a little AM inspiration

Currently I am reading through Genesis. A week or so ago I read the passage of how Jacob marries both Leah and Rachel (Gen 29). I really wanted to write something about this particular story because it is so bizarre. Of course I could have drawn up some easy conclusions that stood out, but I didn't want to do that.

I have had Rachel and Leah in the back of my head ever since I read it. I guess I was waiting for the Lord to pop something into my head like he's done with a few other characters and stories in the Old Test.

When my alarm went off this morning, He popped something into my head.

First, a little background to whats going on in my life:

Finals are next week. I am literally scared of my finals, so I planned on starting to prepare and study as soon as I got back to campus on Sunday night. Well I opened my notebook to study for the first time last night. My roommate/bff, Morgan, has been studying her brains out and staying up way too late prepping for her schoolwork. I immediately started comparing myself to Morgan, coming up short of course because she is working so much harder than I am. Last night, after I read for about 2 hours, I started fiddling with a new headband that I'm working on while she continuously read.

I know this little story is random, but I think it makes sense for what the Lord showed me.

Long story short, I have been comparing myself to Morgan for years. She knows it. This is no news to her. In turn, Morgan has been comparing herself to me for years. (we've been close friends since the 5th grade and now we live together at MC)

Lets take this back to Rachel and Leah.

Background: Rachel and Leah were sisters. Their father, Laban, was Rebekah's brother. Rebekah was Jacobs mother so Jacob was Rachel and Leah's cousin. Rebekah sent Jacob away after he stole Esau's blessing. So Jacob see's Rachel from afar. He immediately approaches her and kisses her, forward right? The two then go to Laban's house and Jacob tells Laban that he wants to marry Rachel.

Leah is introduced shortly after... as a woman with weak eyes. How flattering right? In that same verse it swiftly switches back to Rachel and how beautiful she was.

"Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance" Gen 29:17

Lets take a side trip really quickly. How many times have you felt like Leah? Passed over, picked over, unnoticed?

I know this is a familiar story, so I am just giving a quick overview. I encourage you to go read the chapter.

Selfish and greedy Laban, makes Jacob work and tend his sheep for 7 years in order to marry Rachel. Here's a little Old Testament romance:

"Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, 'I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter, Rachel.' Laban said, ' It is better that I give her to you than any other man; stay with me.' So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him as but a few days because of the love he had for her." Gen 29:18-20

Isnt that lovely? Don't we all want to be Rachel, but sometimes we feel like Leah? I think we all deserve Rachel moments.

Anyway, back to my main point.

This part of the story gets a little fuzzy because somehow Jacob doesn't know that he is spending his wedding night with the wrong girl.

"But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went into her..." Gen 29:23

Jacob then works 7 more years and finally gets to marry Rachel.

So after all that 14 years of drama, Jacob is married to both Leah and Rachel.

My point in all of this is that we shouldn't compare ourselves to other people.

Its hard to abstain from that because we are such a competitive people, especially women.

Think about Leah and Rachel.

Married to the same man.

There had to be some intense comparisons going on between the two.

Before the marriages of course Leah questioned herself. Im sure she didn't understand why Rachel was the more beautiful one. Im sure she didn't understand why no one wanted to be with her.

After the marriages, Leah was fertile and Rachel was barren.

"When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or I shall die!" Gen 30:1

So in their competition, Rachel gave Jacob her female servant to have children on her behalf.

After Leah stopped conceiving she too gave Jacob her female servant as a wife.

One sister always trying to outdo another.

I know this particular post has been a long one, but there is some really important meat here.

Comparing yourself to someone else and always trying to outdo another person is only going to make you crazy. It made Rachel and Leah give their husband 2 new wives. 4 wives for Jacob.

I dont think that I would like sharing my husband like that.

Being okay with who the Lord intended you to be is far more important that dwelling over why you aren't like another person.

The Lord loves you very much.