E-M-P-T-Y

"Empty" is not always negative...but usually. It usually gives us the idea of being without.

Probably there is not a person alive, having lived into his thirties or forties, who has not experienced several times when he has been "empty". Sometimes we merely feel this way, and sometimes it is a fact.

All who are even moderately familiar with the stories of the Bible easily recall the story of Ruth. Oddly, one wonders why the book is entitled "Ruth"? It is as much a story of Naomi - and it could be argued - more, about Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law. As briefly as possible, here are the aspects of the story.

Elimelech, his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, leave the land of Israel because of a severe famine, and travel down to over to Moab which evidently had not been affected by the dearth. While there, Elimelech dies, the two sons marry Moabite women, and after ten years of childless marriage, both of the two sons die, leaving three widows: Naomi, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi learns that the famine is over in Israel, and tells her two daughters-in-law that she is going to return alone to her homeland.

Orpah eventually agrees to remain in Moab with her family, while Ruth will not hear to Naomi making that long, heartbroken journey alone. When they arrive "back home" (Bethlehem), here arises the idea of "being empty", as we read in Ruth 1:20 & 21:

"And she said unto (her relatives and friends in Bethlehem), Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me, "I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again"empty" (there is that word): why call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me".

We cannot help but wonder how Ruth felt about being refered to as "empty". It was obvious that all Naomi saw in Ruth was another mouth to feed, another person for whom she must be responsible. The next few days and weeks would prove Naomi not only to be terribly mistaken about Ruth and her potential good, but would actually be Naomi's livelihood ticket, would give her more than enough "children and grandchildren", but would forever credit her with providing a golden future, eventually being in the bloodline of King David, and Jesus, the Messiah and Redeemer.

It is a lesson for each follower of God to learn. God can - and often does - take our "empty" situations and turn them into far greater benefits for us and others than we ever could have if left to our own methods.

The catch is not knowing that our "empty situations" are actually being worked out by the Lord. Because of this, and the frequent long, frustrating, discouraging years elapsed, we are wise to place, and leave, our "empty" times and feelings in His wonderful wisdom and timing. One things is certain from this story. The Orpahs are forgotten, while the Ruths become bright and shining stars.

Storm on the Bering!

This is every sailor's nightmare - a storm at sea - especially at night!
Few of us take the time to imagine the "cost" of the seafood we buy, prepare and consume for our meals. All of it comes with rigorous, cold, difficult, soaking-wet effort, and much of it at the risk of human lives.

Customarily, the crews of seafood processing ships eat and toil sixteen hours a day that they fish, and, maybe?, read or sleep for eight. Work for sixteen hours and rest for eight. When they get to port (usually Dutch Harbor) with full and frozen storage lockers in the bottom of the ships, all hands turn out to offload, even if some had just gone to sleep in their coffin-like bunks.

Fishing vessels are not designed for comfort, and the 151 foot long ship our son, Mark, signed on to for a three month stint was soon at their fishing area- the Bering Sea - where the seas are typically rough in decent weather, and the storms are frequent and rougher.

Mark's first storm scared him more than any other frightening life experiences before and since - and he prayed more and harder! The fearful and repetitious pounding of giant waves, combined with the darkened crew's quarters (someone was always asleep), made sleep and peace of mind impossible. In his mind, Mark was certain that they were going to go down, and would soon be in the freezing, salty embrace of vicious, mountainous seas.

He said to himself, "I am not going to go down in this darkened, rolling, tossing bunk. I'm going up on the deck and talk to Colin (their skipper)''.

He stumbled up steep, iron steps and opened the deck hatch to the ominous shriek of screaming, salty sheets of stinging spray, quickly grasping the ever-present lifelines strategically placed for night movement on slanting, pitching decks.

Immediately Mark's attention was drawn to huge seas where their comparatively tiny craft bore directly down on each one, with intrepid, courageous challenge. They appeared to be a small bit of foam or piece of flotsam in comparison. The terrific pounding came as the result of their ship's temporary respite on each wave's crest, and then right down into the yawning trough of each succeeding, monstrous wave. "We have to be going down," Mark seriously concluded.

He forged his way to the lighted wheelhouse intending to ask Colin how long this could continue, and when they would go down, and what their chances of survival might be? Mounting the deck, he paused in wonder. Colin was sitting in a deck chair smoking his pipe and reading something. He never even had a finger on the wheel, but had it locked in place - directly challenging each threatening sea!

Without a word, Mark carefully made his way back to his darkened bunk. If the captain was not afraid, he had no reason to worry. Colin had weathered many a Bering Sea storm, and obviously, Mark lived to tell me this story.

The application is clear. Our Captain has control of our storms. They are no threat to Him!