Scenes from this story in Ruth 1 have been painted over and over for centuries. There is so much truth and love woven into this one short chapter. To emphasize this weaving, I added texture to these painting by Matthews and Lastman so they resemble tapestries, because these stories add texture to our lives as well.

The story of Naomi’s decision to return home after the death of her husband and sons in a foreign land is a real tear-jerker. Naomi’s life had been stripped of everything, and all she could think of was to go home and die. But God’s spirit had filled her widowed daughter-in-law Ruth who vowed before God to travel with and care for Naom, and this made all the difference.

If you were weaving yourself into this story to echo your own life right now, where would you be? Who would you be?

See related blog: Weaving Fiction into Historical Tapestry.

words→pictures→doodle→for some of us: art

If you’re looking for a new way to spend time in the scriptures listening for what God has to say to you today, you might try doodling.

I am not an accomplished artist, but I am a life-long doodler. Here’s the method I use. I invite you to adapt it to fit your own style and skillset.

• Read the verses and pray about them.
• Ask yourself:
  • Is there a word or phrase the jumps out at me?
  • What visual comes to mind? (It may be as simple as colors, an abstract, a word, or a stick figure…)
  • Do the verses remind me of something or someone in my life?
  • If I was going to explain this concept to a 6-year-old, what picture would aid in understanding?
• Draw a picture or write the words and let the Holy Spirit guide your thoughts.

Feel free to share your work in the comments.