Two weeks ago a patient of mine came into the clinic. I had treated her
in the past. I was sharing with her some things that I am working on
this year, one of which is learning how to bake bread. Immediately after
telling her this she commented, so you still don't have a boyfriend do
you? I confirmed with her that no, I in fact you do not have a
boyfriend. To which she continued by saying, you must not be trying hard
enough. On the inside I was a combination of exasperated frustration,
and wanting to leave the room and go cry somewhere. Somehow instead I
mustered up the statement, it's not about trying, it's about timing. I realize I let her get under my skin, because I told a lot of people the story and it really bugged me.
Today in Sunday School we talked about Genesis Chapter 24. The title of the lesson was big and dramatic- The Marriage Covenant
I thought to myself before it started, ok, let's see where this is gonna go and how I'll emotionally respond. Have no fear, Heather Staker did a brilliant job with how she choose to go about teaching the lesson. First we had participants read out the dialog of the chapter. First Abraham sent his servant out of the land of Canaan in search of a covenant keeping woman for his son Issac. The Canaanites were idol worshipers and that would not do for a wife of his only child born in the covenant, destined to be the mother of millions in the House of Israel.
Lesson #1, Marriage under the covenant, on the Lord's terms, is the most important pursuit in seeking a spouse.
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Next the servant went to the land of Abraham's kindred. Every step of the way the servant prayed. He didn't just ask the Lord to show him the way, he brought to the table a plan. As a class member pointed out, it was much like the brother of Jared in Ether. (Ether 2:25, 3:1-6)
"14 And
let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy
pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I
will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast aappointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. 15 ¶And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out..."
Before the servant had even finished praying, Rebekah came to the well, and she proceeded to do exactly what the servant had prayed for.
Lesson # 2 Life's path should be directed by first faith to be led, and then by works.
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Rebekah was in the right place at the right time, and that place meant she was about serving. I don't think Rebekah went to the well to find a husband. She was simply being who she was, a women with a routine task, but she went the extra mile.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels
Lesson #3 Being in the right place, at the right time is key.
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The servant finds out that Rebekah is not only the answer to his prayer, but she is of Abraham's kindred. She is just the woman he was sent to find. And before he runs off to meet her family and explain the situation, he stops to thank the Lord.
26 And the man abowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.
27 And he said, Blessed be the aLord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his bmercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord cled me to the house of my master’s brethren.
Lesson #4 Give thanks in all things.
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The servant meets the family and tells him the story of how he ended up at that well with all his camels and why she showered her with jewelry. He tells him he was sent on a special errand and directed by angels. He asks the family if they will agree to the marriage arrangement for Rebekah and Issac. I love the family's response:
49 And
now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if
not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot aspeak unto thee bad or good.
Lesson #5 If you receive confirmation that something is of the Lord, then proceed on!
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They celebrate, a possible dowry is shared, and it is a joyous occasion.
Then the servant drops a bombshell.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath aprospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
The servant wanted to take her back immediately. What a test of faith! A class member today pointed out a few things possible things about Rebekah. First, the family turned to her to answer if she wanted to go. That must mean she was an independently strong woman and the family respected her opinion and perspective. Second, though we don't have a lot of details it appears she said yes without hesitation. Perhaps Rebekah had received her own personal revelation concerning the matter before the servant had ever arrived, or that night after the celebration.
Lesson #5 Seek Personal Revelation
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60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the amother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the bgate of those which chate them.
Rebekah was chosen to be the mother of thousands of millions prior to ever having children. (Just like Eve) I think a woman like that most certainly had personal revelation concerning the life she chose to accept.
Now the rest of the story is one for the romantics.
63 And Isaac went out to ameditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was acomforted after his mother’s bdeath.
Issac was out mediating in the evening. He was probably wondering what the Lord had in store for him. Who would the servant bring back or would he even find someone to bring back? He waited anxiously. Then there is Rebekah, she must have been nervous or anxious herself. She agreed to marry a man she didn't know. Yet she took her choice seriously and she chose to be happy about it. She saw this man and jumped off her camel. She became his wife, and they loved each other.
Lesson #6 Choose happiness, light off your camel at the anticipation of happy moments and good things go come.
The teacher ended the lesson by talking another bridegroom, the Savior Jesus Christ. Not all stories have the ending that Issac and Rebekah's did. Some marriages are a struggle, and life can get brutal and heart-wrenching. Our relationship with Christ in the analogy of a marriage is applicable to all. There can be peace and joy found in Him. I really like that addition to the lesson.
I digress...Rebekah and Issac... their love was foreordained in the realms before the earth was created, can I ever expect such a thing for myself? Oh I can! Today in sacrament meeting the first speaker was introducing himself and his wife. He was a little nervous and he started to tell the story of how he met his wife. All of the sudden this man starts crying from the pulpit. He starts crying at the moment he gets to the story where the girl his friends has been talking up for him to meet come into the room. The moment she walked in the room, he knew something big was about to happen in his life and he wanted to be with this girl. It was a tender moment, this man was in front of 150+ people totally vulnerable, crying at the memory of meeting the love of his life for the first time. Maybe that is not how my own personal story will go, but it sure was nice to hear that man's story and have a moment of hopefully romantic wishes.
It's all about timing, not about trying.
And in the meantime, I get to go out to dinner with friends and get powdered sugar all over my face and laugh the evening away.
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