If I could find a way to draw one of those big red circles with a line through the middle of this Blog title, I would have. Just imagine one in your mind and know that I am ANTI-Eyeball Rolling, Neck Jerking and Finger Popping! Why? and what in the fiery furnace does this have to do with you and your relationships?
Glad you asked! Hold on tight. This could get personal! First, a little background scripture.
Genesis 24 (NASB)
A Bride for Isaac
1 Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way.
2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, "Please place your hand under my thigh,
3 and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live,
4 but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
10 Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.
12 He said, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham.
13 "Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water;
14 now may it be that the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also'--may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master."
Rebekah Is Chosen
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder.
16 The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.
17 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar."
18 She said, "Drink, my lord"; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink.
19 Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking."
20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.
21 Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold,
23 and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father's house?"
24 She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."
25 Again she said to him, "We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in."
26 Then the man bowed low and worshiped the LORD.
What a story! There is so much that impresses me here as we look at how Rebekah became one of the matriarchs of the faith. There is so much here that, I believe, applies to us today.
In fact, that's where this Blog becomes personal for me.
I get to "observe" a lot of behavior in real life and in the social networks. It's funny. Women ask me all the time whether I'm interested in them, their friend or other people. They ask whether I think so-and-so is attractive. Well, I'm a man, so that's the wrong question! A lot of women are attractive, but very few will gain the attention of a quality man - the kind of man they say they want.
Rebekah did, however. That's why I love her story. It's full of lessons that we can apply today. Here are some of the things I've picked up from her tale:
1. Rebekah was not actively out looking for a man. She wasn't trying to be found. She wasn't attending seminars on how to be sexier. She wasn't interested in running game on the playas. Rebekah was about her own business...
2. Rebekah was approachable. It would have been well within her abilities to totally ignore the servant. She also wasn't haughty. She didn't go with the "how dare you" routine or make it hard to learn about her personal life (within reason) even...
3. Rebekah was generous. The servant didn't approach until she had her water already...yet she didn't tell him "go get your own" but she shared what was hers...
4. Rebekah was consumed with service. She went beyond "beyond" by serving his camels. She didn't say "here's my jar. Do it yourself. I'm tired!" But she far exceeded the call. As a point of fact, the Bible says she went about helping quickly and even ran! How many people do you see who run to help someone else?
What was the result? Stunned silence at first. Worshipping God in thanks at the last. What was her outcome? Stability, wealth and a place among the great Matriarchs of the faith.
Forgive the extra-long blog. I just thought it was interesting. I am not suggesting that you let dudes live with you on your couch, pay for all your dates or loan Pookie some cash until he gets on his feet. HOWEVER...There is a LOT to be said for a woman who is kind, giving, patient and concerned for someone's well-being outside of her own. That's all I'm saying. I think this story is a tremendous model.
Now let the eyeball rolling, neck jerking and finger popping begin! I love my sisters and I want the best for you. The "attitude" may not take you very far, however. Anger isn't attractive. A gentle smile and a little kindness will work far better. Men are always watching and assessing. Just like the Servant. What do men see when they look at you?
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