Never Ever Dull
With every conversation, I always seem to end with "Never a dull moment"....our lives are rich, complex, and beautiful stories. Join me in laughing about everyday things and appreciating life-bumpy roads and all.
Maybe I was absent the day my teachers did the lesson on Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. Or maybe I was more interested in the crayons and coloring pages they gave us in Sunday school at my Baptist church in my little eastern North Carolina hometown. Well, whatever the reason, I missed the lesson about what really was happening when Jacob chose Rachel and got stuck with Leah. From my days of wiggling in my chair in that classroom itching to get out of my black shiny shoes and lacy white socks with ruffles on the edges, I've always believed it was a "do-wrong": Jacob worked for 7 years for some dude named Laban. After 7 years, he was supposed to get married to the one he had fallen in love with and worked all those years for...Rachel, the beautiful one. Sigh. I love a good romance. Instead, after the "I do's" were exchanged, he realized he had been given the wrong daughter (Leah, who wasn't so pretty) from Laban. Laban acknowledged it and told Jacob, "Work another 7 and you can have Rachel.". Jacob did. What a good guy. So in love with this gurl-friend, he'd do anything to marry her...even work for that Laban dude almost another decade. I always thought Jacob was wronged, jipped, cheated, and felt sorry for him. And Leah? I just ignored her. Rachel was the beautiful one and the one I cared the most about. Given a test on what was really going on, I'd score a "F". I was not getting the full picture. It took a children's book to turn on the light bulbs in my brain. We're supposed to be reading the Bible in a year at my church. I am....except I'm taking a short cut and reading along using The Jesus Storybook Bible. As I got to this part and began to skim it, I stopped abruptly. I'd never thought about Leah much, but the story was focused on her. She realized that Someone had chosen her. Not Jacob but Someone. And this Someone did love her-"with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love." (from The Jesus Storybook Bible) That Someone is God. I always had seen Leah as the rejected one that no one wanted. In fact, she must have been not so pleasing to look at that her own dad tricked Jacob to get her married off. I wanted to hear more about Rachel. Yet, God had a plan and there was no mistake that Laban gave Leah to Jacob. So...what I learned is that Leah was not the rejected one but the chosen one. In fact, it would be through Leah's children's children's children there would be a child born that was very special, God's Son. I had no idea, but I get it now. God truly doesn't look at the outside but sees the heart of each individual person. So while I was wrapped up in a guy falling in love with the beautiful girl, I missed the point: God can use anyone and He loves us just as we are even if we feel rejected in some way or not one of the "beautiful ones". I just wish I could return to my Sunday School days and stand up for that Leah. What a girl who came to realize the One who truly loved her.
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AuthorFun-loving mom to 4 kids and 1 big puppy. Fifth grade teacher of amazing little people who have never ending things to share with me. Love to discuss Jesus, diy projects, and life. Trying to keep it simple: Love Jesus, love people. Archives
December 2021
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