe that's him, before me, still and cold, his face barely recognizable, his soft brown hair matted and covered with blood, parts of him missing.
* * * * *
I bent over to draw water form the well. I felt a hand of my back, a shivered traveled up my spine. I turned to see Orpah, my sister in law, standing there with a strange look in her eyes. 'She looks so pale and thin since Kilion passed on, we will soon look to find a new husband for her.'
I smile "What is it dear sister?" I ask.
"Naomi wants to see you," came her soft reply.
"Can it wait till I have watered the goats?"
"No, there is someone here to see you, I will finish." She took the rope from my hands.
I nodded and walked away quickly. I wodered who it could be? 'Mahlon' I thought and broke out into a run as the house came into sight.
It wasn't much but for the past three years it had been home and I had been happy.
As I came to the back door I slowed to walk and covered my head with shawl as I entered the house.
I went to the front room and saw Naomi standing there her eyes full of tears.
Next to her stood a man, or rather a solider. He looked mean and tried. His right check was puckered by a scare, while his chin hosted the making of new one.
I entered and bowed my head. I looked to my mother in law and saw tears spill from her eyes. "You sent for me, mother." Was all I choke out, in my heart I knew what was to come.
The man looked at me, with tried blue eyes, he might have been handsome once, long ago, maybe not so long ago.
"Are you Ruth, wife of Mahlon?" He asked in gruff voice.
"Yes I am." I replied.
"I am sorry, to tell you this."
'This please don't!' I thought.
"A fight broke out," he continued, "near one of the fields and your husband tried to intervene, some of the Moabites turned on him and they killed him along a few other Israelites. Filthy pigs they have no respect for any living things."
His voice faded from my ears.
Mahlon dead? What, how could that be., no, I needed him, he couldn't leave me, what about Naomi and Oprah? We are all along what would we do now?
The world began to spin. I focused my eyes to watch the man step to the left and reveal my Mahlon behind him.
I ran to him and fell on my knees, tears pouring from my eyes. I reached out and touched his face, it was smeared with blood and sweat, his own and others. His eyes were closed and his face looked at peace. His soft brown hair that I loved to run my hands threw was mattered and tufted. I ran my hand threw it one last time.
I drew my hand away as I felt something cold and sticky cling to my fingers. My hand was stained red. I looked at his once strong arms now hacked and mangled. His strong chest where I had laid my head so many times, still spurted blood, it oozed slowly sweeping into the robe I had made him.
Suddenly it felt like I was floating, I was high above everything. This wasn't real, it was a nightmare, and I would wake up screaming like I always did, screaming. Mahlon would hold me and tell me it wasn't real, just like he always did. I would feel those strong arms around me once again, those rough hands caressing my back, and my world would be right again.
'Wake up!' I screamed inside, I had to wake up. Okay that was not working I had to let this hellish nightmare run it's coarse. "Come now, we must wash him so he can be buried." I forced my tongue from the roof of my mouth. I looked to the man "There is no man in the household now."
He nodded "I will get what you need and find someone to make a grave for you."
"A thousands thanks, may the lord face always smile upon you and your house." Was all I could mange.
I cover my love with his shroud and look to my mother in law. She is sobbing brokenly in the coroner.
I stood and knelt next to her, Oprah came in and joined us
A Test in Faithfulness
Author: Estelbain
Email: Estelbain@hotmail.com
Genre: Bible Stories made real
Summary: Ruth is a normal jewish women living in Moab, she is married and lives a happy life. Then her world comes crashing down around her, till all she has left is her mother in law. With Ruth buoyant personality and never ending faithfulness, redemption may be just around the croner.
Note: Before we begin. Sorry for any and all spelling mistakes. My coumpter crashed and I'm working on one that doesn't have word or even a spell check on it.
I recived this idea (from daddy I hope!) when I was helping to teach sunday school in my church. I wanted to take this bible story and try to make to it so people can realate to it. We all have gone through hard times or are going through them right now. Its nice to know that even then people went through the same stuff.
If anyone cares, I don't know when I will be able to upload my next chapter on "Love's Time Well Spent" becuase when my computer crashed it took my files with it. I'm justing doing my best to redo some already posted chapters.
One last thing if anyone would like to take it upon themselves to be my beta I would love them forever. Enjoy and God bless Estelbain
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It's ironic now looking back, you never think of anything like this. Sure back when Elimelech died and Naomi grieved I started to think about it, but I couldn't fathom this. My naive heart came up with this romantic notion of us dieing old and gray in each others arms, encircled by our beautiful children and grandchildren and maybe our first great grandchild would sit and play on the bed. I never thought it would come to this. I never ever thought it would be like this, this bad. I didn't know I could feel this alone and deserted.
Maybe if I had been able to say good-bye, to kiss him one last time, hold his big rough hand as he faded before my eyes, I could accept this. Maybe my heart would cower and believe it. Just seeing that mangled and battered corpse, did do it.
My naive heart refuses to believe that's him, before me, still and cold, his face barely recognizable, his soft brown hair matted and covered with blood, parts of him missing.
* * * * *
I bent over to draw water form the well. I felt a hand of my back, a shivered traveled up my spine. I turned to see Orpah, my sister in law, standing there with a strange look in her eyes. 'She looks so pale and thin since Kilion passed on, we will soon look to find a new husband for her.'
I smile "What is it dear sister?" I ask.
"Naomi wants to see you," came her soft reply.
"Can it wait till I have watered the goats?"
"No, there is someone here to see you, I will finish." She took the rope from my hands.
I nodded and walked away quickly. I wodered who it could be? 'Mahlon' I thought and broke out into a run as the house came into sight.
It wasn't much but for the past three years it had been home and I had been happy.
As I came to the back door I slowed to walk and covered my head with shawl as I entered the house.
I went to the front room and saw Naomi standing there her eyes full of tears.
Next to her stood a man, or rather a solider. He looked mean and tried. His right check was puckered by a scare, while his chin hosted the making of new one.
I entered and bowed my head. I looked to my mother in law and saw tears spill from her eyes. "You sent for me, mother." Was all I choke out, in my heart I knew what was to come.
The man looked at me, with tried blue eyes, he might have been handsome once, long ago, maybe not so long ago.
"Are you Ruth, wife of Mahlon?" He asked in gruff voice.
"Yes I am." I replied.
"I am sorry, to tell you this."
'This please don't!' I thought.
"A fight broke out," he continued, "near one of the fields and your husband tried to intervene, some of the Moabites turned on him and they killed him along a few other Israelites. Filthy pigs they have no respect for any living things."
His voice faded from my ears.
Mahlon dead? What, how could that be., no, I needed him, he couldn't leave me, what about Naomi and Oprah? We are all along what would we do now?
The world began to spin. I focused my eyes to watch the man step to the left and reveal my Mahlon behind him.
I ran to him and fell on my knees, tears pouring from my eyes. I reached out and touched his face, it was smeared with blood and sweat, his own and others. His eyes were closed and his face looked at peace. His soft brown hair that I loved to run my hands threw was mattered and tufted. I ran my hand threw it one last time.
I drew my hand away as I felt something cold and sticky cling to my fingers. My hand was stained red. I looked at his once strong arms now hacked and mangled. His strong chest where I had laid my head so many times, still spurted blood, it oozed slowly sweeping into the robe I had made him.
Suddenly it felt like I was floating, I was high above everything. This wasn't real, it was a nightmare, and I would wake up screaming like I always did, screaming. Mahlon would hold me and tell me it wasn't real, just like he always did. I would feel those strong arms around me once again, those rough hands caressing my back, and my world would be right again.
'Wake up!' I screamed inside, I had to wake up. Okay that was not working I had to let this hellish nightmare run it's coarse. "Come now, we must wash him so he can be buried." I forced my tongue from the roof of my mouth. I looked to the man "There is no man in the household now."
He nodded "I will get what you need and find someone to make a grave for you."
"A thousands thanks, may the lord face always smile upon you and your house." Was all I could mange.
I cover my love with his shroud and look to my mother in law. She is sobbing brokenly in the coroner.
I stood and knelt next to her, Oprah came in and joined us