Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens.
For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”
[Ruth 3: 18]
The line above comes at the end of chapter 3, after Ruth goes to Boaz at the threshing floor. After finding her there, Boaz explains that he is her kinsman, but that there is another who is more closely related to her, who has more rights than he does. Ruth repeats everything that happens to Naomi, who tells her to wait and see what happens. Naomi believes that Boaz won’t rest until the situation is resolved.
I don’t know about you but I’m not very good at waiting. If something needs to be done, I would rather it was done now. If something needs sorting, it needs sorting now. Waiting can be stressful, and it can be difficult to rest and relax during this time. As a minister I have had many phone calls, often from the same few people, asking when church will be reopened, why don’t I know when it will be, why do I keep saying we need to wait? An indication that we don’t like to wait! I’ve also seen it on the news, with certain industries insisting that they should be allowed to open, before the guidance is given, because they think that they should.
Humans don’t like to wait, but our impatience can be our undoing. As Alexander Pope puts it, “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”. When we rush in, when we are impatient, things can go horribly wrong. Just as Ruth needed to wait, we too need to wait, to be patient. Even when we are told churches can reopen, it won’t be as easy as going back to ‘normal’; it will be slow, it will take time. Patience is the key.
God of unending patience
You waited until the time was right;
You were patient and brought your plan to completion.
Still you are patient,
Waiting for the right time for your final coming,
For the new creation.
Help us as we wait for life to restart again.
Help us to be patient and loving.
Amen.
You can download this Prayer for the Week here
Weekly Prayers for June written by Revd Claire Rawlinson
Image: photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
