Loved

I feel so much better today. I have had a huge increase in energy. I have almost quit blowing my nose. I have coughed really hard occasionally though. But on the inside, I feel much better.

I had x time today for the first time since the last time I told you about it. Basically in about two weeks. I have been sleeping so much as I get rid of this cold. Today I had x time out of love not out of fear. It is entirely what I wanted to do each time I met with God. I did struggle a little bit before my noon time because I was so frustrated that I felt my energy just drain from me as I worked. I guess some callings need a huge energy boost from God several times a day or at least I do.

In spite of feeling so much better, I rested quite a bit today. In January I knew I was supposed to write. In February I knew I was supposed to rest. I just thought it would be more fun to rest than it has been with being so sick.

I read Ruth again today. I love the cultural context of the book. Ruth’s reputation wasn’t just made by her being in David and Christ’s lineage; she was popular in her day. I also love how friendly to the Gentiles and descendants of Gentiles the book is. I always hear about this “God of the Old Testament” who was such a mean, exclusive God. There were like the Jews and nobody else. But the book of Ruth celebrates two Gentile women and Tamar, who pretended to be a prostitute. I think it is cool how Boaz was a “man of standing”, but he was the son of Rahab, the prostitute. He was very respected in the community. If you read the book closely, somewhere in the middle of it, Naomi says something down the order of, “He is still doing good and showing mercy to those around him” like she already knew that about him before she left for Moab. So that is cool.

Then after reading that, I turned to Mark and read the story about the woman who poured the perfume over Jesus. He stood up for her. It made me realize Jesus stood up for persecuted women a lot. Anyways, that was a thought I had, and I thought I should read more about it. For so much of my life, I hated being a woman. I never noticed how God treated women in His story. It is really cool to do so now.

Anyways, I am off to bed to finish sleeping off this cold. May my life continue in love.

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.

Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.

But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” – Mark 14:3-9