There has been much confusion about who I am really? Am I Nora Lynn or am I Tabitha Ruth? (These would both be first and middle names.) Why do I write my blog under the name Tabitha Ruth? Am I trying to hide from who I really am, thus deceiving my readers?
There is a blog, one of the first ones I wrote, that explains exactly who Tabitha Ruth was/is. It is called Tabitha Ruth. But for those of you who, like me, are impatient, and would just like the answers given to you, rather then have to go digging, this blog is for you.
Back when this blog began I had a bible study. My first homework assignment for us was to Pray and ask God what two women of the bible we are most like. The first name being who we are now as individuals and the second woman, whom God is making us each into being more like. My gals were surprised by my name. I felt I was a Dorcus Ruth.
Side note: Dorkus, as a kid was what I was called. " HEY you DORK!" Seem fit that my loving God would give me a name like that ...? Well you must know that Dorkus (also called Tabitha) in the bible was a woman that helped people. It was her life's work to help others in need. In fact, when she died a whole town mourned her and then Peter raised her back from the dead. Immediately she went back to work. I secretly believe the town did not know how special she was until she was gone forever...so they thought. I think she was a, in the back ground, get what needs to be done, kinda gal, who did not ask for recognition.
Ruth was the name every one was surprised by. I even got the comment " What? God is going to make you submissive, willing to just follow and do what ever anyone tells you?" Oh how they did not know the Ruth I knew. If you do not know the story of Ruth...you are missing out. This Gal, in the bible, was not submissive, doing what ever she was told. In my hearts eyes she was bold. So bold she was not afraid to go forth and do what ever God told her to do. She loved her mother in law. When her husband died and her mother in-law was going to travel far away back to her original home land she wanted to go. Her mother in-law told her to go back, to stay with her own parents. But this is what she told her "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." Ruth 1:15-17 These are the words of a bold, speak up, kinda gal. She did go with her mother in-law. She helped her on her journey and when they arrived, she kept her fed by gathering grain herself in fields after the workers had gleaned them. Her bold obedience to all that God had in store for her leads her to a beautiful Marriage and a son. She is in the lineage of Jesus. This foreign woman from a foreign land, whom was raised to serve foreign gods, knew what she wanted. She wanted to be his, Simply God's forever. And she succeeded.
I just did some study as to what the names Tabitha and Ruth mean and I am blown away!
Dorkus in Aramaic is Tabitha, which means gazelle. Arabs appreciated this animal for its grace, it is a symbol, most commonly associated in their literature, with female beauty.
Ruth means friend and compassion.
Tabitha Ruth became the name God had given me. I decided to start a blog using that name. To answer the top question..No I am not trying to hide from my name given to me by my parents. I happen to like it. Nora means Light and honor. While Lynn means: waterfall. My new name, however was and is special to me, as any God given name should be. It gave me hope as to what God had in store for my life! And Boy HOWDY! I have had the ride of my life and it is not over!
Tangent: Many of you who know me, apart from my blog, know that for the last few years God has been teaching me how to be a friend. I prayed for friends and he told me I had to learn to be a friend first before I could have real friends. Like a child asking mommy for a pet and getting a " you have to prove you can take care of it first." answer. All my life I have prayed "God you are my best friend teach me how to be your friend." You see, it made me sad to think that I had such a fabulous friend in Jesus... but did he have a friend in me? I could count on him, but was I trustworthy? I have learned that God has been answering this prayer by teaching me to be a friend. He has brought countless people in my life now and I call them my friends. Praise God! To be a friend to Jesus is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. There is a catch there did you hear it? Love your neighbor as yourself. In order to love others for the special God made people they are you gotta learn to love yourself for the God made person you are. So not only have I been learning how to be a friend to others I have been learning to love myself as well. God is so very Good! SO VERY AMAZING! He is making me into a Ruth, a compassionate friend!
Here's a thought, why don't you pray and ask God who you are most like in the bible and then ask him who he is making you in to. When we have a goal to reach there is hope. And hope that comes from the Lord does not disappoint!
Philippians 1:6 He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
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