Where you go I'll go ...

"Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God."  Ruth 1:16b

Yesterday I sat in church listening to Pastor Daniel speak on "Bitter Loss" and the text was Ruth 1:6-22.  The story about Naomi and her two Moabite daughter in laws.  And how she urged them to not come with her (after the men in the family had all died) but Ruth spoke the famous words to her mother in-law, that are listed at the top.  "Where you go, I will go and where you stay, I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God my God."

And these words of Scripture, it took me back almost 48 years to our wedding day.  I asked Alvin about that verse as well and he remembered that we spoke it to one another.  Little did we know hey, what life would send our way.  But here we are almost 48 years later, and we are still in the same place, and we serve our God together.

The sermon made me think a lot about not only the story of Naomi and her daughter in law Ruth, but also about our story, Alvin and I together.  I will be the first to admit that it has not always been easy but then again no one told us that marriage was easy.  In fact I have come to believe that nothing of value comes easy.  Not a single thing!! If life was so easy, I think we would take things for granted much more than we have.

Life has never been easy, but it has been good.  It makes me think of how diamonds come from intense pressure ... and gold and silver are refined under intense heat.  So why would I expect an easy life, with no heat, no pressure lol.  

I actually love the story I heard about the silver smith.  

The story of the Silversmith: “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver” (Mal. 3:3). This puzzled a Bible study group. One of the members offered to learn about the process of refining silver and inform them at their next study. He visited a silversmith and watched him at work. He watched the silversmith hold a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. The silversmith explained that in refining silver, you must hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest to burn away all the impurities. The member then thought about God holding us where the flames are the hottest to burn away our impurities. Then he thought again about the verse. “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” He asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire and watch the process at all times.

The silversmith answered that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was tested in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. You must leave it long enough to serve the purpose, but not too long as it would destroy it. The member was silent for a moment. Then asked the silversmith, “How do you know when silver is fully refined?” He smiled and answered, “Oh, that’s easy — when I see my image in it.” (Author Unknown).

This story really makes me smile as I know that I want the LORD to be reflected in me, and I want to reflect HIS likeness!!  That makes all the intensity of life worth it I think.  Sometimes when I am in the midst of it, perhaps I feel differently, but it usually doest last too long, and I am back wanting HIM to do his work in me.

I am glad that Alvin and I spoke those words to one another back on our wedding day because I know we are in this together.  May we continue to keep our eyes on Jesus because that is who we have chosen to follow for forever - till we see him face to face in Heaven!

So with that, I am thankful for Pastor Dan's sermon on Ruth, and can't wait to hear what else he is going to speak on!  If you need a church to come to - we would welcome you at ours, Kilcona Park Alliance Church!

Keep following Jesus friends!!