The book “Lady in Waiting” is a Christian book written by Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall.
Although the book is targeted towards single ladies, it’s also a book for every woman who is seeking for fulfillment in life.
When I started the book, I got glued to it and finished it within 3 days. It is such a book filled with so much lessons that blessed me tremendously as a lady in waiting. I can boldly say that the book had made me take some life changing decisions that will make my waiting period worthwhile.
Taking Ruth in the Bible as a case study, the authors talked extensively about 10 qualities that should characterize a lady in waiting.
A lady in waiting should be a lady of reckless abandonment, a lady of diligence, a lady of faith, a lady of virtue, a lady of devotion, a lady of purity, a lady of security, a lady of contentment, a lady of conviction and a lady of patience.
I’d have loved to summarize what I learnt from the book but I must sincerely say that I have gleaned so much that I don’t know which of them to share with you.
However, I’ll share with you some excerpts I found useful in the book which I believe will encourage and bless you.
WHO IS A LADY IN WAITING?
a) She is a lady of reckless abandonment.
“Ruth had just such a determined heart, and the Lord honored her faith to move away from all that was familiar and take a journey toward the completely unknown. Ruth did not allow her friends, her old surroundings, not her culture’s dead faith to keep her from running hard after God. She did not use the excuse of a dark past to keep her from a bright future that began with her first critical choice: reckless abandonment to Jesus Christ.” – Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall
2) She is a Lady of Diligence.
Ruth was a widow, but she did not use her time sponsoring pity parties for all unhappy single women to gather and compare the misery of datelessness. When she and Naomi moved back to Bethlehem, Ruth did not waste a moment feeling sorry for herself. She went right to work. Instead of being drained by her discouraging circumstances, she took advantage of them and diligently embraced each day – Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall
Right in this chapter were listed ways by which a lady can get busy during her waiting period.
3) She is a Lady of Faith
Orpah’s example of going after the available men could have influenced Ruth to return to Moab, the home of her parents and the gods of her youth. Ruth, however, remained with Naomi and her God. Ruth certainly must have considered the probability of remaining single if she went with Naomi. Even though it promised no prospects of a husband, she chose to follow Naomi and her God back to Bethlehem. Ruth chose to trust God with her future. She looked not with sensual sight, but through “eyes of faith.” Even though Ruth was young in her faith in the God of Israel, she chose to trust with her heart for the future her eyes could not yet see – Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall
4) She is a Lady of Virtue
To marry a prince, you must first become a princess. To marry into royalty, you must be appropriately prepared. Even Diana, the Princess of Wales, had to go through a period of “waiting and preparing” before marrying Prince Charles. She had to learn how to properly act, dress, and speak so she would honor the royal family. Is it any wonder that a heavenly princess must prepare inwardly for the calling to which she will give her life? As you set your attention on developing godly character, Christ will change you into the beautiful princess He created you to be – Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall
5) She is a lady of Devotion
God says the unmarried woman has the advantage when it comes to her devotion to the Lord. An unmarried woman can give the Lord what a married woman rarely can which is undistracted devotion. The time to develop a consistent devotional life cannot wait until you marry. Many single women waste valuable years as they wait “for life to begin” after marriage. Ask any wife, even without children, and she will tell you her own juggling routine. A married woman struggles to have time alone with herself, much less time alone with God. God has given you a precious privileged time. Don’t waste a day of it! You will never have it again. These days can be treasure-finding days in your Kingly Father’s chambers – Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall
6) She is a Lady of Purity
In this promiscuous society Ruth was a Lady of Purity, even in the midst of a potentially compromising situation. Ruth 3:7 says, “When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and
lay down.” At a glance, you may read this and picture the beginnings of an X-rated scene in Ruth’s story. But you must realize that Ruth was acting according to the customs of the time. She was not slinking into Boaz’s bed to seduce him. In obedience to her mothers in-law’s instructions, Ruth quietly lay at his feet for him to notice her, this symbolizing her subjection to Boaz as her nearest of kin. This would give him the opportunity, if he so chose, to take legal action for the well-being of Ruth and her mother-in-law. (A woman had no form of social security and very few rights in that culture without a man.) This was not a brazen act of seduction, but an act of obedience to God’s plan for her provision in that day. One thing is certain: When she left to go home, she walked away as a Lady of Purity.
7) She is a Lady of Security
Ruth, single, young, and widowed must have experienced the lonely longings for the warmth of a husband. But she lived in victory over the desire to “man hunt.” Instead of “going after the boys,” she sat still and let God bring her prince to her. She was a Lady of Security – Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall
8) She is a Lady of Contentment
Circumstantially, Ruth had the perfect excuse to be discontented. Widowed at a young age, her circumstances provided the perfect breeding ground for self-pity and bitterness. In fact, her mother-in-law changed her own name from Naomi (pleasant) to Mara (bitter) to signify her discontentment. Yet Ruth chose to cling to the God of Israel, whom she found to be
trustworthy even in difficult circumstances.- Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall
9) She is a Lady of Conviction.
Ruth did not allow the past influences of a heathen culture to keep her from setting new standards and making wise choices for her life that would honour God. Ruth could have allowed herself to remain within a destructive family cycle that moved against God’s standards. She could have given up
on a godly life style by assuming she was doomed as “damaged goods.” But she didn’t. She chose, instead, to break her family’s sin cycle and establish a new godly cycle – Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall
10) She is a Lady of patience
Ruth was a wonderful example of a Lady of Patience. Ruth did not allow her circumstances or lack of male companionship to cause her to be impatient. Instead she concentrated on developing companionship with her heavenly Father and chose to let Him bring a husband to her if He saw fit. Concern over the ticking of her “biological clock” did not make her fearful of the future. Instead she concentrated on being a lady of character, not on getting a man. She took one day at a time, knowing that God was not bound by circumstances nor her age. She used the wait to become the woman God wanted her to be. At the end of this personal preparation God chose to provide her with a husband. In Ruth 4:13, we see the end to their love story. “So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife….” – Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall
In short, every lady in waiting should recklessly abandon herself to the Lordship of Christ, diligently use her single days, trust God with unwavering faith, demonstrate virtue in daily life, love God with undistracted devotion, stand for physical and emotional purity, live in security, respond to life with contentment, make choices based on her convictions, and wait patiently for God to meet her needs.
What ended the waiting period of Ruth?
She found her knight shining armour.
Have you learnt one thing from this summary?
Do you want to read the whole book of Lady in Waiting by Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall? Kindly click here to download.
I can’t really thank you enough for this🙏.
Thanks for stopping by sis.
God bless you abundantly.
You did well Sis. The book has helped me also in my thought pattern. Thanks for sharing dear.
Wow! So glad to know that you’ve read the book. God bless you sis.