GREEN-LIGHT revolution

Ladies, I’m so glad we are talking about Rahab today, for she has been on my mind all day yesterday and today! We have been having a truly glorious event in Joplin this past week. The Limner Society, which is a group of Christian artists, came and shared their art with us all week. I saw a painting done by a truly gifted woman of her interpretation of Rahab. It was breathtaking. The color pallet was done in browns, charcoals, and blacks. She had a rust brown head covering on, and all you could see of her face was a wisp of black hair and one piercing eye. I was stopped dead in my tracks when I saw her! So, all of that to say that Rahab is truly a captivating character! This is how the introduction commentary to the story of Rahab begins in my bible: “….story of danger, intrigue, and cleverness…”

Rahab: prostitute, lives in Jericho, aid to foreign spies, chosen accessory: a scarlet cord.

One thing that really gets me about Rahab was that she was a prostitute. I have heard her story several times throughout my life, and it seems that every time that little fact is casually grazed over. If it is mentioned, it seems to immediately be followed by how instrumental she was in saving the spies Joshua sent out. And although this is so very true, I just don’t want us to make light of the fact that she was indeed a prostitute. Her profession was to sleep with man after man, for money. The end. No sugar coating. Rahab’s house was more than just a hiding place; it was a place of business. She is given the title “Rahab the prostitute” and keeps it throughout the rest of the story. Only God could take something meant for destruction and turn it into new life. Her life of prostitution was claiming her for destruction (physical, emotional, and spiritual), but God used that to provide a way out and a new beginning. Her home was in the city wall, (Joshua 2:15) so even her place of rest was set for destruction.

“And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.” – Joshua 6:17

The physical representation of God’s provision, rescuing, and restoration in Rahab’s life is symbolized through a scarlet cord hung outside the city wall from her window.

“…. Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.” – Joshua 2:21

She was looking for someone to be faithful to her.

“Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” – Joshua 2:12-13.

She had lived a life of never being able to depend on anyone. Prostitution isn’t the most romantic line of work, and a woman can certainly not expect any of the men she does business with to be faithful to her; let alone for them to turn into her knight in shining armor. But God in His great mercy did just those things for her! The scarlet cord hanging from her window was only a representation of a union, a promise, and a hope for a future in Christ. But Rahab isn’t the only one who has been granted these gifts! We also have a union, a promise, and a hope for a future with Him!

P.S. Oh, and I’m also guessing that Rahab was a weaver since she had stalks of flax all over her roof! (Joshua 2:6) Just another reason to love that woman :)

Going green,

Miss

Dearest ladies, if we were all together in person, I would give each of you a big glorious hug today! It has just been one of those days for me, where God’s romance is just above and beyond. It was like everywhere I turned today something special was happening to me. I had a butterfly come and rest on my hand early this morning; it was the loveliest thing. Wishing joys like that for all of you as well! Let’s talk about Miriam now. This may be a bit odd, but does anyone else think of the name Marian when you say Miriam? I do, which immediately makes me think of Maid Marian… so should we humor ourselves and call Miriam “Maid Miriam” just this once? I think yes.

Maid Miriam: captive Hebrew slave in the foreign land of Egypt, sister to Moses and Aaron, prophetess, witness to the deliverance of the Lord, and accessory of choice is a tambourine.

Ok, so I love, love, LOVE Maid Miriam’s character. There are so many ways God used her, not only to save Moses’s life, but in turn to also play a part in the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery. Maid Miriam is first mentioned in Exodus 2, but the part I want to focus on this time is Exodus 15. To set the scene up: God just did a crazy awesome miracle by parting the Red Sea in order to save the Hebrews and defeat the Egyptian soldiers. Now Moses and Maid Miriam are leading the people in songs of worship in order to show their awe at the wonders of God.

“Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. And Miriam sang to them:
‘Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.’”
- Exodus 15:20-21

Wow, this sounds like one of the best things I’ve ever seen. As a fellow Bedouin woman who prefers a tambourine as my accessory of choice, I totally think that Miriam has the right idea here! I mean, doesn’t it just paint a marvelous picture in your head? Here are these women, they have come from slavery, been chased by Egyptian soldiers, just walked across THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, and watched as hundreds and hundreds of soldiers died foot steps away from where they just were… and then they pick up a tambourine and begin to dance. Best response ever! Maid Miriam was doing exactly what I wish my response to be on just a normal day, let alone under extreme conditions! Her tambourine symbolized way more than just an exotic choice of instrument; it showed joy, worship, undignified abandon, freedom, and an overflowing spirit. Oh that God would increase my heart to be more like Maid Miriam, to dance with an unabashed spirit!

Holy kisses to you all!

Going green,

Miss

My dearest greenlight ladies! I totally want to skip the intro for today’s post, because I am just too excited. I want us to become better friends with three women that I thoroughly find to be wonderful characters. I am just really excited about these women, and what God did through their lives. So here they are: Rebekah, Miriam, and Rahab.

Their stories can be found in Genesis 24, Exodus 15, and Joshua 2. There are many, many, many things about God and His character that can be proved in their stories, but the main things I want to focus on this time are these ladies accessories! Come on, let’s be honest…. This is one of our favorite things to talk about as women. So let’s start with Rebekah.

Rebekah: from the town of Nahor, relative to Abraham, soon to be wife of Isaac, and receiver of a 1/5 ounce GOLD nose ring.

Ok, first off this story is one of the most romantic love stories in the Old Testament to me. I would like to quote from my bible’s commentary concerning this: “The first meeting of Isaac and Rebekah (vs. 62-67) is a masterpiece of atmosphere, tenderness, and understated emotion.” With a description like that, I now feel it absolutely necessary that we read it….

“Now Isaac had come from Beer La-hai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac, (cue romantic music!) She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.” – Genesis 24:62-65.

All together now, “Sigh……” :) It’s great, just great. Now let’s get back to that nose ring. Abraham’s servant first gives Rebekah the nose ring in verse 22, after she has watered the camels; this was like a version of an engagement ring. In verse 30 we see that Rebekah’s nose ring is the first dead giveaway sign to her brother, Laban, that something is up. This nose ring seems to be a pretty big deal, so I started thinking about it; what could it symbolize? These were my thoughts: nose ring= belonging to someone, being identified with them, possession, ownership. Even though we don’t yet have our own physical versions of nose rings, (or just a diamond band on the second to last finger of the left hand) we most definitely have these things in Christ. We belong to Him, are identified with Him, are His possession, and He has sole ownership of our hearts and affections.

God is faithful, Rebekah is wonderful, and I now have a greater desire for a nose ring. Tomorrow let’s become better friends with Miriam!

Holy kisses to you all!

Going green,

Miss

Well dearest ladies, it shall soon be fall again. This is my all time favorite season. I love waking up to cool crisp mornings, when the mist still hangs like a scarf around the morning’s shoulders. I love seeing the trees change their dress from lilac and emerald, to burnt orange and gold. Fall means a busy campus once more. People scurrying to their 8 a.m. classes, most of them already praying for Christmas break. But not me, I love campus when it’s full and bustling. I eagerly wait for those days; and can I just say that I miss cardigans and boots! And yes, I am one of those nerds who loves a fresh bouquet of sharpened pencils (thank you Meg Ryan for forever making that famous).

Fall is also the hardest time of year to me. I hate to say it ladies, but fall is when I get real lonesome. I never miss my husband more, than I do in the fall. Maybe it’s because it is my favorite, or maybe it’s because I see so many couples on campus; who knows really why it is. I never knew you could miss someone so much that you’ve never even met. I know that this blog is all about contentment and a purpose filled singleness, and while God is surely teaching me all of those things in abundance…. I just have to admit, that in the fall I tend to forget that sometimes. Fall means lots and lots of little deaths to my own wants and longings.

“For my loneliness, Lord- Your strength.
For my temptation to self-pity, Lord- Your strength.
For my uncontrollable longings for this man, Lord- Your strength.”
-Elisabeth Elliot

Elizabeth Elliot and I become super close pals every fall. She pretty much goes with me everywhere during those times. Now that is a woman! Her and Jim’s story of waiting without hope, but all the while in perfect obedience, is one that I want to model for sure. I feel like sometimes I get confused on how contentment really works. When I think: “Ok Missy, now be content in your singleness” I think it’s supposed to translate to: “Ok Missy, never ever long for a husband until God brings you one”. That’s not really how it works. For Elizabeth, her contentment worked itself out through obedience. She trusted the place and season that God had assigned to her, but she still desired to marry Jim with all of her heart. I can trust God when He says singleness is where I am supposed to be, but I can still desire a husband without that desire feeling like discontentment.

Faithfulness, peace, trust, understanding, contentment… these are the goals I’m striving for. I guess what I’m trying to say is, that sometimes I don’t make it; but in no way less does that mean that God is not still working out fulfillment and purpose to my season of singleness. He can still work in beautiful messes.

Holy kisses to you all!

Going Green,

Miss

Love Your Neighbor...It’s one of the Ten Commandments, to Love Your Neighbor. “Great, I got it, I love myself, I love my neighbor, bing, bang, boom…let’s worry about more important commandments” In a nutshell, this is what my arrogant subconscious thinks…

Have you ever done or said something that you thought was funny but someone took it the wrong way? You really didn’t mean to be rude…it’s not your fault that she didn’t understand that you were being sarcastic or quoting a line from The Office. When I offend someone, my gut reaction is to defend myself.

The other day, God said, “Hey wait a second, Andrea. Do you ever get offended by anyone?” I said, “Well yes, but that guy is consistently a jerk. And that girl is totally annoying. And he cut me off in traffic. Of course I put him in his place, was short with her, and rode his butt the rest of the way down Rangeline. Do you expect me to just let people walk all over me, God?!” God gently (but unmistakably) revealed that I am living a double-standard life style. I am indignant that anyone would think that I am rude, but I get totally bent out of shape at Joplin traffic. I think that people are being sensitive when they are offended by me, but I think I am justified when I judge other people.

If I want to label myself as a follower of Christ (and I do!), my only option is to be more Christ-like. More patient. More loving. More compassionate. More aware of how my actions will affect others.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
-Galatians 5:14 (ESV)

Green – a color representation of new things, fresh things, being alive. I truly want to “go green” this week.

Going green!
-Andrea