A WOMAN OF VALOR
REBECCA
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. Genesis 24:18-19
The qualities I most admire in women are confidence and kindness. I am sure many of you will agree with my opening statement– Kindness is beautiful.
The matriarch Rebecca was likened to a “rose among thorns.” She merits the title because of the great act of kindness she performed for Abraham’s servant. When the servant encountered Rebecca at the drinking well, he was tired and parched with thirst. Yet Rebecca not only offered to draw water for him, but she also offered to draw water for his camels at the well.
The sages note that this was an almost super-human feat for a young girl. They calculate that she would have to make dozens of trips to the well to provide enough water for the ten camels … that’s about 140 gallons of water each! The fact that she was able to do so indicates that this was not the first time that Rebecca has gone to the well for others. To have the strength and ability, Rebecca must have shared her kindness with countless other strangers. That say the sages, is what made her beautiful —- like the rose among thorns.
Thorns assert themselves. They protrude outward and prick anyone who comes near them. A rose, on the other hand, is soft and gentle. It spends its life opening up, offering those who come close a gift of beautiful fragrance and pleasing sight. The rose and the thorn are two visual aids for understanding what it means to be a person of kindness or a self-centred individual. Selfishness is closed to others, sharp and ugly. Kindness is open to others, giving and beautiful.
We live in a world where selfishness reigns. People are far more focused on what they can get than on what they can give. In this me-centred world, life can get a little thorny; people are pricked and bled. Let your mission be the “rose among thorn,” to be a bastion of kindness in a sea of selfishness and a true reflection of God’s love. We need to offer hugs and smiles, food and warmth. We need to give generously and love passionately.
Nothing in the world is more beautiful than that. Consider making a generous donation today. [wpedon id=”36898″]
