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 Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.
(Ruth 1:1-2, NKJV)
A year ago, my husband and I were loving his mom during her final weeks on earth. The cancer she’d fought five years previously had come back, and this time she was losing this earthly battle.
She’s been on my mind a lot lately. Not only are we nearing the first anniversary of her death, we’ve been spending a lot of time getting her home of 50 years ready to sell. We’ve uncovered countless treasures, and I’ve wished more than once we’d had more time to ask her questions. But I’m confident she’s with her Lord now—pain and sorrow free.
As I was praying about the next chapter or book I wanted to focus on, it seemed fitting that I spend some time in one of my favorite books, one that speaks of loyalty, love, faith, and redemption. And just so happens shares my mother-in-law’s name—Ruth.
I dedicate the next several blogs to my Ruth.
Today, we begin our journey through this short but powerful book. We meet one of the leading characters, Naomi. Her story starts as many did in her time. To avoid the famine, she and her husband took their two sons to Moab. Nothing terribly exciting in these first two verses.
Oh, but wait, my friends. We have so much to learn. Travel with me.
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