When I received the invitation to attend the Decatur Quilter’s Festival, A Ruby Celebration, I declined the invite. The dates conflicted with a retreat I planned to attend. However, in short time, God seemed to show me that declining the invitation was a mistake.
The day after declining the invite I was at the grocery store and heard a mother call her child—Ruby.
The next day reading my Bible, I came across a Scripture with the word—rubies.
The following day, having a playful conversation with my husband and reminding him we have not yet taken the trip he promised for our 40th Wedding Anniversary, with a grin I added, “And, I never received the customary 40th Anniversary gift from you.” Clueless, he asked, “What gift is that?” “Rubies!” I answered.
Next day, reading my Bible, I read the word rubies again in another passage. I wasn’t looking for rubies. They just kept showing up. It’s not exactly a common everyday word.
“Lord,” I asked, “Are you trying to tell me that you want me to go and speak at the Ruby Celebration?”
Opening my Bible and trying to connect rubies to Jesus, in less than twenty minutes I’d found a connection. In the Bible wherever rubies are mentioned, it is in association with beauty or wisdom.
Isaiah 54:12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.
Ezekiel 28:12-13 “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl.”
Even the twelve gems listed as mounted into the breastplates worn by high priests—the first stone mentioned is a ruby (Exodus 39:10 NASB 1995). As far as wisdom goes the Bible tells us that wisdom is better than rubies (Proverbs 8:11 KJV), and that the price of wisdom is beyond rubies (Job 28:18). And then of course, I had to consider Jesus’ Names; Altogether Lovely (Song of Solomon 5:16 NIV), and Only Wise God (Jude 1:25 KJV).
When John was taken up in the Spirit and saw the throne of heaven, he saw the one sitting on the throne as having the appearance of jasper and ruby. Who is at the throne? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit (Revelation 4:3, 5; 5:6).
Wikipedia describes a ruby as a pink-ish red to blood-red colored gemstone. Pink represents humans and red represents Christ. Jesus was God in the flesh who came to shed His blood for us.
It appeared God was wanting me to go to the Ruby Celebration to tell His Story. However, since I already had plans for that weekend and knew it would be difficult to find someone to go with me for two days, I pulled a Gideon and put out a fleece. (Judges 6:33-40)
I asked God to let me hear, or see, the word rubies one more time if it was His will that I go to Decatur. The next day scrolling through Facebook News headlines, I read, “Queen’s Ruby Tiara—the true meaning behind it.” There was no mistaking God’s plan was that I go to Decatur and share His Story.
The ruby signs didn’t stop, they kept coming. Watching a movie, the main character’s name was Ruby. In another movie, a ruby stone had special powers. Plus, I started seeing ads for rubies.
Going to get a haircut I walked into the salon and found a woman getting her hair colored—red. The woman was dressed to the hilt wearing a black leather skirt, black sweater, black leather tights, and black patten shoes with glitter. What caught my attention the most though, were her ruby earrings.
After complimenting the woman’s style and studs, she told me she is eighty-four years old. She asked that I come closer. When I did, out from under the neck of her sweater she pulled out a tear-drop ruby! The gem was a gift from her husband, a gift she has never taken off, and she added, “My husband has been gone for twenty-one years.”
Instantly my thoughts went to the gift each of us are given—the precious ruby red blood of Christ. I knew in that moment that my purpose for being sent to a quilt festival a week before Passover, and the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, was to prepare hearts to receive the ruby-red blood of Jesus Christ—the Gift of God.
Intrigued by the woman in black, I asked about her life. She told me how she went through eight years of school to become a doctor, then she said, “You probably won’t believe this, but God spoke to me and changed the direction of my life.”
“Oh, I believe it,” I said, “Right now God is speaking to me, through your rubies!”
As if that wasn’t enough confirmation of God redirecting my plans, the next client walked into the salon and the stylist said, “Take a seat, Ruby…”
God is an Awesome God!
Click here to read the details about my trip to Decatur and the Ruby Red Celebration.