Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Do or Do not there is no trying, only cattle prodding

As pulsating pains throb in my head, I wonder why the sudden onset of more symptoms; electric pains, chest pains, dizziness, high heart rate, and this odd sensation of, waves of pain filled numb tingles that pulsate from head to toe. It's like my heart isn't getting enough blood to my hands as fast as it needs to. The last is the oddest and most worry some symptom to deal with tonight, as it is just so incredibly painful and confusing. It started with cold numb tingling in my hands, and grew to a hard to describe feeling over this past week. Its like this painful tingling sensation that seems to pulsate, but not like a regular heart beat it goes, fast a few times and then regular and then fast again; but at the same time it   feels like when a phone gets fuzzy and I feel like sometime I feel my own body cutting out on me.

I'm light-headed and dizzy when standing or walking, which isn't unusual for me but seems a lot worse recently. The other thing troubling me is these really sharp stabbing pains that come with out warning, stabbing my lower right side and chest.... I suppose I should go in to the dr. but I'm having a hard enough time concentrating on anything, or focusing on things. So as I type my thoughts out forgive me if I get scatter brained...I feel a tad like a cow that needs prodding to move or do anything. My husband and I were watching this show on discovery channel about how they transport cows on big boats to get them to other markets in other countries. During the show you see the cows getting loaded on to the boats and as the cow rounds the corner off the truck and looks at the ramp on to the boat, theres this stubborn ox look that says,"Oh, hells no!" or "you expect me to go up that!HA!" and then the cow starts reversing his arse backwards into the truck bed. Thats how I feel when I'm flooded with pain as I open my eyes in the morning...or parts of the day as I endure the constant pain. On the show the australian cowboys start hollering and prodding at the cattle all the way up the boat. As I watched it was a very interesting show but I couldn't help feeling as though I could relate to those cows all week. I'm on as much tylenol and pain killers as I can be on but, it's not even close to enough. So, in both hope and desperation I continue to my search, scanning the internet for what the doctors are missing.

As well I continue to try to push past my fatigue and pain and have attempted, a bike ride this past weekend. I was excited to be on my bike in general as I haven't other than in the living room when I attempt to exercise. (explanation, we have a stand it fits into and is held up like a stationary bike, the wheels just spin. So you see I do not bike around this tiny place like a weirdo! he he) Any who, we threw our bikes in the car and took them down to Fort Langley where theres a very pretty trail along a river. I started out with my husband enjoying it but, about halfway I was in so much excruciating pain we had to take breaks as we turned around and headed back. Although my pain reared it's ugly ugly head, I count this as a win for me as I tried my best, and that's whats important at this point. When we left the house this morning we talked with our neighbours before getting in the car and heading out, and  I was asked how I was doing and if the doctors figured it out yet. This is a weary question as it's been 4 years of us no answers and although I am trying to accept that I'm going to deal with this for a while, any way I look at it I cannot accept my doctors conclusion: simply that we may never know. I thought it was hard choking down this pill that I'm living in awful pain that causes constant visits with specialists and the dr.'s I know by name in the ER. But accepting not ever knowing what is going on in my body is just beyond cruel, I mean its that dark thought in the back of my head, I don't say it out loud for fear it'd make it more real...my acceptance at this moment can only be stretched so far. Like a rubber band if stretched to far I may spring back to being frustrated with even having to accept that I can't do what I want to, as in get out of bed or go hangout with friends without being half distracted by pain. I'm not telling him, he's mean when he says that and that Im mad that it sounds like he's giving up on me. Because thats mean, there's somethings you just don't say to someone dealing with high high amounts of pain on a daily basis, it makes it seem as though your sorry to tell me this but your really not, cause your bored with having me in and out of your office so often. Doctors need more tact I think, but so does the world. At least I can still say I get up each day, even when everything hurts and I try my best to do the most that I can. Some days the most I can is very little but others it's a bit more, like I mopped our house yesterday and I even cleaned the walls too! Okay true I pushed to far and ended up hurting, but I kept trying and went on the bike ride when I thought I felt better, which made me sicker. But the point is I tried and that is a feat in it's self when dealing with pain. With chronic pain of any sort, you can say what you know you can do; but it changes from day to day that the next you might not be able to and then have overcommitted yourself. And on the other end, you can say you can't handle doing things like going hiking, or biking, but unless you keep trying every now and then you might surprise yourself. It's important to keep trying, as often we can get stuck in a rut when we stop trying. Some accept that there in pain and can't do anything they want to too easily, they stay in bed or stop trying all together and that's very sad and understandable. As it's not easy mentally to deal with pain chronically, I get that, but don't lose hope or sight of trying because then you lose so much more than just your ability to do things. I know it's hard and I know very very well that it hurts but, I'm not taking this lying down and neither should anyone else.

Simply put giving up is the easy way out, trying is hard. When I can't plan my future, because I can't tell you what pain level tomorrow may bring, and all I know is this constant pain, this constant struggle, it's not just hard. Hard is an understatement. But that's always where faith steps in for me, I can't see the future, to say if I can handle having kids someday, I can't even see a few months ahead. I don't know if I'll be able to keep going through school to follow my dream of being a crisis counsellor, I can't say how I'm going to get through classes, I can't book a vacation in advance cause I can't say I'll be okay for it. Day by day it's hard, but each day my goal is simple and consistent, to try.

On another note, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist who founded the practice of psychoanalysis, a system espousing the theory that unconscious motives dictate much of human behavior. He was a large support of atheism, similar to Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota, who once said, “Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.” Agreeing with him is pornographer Larry Flynt, who commented, “There's nothing good I can say about it [religion]. People use it as a crutch.” Ted Turner once simply said, "Christianity is a religion for losers!" Ventura, Flynt, Turner, and others who think like them view Christians as being emotionally feeble and in need of imaginary support to get through life. Their insinuation is that they themselves are strong and in no need of a supposed God to help them with their lives. The odd thing however is although there are famous people who view religion in general, not only christianity as a crutch, it is interesting and at least very notable that I have never heard of any famous people of whom suffered in life, and also held these same views. It's interesting how vocally against religion, faith, and God, people can be when they are doing well or having a normal good life.

My question is what do they do when they find out they have cancer, or untreatable disorders? Do they rally for the right of euthanasia? Or how else do they deal with a life of suffering and chronic pain? It's well known that when a guy comes into rob a bank, when buildings collapse, or more recently a guy goes into a movie theatre and shoots people, in these moment people cry out to God. Maybe they're not religiously specific and I don't think thats what matters, the point is they cry out to whatever they believe is out there. Contrary to Freud, I believe that this may be because some people have an illusion that if life is good and they have no need for a God, they do not find religion appealing. However when illness, trauma, or crisis enters their lives they cry out, to 'a' God. This idea of an illusion is more that they live happy lives without him and therefore don't need him, until crisis enters at which they proceed to get mad at 'a' God or cry for help to him. The illusion being that they are kidding themselves, this makes me wonder if deep within every human we take in the awe of the world and cannot deny that there is a divine design. I'm inclined to believe this because, when I study the anatomy of the brain I cannot help but be in awe of how intricate it is. I can understand people getting angry and turning away from God, or denying his existence based on his lack of being more like a genie, or which ever they believe justifies their choice, that's for them to deal with and work through. But, I have a very hard time understanding how people can be atheist, when divine design is all around them. What is their reasoning for the way their pain sensors send message to their brains telling them to pull their hand away from a hot kettle as they touch it. Even scientists cannot duplicate these pain sensors in a glove form to help lepers as it is too intricate and complex a design. (Philip Yancey goes into depth about this in his book: Where is God when it Hurts?) However, I'd be especially interested in learning how atheist deal with this issue of suffering...here, comedian Dane Cook raises a valid point to me in his joke,
"He sneezed. debris's floating every where. Now at this point, I'm disgusted. And I'm grossed out by it. And at first, I'm thinking 'I'm going to go off on this guy'. And then I decided, 'Wait a second, Dane. Don't do that. Take the high road. Try to be polite'. So I turn to him and this is what I said. I looked at him and I went: 'Uh, God bless you' I say 'God bless you' by the way when someone sneezes. I don't say 'Bless you'. I don't say that because... I am not the lord. I can't do that. I'm just a messenger for big guns upstairs, you know what I'm saying? And I never go with 'Gesundheit'. I don't even know who says that. If I say 'Gesundheit', I feel like I'm honoring Hitler. Like I should be like 'Gesundheit!'. I end up on the History Channel 'cause a guy sneezed. 'God bless you'. This is what the guy comes back with. Here's where it starts to get out of control. The guy looks at me and very condescendingly goes: 'Uh, yeah. I'm an atheist'. What a jerk, right? I'm trying to be polite. I don't know you're an atheist. And even if I did, what am I supposed to say when an atheist sneezes? 'Uh, yeah, when you die, nothing happens'."

Another interesting question that is worth mention is how other religions explain the reasons for undeserved human suffering. (undeserved because most feel some people deserve what they get) So perhaps next post I'll think more on that but for now there's an interesting article on it. http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/2005/01/Why-Bad-Things-Happen.aspx

~ElysiaB





A day without a perdurable is like a day without sunshine



Saturday, November 9, 2013

Thy-What!?!

Thy-What!?! Are you listening to me? How could you do this to me? How can you be sooo tiny yet do so much damage? Today dear thyroid I have levels of frustrations towards you are onion layers deep, and similarly thinking about them also cause me to tear up. There are so many that every time I attempt to write you I get to sad to finish. So here's another try at saying everything that needs to be said, thats been weighing on me. 



It seems even when I show great strides of strength and prove to myself I'm still capable, you ruin it by being invisible to everyone else. I know I don't want them to treat me different with pity but I do want them to be happy with me for my big accomplishments. Yet can I really have both? I know I can't, I can't continually not tell people when I'm doing poorly and then be hurt when they don't understand. 

But, thyroid I feel like your not even trying to help anymore. I feel like I feel too much. It's date night but it got cancelled on account of having a hard time to figure out what to do. So it's moved to tomorrow. So That means I should probably be making dinner now but again I feel so incredibly warn out and frustrated that I just don't want to. 

The endurance it takes to have an invisible illness like you to piggy back with me everywhere, wears heavily on me and other like me. Dear thyroid just so you know carrying you around all this time is literally hurting my back, the rules of piggy backing does not mean you can bring friends, or bags, and your emotional baggage weighs a ton, who do you think you are! 

You've carved away so much of my life to fit yourself, and your needs in. I've lost so much of myself to  you. Book being read for counselling courses remind me that , "It's only natural that loss brings grieving - the loss can be of a person, a position, a place, or physical loss and health loss. Last week it weighed heavily on my mind, as I was bed ridden due to gradually worse pains, plus a new cold with a seal like barking cough.  It's hard to watch other's get the same cold and bounce back a few days later, when it is currently still knocking my socks off. But others are different from me and thats okay. 

Throughout this process of learning to live with the hashimoto's thyrioditis, neuropathic pain, and unknown cause of pain, as I have mentioned before, I feel bad like i'm being an elephant in the room, and frankly I'd rather lie about feelings than express them. When I lie about how I feel, I still feel bad for lying but I rather lie then tell the truth as others feel awkward and stubble around to find what to say, or don't understand. It makes me feel worse when people hear the truth and then treat me differently, or pity me, it just makes me feel weaker like a victim. And I was taught not to play the victim. 

So then, it's hard to safely feel like it’s ok to not be strong all the time. because I'm not "so strong" no, I’m really not. I’ve used maladaptive coping skills giving everyone the illusion of strength ..why? because everyone distances from real pain … vicious cycle. Thus lie or truth I feel bad either way the difference is others feelings. I don't like to make others uncomfortable when I say how I am, but I also don't like feeling uncomfortable from pity. Yet, "how are you?" is a an excessively used opening liner. And I could be vague but then I feel like I'm lying anyway. 


Oh, thyroid when we started seeing doctors and specialists 4-5 years ago I immediately began looking forward to the day when they would decode what my illness is and I would be back to normal. That's what I was working towards, getting back to my old self.  It took me till these last few months to start to realize that this was not going to happen. I was different. My body had changed in nearly every way possible. I was not going to get back to my old “normal.” Do you know how shocking it was to realize that truth? I can't even describe the feelings they were and are so fresh still. I liked the old normal. Wait, no. I LOVED my old normal. To realize that I couldn’t have my old normal back was heartbreaking. I wept. I grieved. And I got stuck..

I wanted to go back to how life used to be but I couldn’t find a way to make that happen. I tried pushing myself harder to be able to do the same things, and I just kept falling on my face getting back up and pushing my body harder. And You know what? It’s not possible to go back to my old "normal". Receiving a diagnosis is earth-shattering and life-altering but so is not receiving one, yet still being ill. I eventually am trying to accept that I CAN NOT be the same as I used to be. It just isn’t possible. But, still i grieve for my old normal. With time and help, I came to learn that it is possible to grieve FORWARD. What does that mean? It means I learned that I can grieve and weep and miss who I used to be and simultaneously move forward with life. For real? Yes, for real. Once I accepted the fact that I can’t go back to who I used to be, I could start seeking life. Here’s the thing, though—I had to take a step.  Here’s what my first step forward looked like: getting out of bed, getting dressed, getting out of the house, and doing something productive. No, it doesn’t sound like much, but that first step was HARD. It was easier to grieve for my old life without trying to live a new one. But there was no satisfaction in that. Accepting my new normal doesn’t make me stop missing my old normal, but accepting my new normal DID allow me to take that step forward towards life. And I found that moving forward means moving toward hope. 

I hate that some level of illness can prevent me from being who I was, it may be hard to relate to but it is a devastating loss. and so grieving over that loss helps start the healing to move on with life. Because dear thyroid, I get it you didn't mean to fail life just happens. The pain is unexplained and somethings in life we may never have answers to.  

So my tyrant-thyroid I'm left in the wreckage of your failure, and there are organs being impacted, and hurt every where. The aftermath of our car crash still feels so fresh, because it is. The wounds are still open, and I don't know how to patch it back together. I'm not going to lie to you, I don't like this new bodies boundaries, or this new life. I want my old pieces back cause it's hard to let go. I feel too much. I feel isolated, even those I make an extreme amount of effort to see and care about, seem to still treat me like I was. Its hard to let go of my old normal when it's the standard I'm held to. 

Yesterday I made a huge accomplishment, I hiked up the big, windy, hill that leads to my school, and I made it walking all by myself, that was HUGE. I talk about it and I get two reactions, some people are like so what? you walked up a hill. And others are like well, if that seems huge to you I guess you won't be able to go do.....fill in exciting adventure here... These reaction BLOW majorly!!! I did something big and I was persistent in getting to the top, in the cold snowy weather that made all my pains worse, I even turned down a ride up because I wanted to prove myself wrong that I could still do things. so those comments kinda hurt and unlike the sermon I heard in chapel, I did not guard my heart. Yet, I have come to accept that most people I interact with on a daily basis are not going to understand what I'm going through. and so I'm trying to teach myself that it is okay to not be completely understood cause I too don't completely understand what other people are going through either. this is a three steps forward two steps back kind of learning process. 
It's hard to deal with emotions and pain I'd rather one or the other. I'd rather  the pain almost more then the emotions on top. I get sooo tired and utterly exhausted I feel like I've crashed again. I wonder if the welbutrin no longer works, because I remember feeling awake when I started it. Yet, Even as I type up this update I feel my eye lids half closed and drooping, my head sore throbbing away, and just oh so much pain. Its hard to push on today when I hardly feel awake let alone the effort it takes to be happy or sad or in a mood I'm just kinda blah...this week the worst is the tired exhaustion by far. It's hard not to feel like crap when your feeling like your recovering from being ran over by a semi lol. I'm trying though. Last night I couldn't sleep so there I am 2 am sitting in the kitchen whispering my prayers to God. I felt calm and at peace talking with him, it's like he was just sitting there with me listening. I love those moments when we spend time together, I feel comforted, and stronger. but mostly I don't feel so alone in this, and that's big right now just to feel like he understands and he's so close. It's an amazing thing to have faith, and a relationship with a God that is always there. I can't do this on my own strength I feel like I've crashed, but on his strength, I know I'm going to be okay.  

~ElysiaB

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Allowing the tap to drip

Earlier last week I tried desperately to make gluten-free cinnamon loaf, gluten-free bread, and gluten-free holiday sugar cookies all of which failed miserably. I used to love to bake as I felt accomplished in that I could still prove to others I could do something well. Yet, of all my failures the sugar cookies really crushed me as they're my favourite during this season and on a bad day they're sweet n don't hurt me.

On another note, thursday I had to go into a hospital for a colonoscopy, and so today will be a good day as it would have to take a severely drastic turn to be remotely worse than yesterday. However uncomfortable it is to be in a roomful of gassy strangers it was nothing compared to the sedative taking effect slower than usual as they had a hard time placing an IV. All of which making it possible for me to see my insides on the screen. I thought going in I hope they use the IV to knock me out cause the gas was gross for the endoscopy. I immediately regretted that hopeful idea, not that I had a choice in it.

You arrive nervous and fearful because well who wants to go through this? Only desperate people like me. So theres a large waiting area with a pretty painting and I'm waiting with my mom as 12:30 passes and I go check that they haven't missed me. Only to find out that the nurse has been calling the wrong person accidentally. So once I have a gown on and am told to wait at the nurses station, and as I sit I meet a nice elderly Italian women who had flown out from edmonton to get the same procedure done. I wondered why she couldn't have it done out there but it's hard to understand her through her broken english, yet she is kind and says that I am too young to be in a room like this. I agree, and as she leaves, I watch the other patients waking up from procedures and a chatty man talking to a groggy women. I think to myself, I hope no one talks to me after it's uncomfortable and awkward enough and in pain, not only do I not know what to say but I also know I will not have the strength to pretend to be fine and normal to talk to.

 I am brought into the IV room, in the first chairs there is a bald man with a handle bar moustache, he looks like he's in a biker gang. After the nurse is done with him she makes three painfully unsuccessful attempts at placing an IV in my arm. The other nurse that has come to take me to the procedure room gets antsy and causes the nurse placing the IV to feel pressured. The fourth try fails, but the fifth is very very painful as my veins are small, the other nurse is pleased and takes the sedative bag with her while she directs me into a room and onto a bed. The sedative is hooked up to my IV but as they begin it has not taken effect soon enough and I can see the screen that shows the camera and it's showing something similar to those gross pictures on medical websites. I see something weird and asked the doctor what it was and coincidentally the nurse goes to my IV bag and I wake in a recovery room full of gassy strangers.

A 24 year old girl lays in a bed to my right and says how she wishes they gassed her cause she didn't want to see that. I laugh as I roll over and agree I never wanted to see my insides either. We talk about our symptoms and they're the same except that she has chron's and I have who-know's what, to add to my list. She's young like me, she talks of the struggles so similar to mine and I am glad that someone is there to talk to as I wake up. I don't have to act normal, or anything different from how awful I feel because she's just like me. It was refreshing to talk to her and I wished I wasn't discharged so fast n had more time to talk or at least keep in touch. The women to my left was just 28 years old with her husband and he says she has colon cancer. He tells me that she was diagnosed to late because doctors refused to test her for cancer claiming she was too young. It's true she is too young but now she has had to go in for an operation on friday and he tells the nurses that as great as they are he will be happy to not see them again.

Talking with these women who are so similar to me was the first time in a long time that I felt normal again. Which made me realize just how much effort and energy I put into trying to be normal. As well as the first time in a long time that I felt like someone actually did understand how exhausting it is to try and be normal when everything about me feels anything but normal. I left in pain from the procedure which even days later hurts but mostly I left feeling a little relieved because someone understood. It makes me realize how much as humans we need to feel understood and how much kind words can do. Talking with people who go through the same thing and use words like "us" n "we" causes me to remember what it was like to have friends and feel normal I haven't felt included like that in a long time. Too often I've just felt like a guinea pig to doctors and less like a person. "Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." -- Albert Camus These words are all too true as I feel exhausted after going to school, or gatherings as I have spent tremendous energy trying to be normal. Which tomorrow I will wake up and do all over again, but I now have something to hold onto, the knowledge that I am understood by those rare people. “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” -- Mother Teresa. I guess it's been a long time since kind words, and understanding were extend my way and so this will echo. Now I am thankful for having met them, and sad to feel alone once again. But it's the little things to hold onto, as they can shine a tiny light to hold onto through all the rest of these foggy wanderings.  

Tomorrow I will pull myself together, mustar up all my strength, paint on a smile, be optimistic, take my pills and go out to mingle in the world to try again. Yet, right now I will sit in uncontrolled pain, worn out emotionally and physically, and exhausted from trying for so long, from bucking up and dealing with it for so long as there is no other option. Its hard and it sucks and for five minutes as I switch from writing this to pushing myself onward to write a paper I will allow myself to feel all that hurts, and then I will turn that tap off because I can't handle feeling that intensity that bubble below my surface. Allowing that tap of raw feelings to flow through me creates some form of control so that the tap can be turned off without bursting. 

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

GelPro Wicker Anti Fatigue Kitchen Mat, 20-Inch by 48-Inch, Saddle


Features
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Monday, November 4, 2013

Apache Mills: Cushion Comfort Mat - Olive Oil Sideboard 22 x 34"


Features
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Sunday, November 3, 2013

San Jamar KM4100 Vinyl Anti-Fatigue Sponge Mat, 36" Length x 27" Width, Black


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Friday, November 1, 2013

Discussion of both the book of Ruth, and the book of Esther


Discussion of both the book of Ruth, and the book of Esther
quote by Ambrose Redmoon states that,“Courage is not the absences of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”While there is evidence of a few muddy entanglements in both Ruth and Esther's lives, there is also evidence that they made choices that showed courage and trust in God. Although Esther did not know it, at the time, but her choice effected the rest of the world's population and like wise Ruth's choices effected Jesus blood line. Yet, even though our choices are important to us, we need to remember to look at the big picture and how God's sovereign presence in our lives is what makes the choices easier. Through discussion of both the book of Ruth, and the book of Esther, we are shown God's sovereignty, providence, and hiddeness in their lives.

Starting with the evidence of God's sovereignty in the book of Ruth, where it is shown countless times when Ruth had no other option but to trust God's sovereignty in the situations. Specifically, in the love story that forms between Ruth and Boaz we see God's providence as well as sovereignty over their relationship. In Ruth 1:6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. This was an example of sovereignty, because God can control the weather. And looking back to before when the people of God were unfaithful to him, there was a punishment of famine yet, God extends his grace later in the book. By bringing food and prosperity back to Bethlehem it draws Naomi, and Ruth back into God's will for their lives. God also places Ruth and her unwavering loyalty into Naomi's life to help her through the struggle of this new poverty, along with her state of depression. 
God's sovereignty in the Book of Ruth shows how we as humans can never be prepared for the trials that we will encounter in our lives. Yet the God we believe in is sovereign and has everything already planned before it has happened, he has provided a way to take care of us in all our darkest moment. Most times God has placed people in our lives before we know we need them and we take itn for granted, not seeing it for what it is. And so likewise, God's sovereignty was also in Boaz's marriage to Ruth, which showed Naomi God's mercy in her life. Perhap's Naomi was at a point in her life where she was so broken down by her depression that she could not see a way out. And so in this state Naomi did not see what a blessing God had bestowed on her from the very beginning. In having Ruth as her daughter-in-law, Naomi was then able to escape poverty and would also be taken care of through Boaz redeeming both Naomi and Ruth. The act of Boaz redeeming Naomi and Ruth, could also be foreshadowing of what God was going to do through his one and only Son, Jesus. Through this book of Ruth we see that Ruth was worth more to Naomi than her two sons may have been, by restoring her to God's will, escaping poverty, and showing Naomi true loyalty. 

In the book of Esther, evidence of God's sovereignty is shown by examples such as “God's power to over rule one of the  important lessons in the book of Esther. Many Christian's today are living on the fringe of God's will. They are not really being directed by the will of god. They are not what we call “in” the will of god. Yet god directs them with his providence. Esther is an illustration of this.”(J. McGee, 1980,pg.189) Although Esther was born a Jew, she is like Malecai the uncle that adopted her after her parents dies and so she is not a practicing Jew. Yet God uses her still for the betterment of his kingdom. After Mordecai tells Esther that it is her duty to talk to the king about the decree that Haman has set in place to exterminate the Jews. (W. Fuerst, 1975, pg33)“in a well known passage (Ruth 4:14) Mordecai reminds her that she will also die if the Jews are liquidated, even though for the moment no one knows that she is Jewish, and he causes her to contemplate her own reason for living as resting in this very opportunity to save the Jews.” 
God's sovereignty in this moment of Esther's life, is in the fact that God knows the outcome before it has happened and has placed her where she was for this purpose.
Esther thinks it all over and tries to make a very queen-like decision by telling Mordecai to gather the Jews and fast. Although her decision is a wise one, it has a downfall in the fact that Esther fails to rely on the one true foundation that she should be  leaning on which is ironically the Jewish God. Through the whole book Esther fails to mention God as well as communicating with God for help.“it is hard to pray when you are out of the will of god.” (J. McGee, 1980,pg.215) While God in his sovereignty has placed Esther in a royal position of authority and in the perfect position to help the Jews.“because she (Esther) became queen, she was able to intervene and intercede  in behalf of her people. An entire people that would have been exterminated at that time had she not been in the position on the throne.”(J. McGee, 1980,pg.188) God's sovereignty and provision's was what saved the Jew's and little did they know it wouldn't be the last time that they would be persecuted.

Similarly, both Ruth and Esther were taken care of in vast amazing ways that neither could have foreseen. God's sovereignty is shown in both their lives, although I have tried to find simliarities in ways that God was sovereign in both of these ladies lives few instances are avalible. Such as how God placed each in the position they needed to be in to fulfill their purpose. Ruth was born and raised a Moabitess but married an israelitie boy that had moved into Moab from Bethlehem, this was truly not a coinicidence. In Ruth 1:1 “Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.” Through  Elimelech mistake of going against God's will and moving his family from Bethlehem which was in a famine to Moab in an attempt to escape the famine and save his family. God took this act and turn it for good through Ruth marriage into Naomi's family, God was setting the stage and getting ready to use Ruth as his instrument in Naomi's life. Similarly God placed Esther in the palace of the king, and blessed her from birth with good looks that would get her specail treatement for example in Esther 2:8-9 “So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. 9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.”Just like with Ruth, God in his sovereignty placed Esther in the perfect position for where she would need to be in order to influence history. 

Out of the three subjects that I am discussing, the one that stands out the most is the way in which God showed his providence in both ruth and esthers lives. Not only did God take them from sinful places in their lives but he also brought them to a point of heroism. It is never quite evident in either story how God is going to provide for them or if everything will workout okay until Ruth and Esther, take the first step towards him.From the time Ruth's husband dies to the time she meets Boaz, God has known the ending of the story   and so  Ruth has to still make the choices unaware of their effects, and she chooses God. Throughout the book of Ruth it shows multiple examples of how God provided for her through food, protection, and grace. 

When Ruth got up and ready for her first day of gleaning it does not say that Naomi instructed her of which field to and glean at, so we must assume that she had no idea what she walking into. As well for whatever reason that same morning, Boaz was held up from arriving early in his fields and was unaware of Ruth's presence until he saw her working hard to collect as much as she possibly could. To glean grain or other produce was part of the mosaic system. This was God's way of taking care of the poor, and Ruth and Naomi are very poor.  The very fact that Ruth says she wants to go glean grain is indicative of their poverty.(J. McGee, 1980,pg 27) This law was also for strangers and Ruth fell into both categories of stranger and poor, yet this law was also a provision set in place by God. Ruth 2:14-16 also shows that Boaz, once aware of who Ruth is and her presence in his fields make every effort to help her. Although it is also shown that boaz not only help Ruth because of his gerousity but mainly because he is attracted to her. “At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar." When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. 15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, "Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don't embarrass her. 16 Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don't rebuke her.” Even though the book of Ruth “does not relate a major incident in the history of Israel, rather, with sensitivity and strict artistic control it exposes the question of human need and how that need is met under divine providence.”(W. Fuerst,1975,pg.5)

Another way God provide's for ruth is through providing protection for her, this is found in Ruth 2:8-9 “So Boaz said to Ruth, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”Since Boaz showed his affection towards Ruth, this caused him to also grow, very protective of her. Boaz started telling Ruth not to go to other fields because some may be dangerous for foreigners like Ruth. Boaz also asked his workers to keep an eye on Ruth and make sure she was okay while gleaning.

Thirdly God provided grace for Ruth which is shown in Ruth 2:10-13 “At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me-- a foreigner?" 11 Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband-- how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." 13 "May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant-- though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls.” When Ruth chose to make a life long commitment to sticking with Naomi, she also made a life long commitment to God. Ruth shows her faith is real and genuinely repents to God when she states, “thy people shall be my people –  I am forsaking my people, idolaters, and I'm identifying myself with God  's people.” “Ruth makes a real decision for God, she says, 'I accept the poverty. Being an outcast. I also accept the fact that I will remain a widow the rest of my life.' she was willing to accept all that in order to take a stand for God .”(J. McGee, 1980,pg.21,24) and so God showed his gracr in her life by providing for her a new husband that can take care of her and Naomi. God found Ruth a redeemer that would take them from rags to riches as well as provide Naomi with a son. The marriage of Ruth and Boaz is soon blessed with the birth of a son which would be the heir to both  Elimelech and Boa'z inheritence. And even though the son would be from Ruth and Boaz, Ruth would be the woman praised for the event. This is supported in Ruth 4:14 “he women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!”And so God's providence was shown to Ruth in many ways throughout her life, and Naomi's life.

The Book of Esther is almost a contrast to the Book of Ruth as, Ruth is born a moabite yet, ends as a Christian and Esther is born a Jew and saves the Jews yet, has no communication with God. The purpose of the book of Esther is to show how God still takes providential care of his people, even when they are outside of the promised land because of their own disobedience. 
Unlike Ruth, God shows providential care for Esther and the Jews through preparation and circumstances that unfold throughout the book. In Esther 1:1;and Esther 2:20 God's providence play's a prominent part in bringing Esther the ability to rise to power, and also have an influential role in the persian king's life. Since Esther's name was persian it helpped her to maintain a low profile when it came to her religious background as a Jew. When Esther is entered into the beauty contest she was given special treatment in the palce right away which shows that god was taking care of her.(Esther 2:9-10)Through this contest Esther found favor with the king through her natural beauty and then later her psychological beauty. It shows that (God) is arranging the events so that at the proper time he will have someone to intervene in behalf of his people, the Jews. Because she (Esther) became queen, she was able to intervene and intercede  in behalf of her people. An entire people that would have been exterminated at that time had she not been in the position on the throne.              (J. McGee, 1980,pg.188) Aside from Esther becoming queen, Mordecai's position in the governement as a Judge is another way of showing that God was preparing to provide help to deliever his people. In Esther 2:21-23 It tells of how because of his position Mordecai was able to hear of the plot to kill the king. After Mordecai had heard of Haman's decree he talked to Esther, in a well known passage (Esther 4:14) he reminds her that she will also die if the Jews are liquidated, even though for the moment no one knows that she is Jewish, and he causes her to contemplate her own reason for living is resting in this very opportunity to save the Jews.(W. Fuerst,1975,pg.33) Through this Mordecai shows that he thinks Esther's destiny is to save the Jews and so Esther puts herself in a very compromising situation, by barging in on the king without being summoned Esther risks death.
When reading the books of Ruth and Esther it is hard to relate to what they are going through in those moments because as readers we can just keep reading, yet in those moments there are so many things that could have gone wrong. At the same time they risked themselves, inspite of it all, and trusted God even though they were unaware of his plans.
When Ruth was picking which field to go glean at, she had no way of knowing that it would be Boaz's field, she also had no way of knowing that she would be safe that day since it was dangerous for a foreign girl. Through these chances Ruth trusted that God would guide her through, and provide for her needs. Although Ruth's biggest chance was taken when she moved from Moab to Bethlehem with Naomi because she was told her chances of re-marrying were low and that she would become poverty by following Naomi, God's plan was hidden from Ruth in all these circumstances. Yet aside from God being hidden Ruth made the right choices. Ruth could never have guessed what God was doing, in through his providence in her life, through it all Ruth's spirit proved to grow stronger in the trails of her life and showed that in God's hiddeness she would still trust him, and not give up.
In a very different way God was also hidden to Esther, and the Jews. Although like Samson the judge in Ruth's time, Esther chose bad choices to do good for her people. Even though Esther was not a practicing Jew she still stuck to what she knew to be right. After all Esther didn't have to save the Jews and didn't know that she could, but she chose to use her position to restore justice regardless of the risk she would face of being killed for talking to the King without being summoned. More example of god's hiddeness in Esther's life are such that Esther didn't know God would provide for her in the palace, because she did not pray or communicate with God. Therefore God was more hidden to Esther than to Ruth.
In Conclusion, both Ruth and Esther had a lot of courage to do the tasks God laid before them, and in being faithful and fulfilling them God was also faithful to them. As shown above through the discussion of both the book of Ruth, and the book of Esther, we are shown God's sovereignty, providence, and hiddeness in their lives. There choices have gone down not only in history but also In the genealogy of Christ as example of Godly women.