在移居至另一个州后,Melanie一家潦倒地返回原地。他们没有实现迁居的目的,霎时间他们变为无家可归,他们需要找到一个可以归属的地方;回来后他们失去了自立能力和自尊心受挫,他们愿意接受所在教会的帮助。有一个家庭让他们住在自己的家,直至他们准备好下一步要怎样做为止。
在我们的生命中,有些时候我们需要学习,我们若落在困境中,我们的社群是会支持我们的。我们总以为任何事情我们都可以靠自己去做,以致有时看不到神放置在我们周围的人,当我们靠自己支撑不住时,他们便来支持和扶起我们。
拿俄米和家人离开伯利恒到摩押地,寻找更理想的生活。可是,当她返回时,她说她曾经拥有的已全被挪走。当然,神仍然在供给她所需的,只是她看不见而已。在痛苦和绝望中,她需要一个支援她的社群围绕着她,并再次注满她的生命 - 而她所属的社群真的能做得到。
当生活遇到困难时,让我们记着,有拥抱我们的社群,无论我们经历什么事,它都会加添我们的力量、建立我们、和支持我们的。
父啊,求你赐支持我们的社群,当我们有需要时,又叫我们有谦卑的心去接受它的支持。阿们。
路得记 1
1当士师秉政的时候,国中遭遇饥荒。在犹大伯利恒有一个人带着妻子和两个儿子,往摩押地去寄居。
2这人名叫以利米勒,他的妻名叫拿俄米,他两个儿子,一个名叫玛伦,一个名叫基连,都是犹大伯利恒的以法他人。他们到了摩押地,就住在那里。
3后来拿俄米的丈夫以利米勒死了,剩下妇人和她两个儿子。
4这两个儿子娶了摩押女子为妻,一个名叫俄珥巴,一个名叫路得,在那里住了约有十年。
5玛伦和基连二人也死了,剩下拿俄米,没有丈夫,也没有儿子。
6她就与两个儿妇起身,要从摩押地归回,因为她在摩押地听见耶和华眷顾自己的百姓,赐粮食于他们。
7于是她和两个儿妇起行离开所住的地方,要回犹大地去。
8拿俄米对两个儿妇说:“你们各人回娘家去吧!愿耶和华恩待你们,像你们恩待已死的人与我一样。
9愿耶和华使你们各在新夫家中得平安。”于是拿俄米与她们亲嘴,她们就放声而哭,
10说:“不然,我们必与你一同回你本国去。”
11拿俄米说:“我女儿们哪,回去吧!为何要跟我去呢?我还能生子做你们的丈夫吗?
12我女儿们哪,回去吧!我年纪老迈,不能再有丈夫。即或说我还有指望,今夜有丈夫可以生子,
13你们岂能等着他们长大呢?你们岂能等着他们不嫁别人呢?我女儿们哪,不要这样!我为你们的缘故,甚是愁苦,因为耶和华伸手攻击我。”
14两个儿妇又放声而哭,俄珥巴与婆婆亲嘴而别,只是路得舍不得拿俄米。
15拿俄米说:“看哪,你嫂子已经回她本国和她所拜的神那里去了,你也跟着你嫂子回去吧!”
16路得说:“不要催我回去不跟随你!你往哪里去,我也往哪里去;你在哪里住宿,我也在哪里住宿。你的国就是我的国,你的神就是我的神。
17你在哪里死,我也在哪里死,也葬在那里。除非死能使你我相离,不然,愿耶和华重重地降罚于我!”
18拿俄米见路得定意要跟随自己去,就不再劝她了。
19于是二人同行,来到伯利恒。她们到了伯利恒,合城的人就都惊讶。妇女们说:“这是拿俄米吗?”
20拿俄米对她们说:“不要叫我拿俄米,要叫我玛拉,因为全能者使我受了大苦。
21我满满地出去,耶和华使我空空地回来。耶和华降祸于我,全能者使我受苦。既是这样,你们为何还叫我拿俄米呢?”
22拿俄米和她儿妇摩押女子路得从摩押地回来到伯利恒,正是动手割大麦的时候。
"'Don’t call me Naomi,' she told them. . . . 'I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty.'" - Ruth 1:21
Melanie’s family returned broken after a move to another state. The purpose of their move away had not worked out, and they had suddenly found themselves without a place to live and searching for a place to belong. With their independence gone and their pride bruised, they came back and opened themselves up to being helped by their local church. A family took them in and let them live in their house until they figured out what to do next.
There are times in our lives when we need to learn that community is there to support us in difficult times. We tend to think that we can do everything on our own, so sometimes we fail to see that the people God has put in place around us are there to support and lift us up when we can’t support ourselves.
Naomi and her family had left Bethlehem looking for a better life in Moab. But when she returned, she said that all she had had was taken away from her. Of course, God was still providing for her; she just couldn’t see it. In her bitterness and despair, she needed a community of support to come around her and fill her up again—and her community did just that.
In the difficult times of our lives, let’s remember that community is around us to strengthen us, build us up, and support us in everything we are going through.
Father, provide us with a community of support and with the humble spirit to accept that support when we need it. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳