"May the Lord deal with me if anything but death separates you and me."

I have been reading the book of Ruth and a book called The Mother-In_Law Dance (MILD). The MILD references a verse in Ruth where after her husbands death Naomi, mother-in-law, encourages Ruth to return home. Ruth's reply shocked a city (Bethlehem): "Don't urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." (vs 16 and 17).

How different her mind was not only from the women of that time, but also from ours today! Her story has been rolling around in my head lately, esp. in relation to MILD.

Imagine when you got married - or when you marry - not only cleaving to your husband, but moving far away from your own parents and potentially closer to his parents. Now imagine cleaving yourself not only to him, but to his mother and her family. Now that you have pictured ALL of that, and have accepted it, picture losing your husband. With this loss, your mother-in-law, in not so nice words, tells you you can leave now and go home to your parents.

The book of Ruth doesn't say if Ruth and Naomi got along or if Ruth had family to return to. We, readers, only know that Naomi became "very bitter" (vs 20). Knowing this, Ruth still pleaded with Naomi to let her stay. And Ruth stayed. She followed behind her as Naomi returned home to Bethlehem. Ruth knew no one, but still she stayed and took care of her mother-in-law. God rewarded her, she became the great-grandmother of David - King David.

The LOVE and heart of this woman!! I must be honest, I am not sure I would be able to do this. I think of my relationship with my mother-in-law, and while it has improved I wonder if we didn't have children if I would do the same as Ruth.