I don’t know about you, but when I read stories from the bible, it’s really easy to forget that the people I am reading about were real people, just like you and me. They are real stories that happened to people with full complex lives, just like our own. People with friends and family. People struggling with societal expectations. People with the responsibilities of jobs and taking care of kids and obligations much like we do.  Knowing these real human beings were just like us, makes me look at the stories in a real-world way.

Take the story of Ruth and Naomi from the bible. It has always reminded me of the relationship between my mother-in-law and myself. It’s a beautiful story illustrating God’s grace in the midst of devastating circumstances.

What I love most about this story is the relationship between these two women and the resiliency they build through their faith in God and their devotion to each other.  These women found themselves in crisis and deep despair.  A situation which, if you have found this website, may not feel all that much different from your own… in unknown territory, grieving, lonely, destroyed by the events of life that were no fault of your own but still with a responsibility to care for others and carry on. It can feel unfair… the heartbreak, the fear.. 

If you aren’t familiar with the story, I’ll give you a brief synopsis.

Naomi was Ruth’s mother in law. Naomi was a widow with two sons, Mahlon and Kilion.  Ruth was Mahlon’s wife and Orpah was married to Kilion.   Shortly after Ruth and Mahlon were married, he died. And then shortly after that, Kilion died as well leaving Orpah to return to her family.  

In those days, a woman without a husband or family was as good as dead. They could not own property or even make decisions for their own affairs.  Husbands, fathers, or brothers were expected to take care of them. So, they needed a male family member to step up and claim them. For that to happen, Naomi needed to return to her homeland of Judah and even though Ruth was not from there, she made the choice to stay by Naomi’s side and return with her. 

Ruth decided that wherever Naomi went, she would go too. Naomi’s people would be her people. Naomi’s God would be her God.  When they arrived back in Judah, they needed to find food. In God’s infinite wisdom, He told his people not to harvest the edges of the fields so it would be available to those in need. 

Ruth and Naomi were in need, so Ruth went to harvest the edges. A relative of Naomi, a man named Boaz, owned the fields, and had heard about Ruth.  He protected her, watched over her, and gave her extra grain to take back to Naomi. Boaz eventually spoke up for Ruth and Naomi, redeemed their property and took care of them.  Ruth and Boaz eventually married and a had a son.

If you’ve read that story, you know I am leaving quite a bit of detail out. So, if you haven’t read it, I encourage you to do so. When we are faithful to God and honor him with our choices, He blesses us. HE is always faithful.  When and how those blessings appear vary, but they always come. Waiting for them can be one of the hardest parts. If they don’t come when we want them to, it can feel so lonely.  I love the HOPE the message of God’s grace and faithfulness brings. 

Ruth and Naomi both listened to God and stood on the promise that he would be faithful. They clung to the hope that only HE can provide. They faced the pain with each and with their faith in God. They were committed to each other but gave each other choice within that commitment. They wanted what was best for each other. Their relationship was a blessing and kept the other from giving up. 

My mother in law passed away 3 years ago. Her passing left a huge hole in so many hearts. She was the central figure in my husband’s family and over the years, became one of my very best friends.  I miss her wisdom, advice, love, support, and knowing that I could call on her for prayers at any given moment.  She was like Naomi for me. She lifted me up and turned me toward my faith and when I didn’t have any, she let me use hers to lean on.  She believed in me and loved me like her own. She went through a lot of hard things in life, But still managed to help me carry my hard. 

We all need a Ruth or a Naomi in our life; someone that stands for us and with us. We need someone committed to what’s best for us and helps us to stand on our faith. We need someone to help us through the dark times and lift us up. When we don’t have anything left of ourselves, we need someone to turn to. We need someone that will keep us going when we want to give up. Someone to help us find the hope in the hopelessness. That’s why I want to be your coach. I want to be that person for you and I want to create a community of women that can be that for each other.