Chosen family

When I write these blogs, I try to really research the biblical context of the verses and stories I use. We just celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday, and I knew that I wanted to write about that, but I was having a hard time thinking of stories in the Bible that I could use. Then, our youth pastor, Justin Porter, reminded me of the book of Ruth and, more specifically, the story of Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi.

I know many people who don't enjoy Mother's Day for one reason or another. They are a mother who has lost a child or a child who has lost a mother. The relationship between mother and child could be broken or nonexistent, and/or they have complications with the process of becoming a mother. Naomi and Ruth have a great story of less-than-conventional motherhood. Their story is also perfect for the springtime because it talks about the transition from death to new life.

In case you need a refresher on the book of Ruth as I did, here is a quick summary:

Naomi married a man named Elimelech and had two sons with him. They lived in Bethlehem, but they all moved to Moab together because of a famine in Bethlehem. Then Naomi's world began to crumble. Elimelech died, and Naomi was left alone in a new place with her two sons. When the boys married, Naomi became a mother-in-law to two women. One was named Orpah, and the other was none other than Ruth. THEN, both of Naomi's sons died! Her daughters-in-law were now widows. After the famine ended and since they were alone, Naomi and the two girls went to Bethlehem. After many tears, Orpah returned to her people, but Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law. This was in a time when a woman without a husband was nothing. Ruth's decision threw a wrench into the culture they were living in. (It worked out fine since the last half of the book of Ruth talks about Naomi introducing Ruth to a wealthy man named Boaz who was a relative of Elimelech and the family line could continue. There is much more context for Boaz's role that I won't get into for the sake of time.)

This story made me question the nature of Naomi and Ruth's relationship. Had the girls been married to Naomi's sons long enough to form such a bond with their mother-in-law? I think they must have invested in each other in some way. It might have even been the bond from mourning that brought them close enough to make Orpah's parting so sad and make Ruth not want to leave Naomi.

I recognize how blessed I am to have a strong and loving relationship with my mom. I am also blessed to have relationships with women from Hillspring who have poured into my life.

My encouragement is that there is a possibility of growth and new life to come from loss or death, and often that comes from people who become a part of your chosen family. People who were from Moab, like Ruth, were looked upon as unfavorable by Naomi's people (the Jews). Yet, God weaved a narrative of redemption for both of them through each other. (And speaking of redemption, interesting side note, Ruth is King David's grandmother, and Jesus comes from the line of David.)

Though you may not have a traditional mother-child relationship to celebrate this Mother's Day, God wants to use the relationships you have for great things in your life and in the life of His kingdom.

-Kelsey Wenrich

Community and Connections Coordinator