Your people will be my people

Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to 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." Ruth 1: 16, 17

I love how God uses a familiar passage to speak to me in a new way! Today as I read my Bible I came across this verse. In this passage Ruth is speaking to her Mother-in-law, Naomi. She is responding to Naomi's encouragement for Ruth to stay in her homeland while Naomi traveled back to Bethlehem. Ruth tells Naomi that she will not abandon her. Ruth was loyal. Despite losing her husband Ruth still considered Naomi part of her family. 

I can relate to this passage in my own marriage. When Jeff & I were married not only did he become my family but so did his Mom & Dad & the rest of his family. I didn't think of them as "my husband's family" rather, I loved them as my own Mom & Dad. When we became husband & wife I took to heart the portion of this passage that says "Your people will be my people". That is why the loss of Jeff's parent's a year & a half ago was so hard for me. I felt as if I was losing my own Mom & Dad.

I think about that now because this past weekend our family walked in the Alzheimer's Memory Walk in memory of Jeff's Dad & Grandmother. In a previous post I wrote about the verse Genesis 2:24 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Not only did we become one flesh physically, spiritually & emotionally but we also became "one flesh" in family. His family became my family. Jeff's family is very important to him. I know that when I love his family I am showing him that I love all of him.

What is your relationship like with your spouse's family? Do you accept them as your family? Is there anything you need  do to show your husband you love all of him? Please let me know if there is anyway I can be praying for you and your marriage.


In His Calm,


Mary

Simple Pleasures

Welcome to Marriage Mondays. Today is a little different from normal. Instead of writing my normal marriage post, today I am linking with Rachel Olson from Proverbs 31 Ministries. She is having a Devotional Carnival titled Simple Pleasures. When you have a moment please take some time to visit her blog. You will be blessed! For those of you visiting from Rachel's blog thank you very much for stopping by. My prayer is that God will use today's post to speak to each of you whether you are new or returning.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP... Ugh its 5:30 am already? I stumble out of bed and with blurry eyes walk into the kitchen for my morning jolt of caffeine. I kiss my husband goodbye as he leaves for work and sit down with my coffee. I know I have just a few minutes to read my devotion before the house begins to stir. Soon I will hear the pitter patter of little feet. With those feet will come breakfast to be made and kids to be dressed and readied for school.

As I sit by my window reading I can't help but be distracted by the long list of things to do that day. Then, out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of light. I turn my head and look out the window and see the most amazing view. There before me, God is painting the most incredible masterpiece. Streaks of pink, orange & purple begin to light up the morning sky. Within a few minutes more colors are added. Patches of fluffy white clouds begin to fill the baby blue sky. I sit in amazement as I watch God's Glory unfold before me. I am reminded of Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God..." Yes, He is God! He is The Creator of the earth and the Author of my day!

So often I begin my day rushing through my devotion to check it off my to do list. I rush around trying to do as much as I can before picking the kids up from school. When they return home I rush them through homework so they can begin their afternoon activities. Then I rush to prepare dinner and rush through the nighttime routine so the kids can get into bed. All daylong I rush, rush, rush. By the end of the day I have nothing left for my husband. And I especially have nothing left for God. 

This morning God has used the simple pleasure of a sunrise to remind me to "Be still, and know that I am God..." I can begin this morning basking in the Glory of His masterpiece. Each time I am tempted to rush around I can use the memory of His canvas to slow me down and focus on Him.

I pray that as you begin your day you too will be reminded that God is The Creator of the earth and the Author of your day.

In His Calm,

Mary

After you read today's Marriage Mondays make sure you visit Julie Sanders blog Come Have a Peace.

The Way of Love

The Way of Love

 ¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

   Love never gives up.
   Love cares more for others than for self.
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
   Love doesn't strut,
   Doesn't have a swelled head,
   Doesn't force itself on others,
   Isn't always "me first,"
   Doesn't fly off the handle,
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
   Doesn't revel when others grovel,
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
   Puts up with anything,
   Trusts God always,
   Always looks for the best,
   Never looks back,
   But keeps going to the end.  ^8-10Love never dies. (The Message)

I have read 1 Corinthians 13:1-10 more times than I can count.  To be honest there have been many times I have read over this passage quickly and not paid close attention to what it says.

This weekend my husband and I had the incredible opportunity to get away by ourselves. We visited a destination city just a few hours from our home. Our immediate reaction was to think of all the fun things we could do and see. However, we quickly realized this was the time for us to relax and enjoy each others company.  So often we are too busy to experience "us". This Saturday we meandered down cobblestone streets, sat on benches overlooking the water and felt the breeze as it blew across our faces. We sat quietly, we talked, we laughed, we focused on each other.

We were reminded how much we love each other. We have weathered some incredible storms in our marriage but, God has given us the strength to hold tight to one another. When I read over the words of 1 Corinthians 13 I see how God pulled us through. So many times we could have become selfish and said "me first" but we chose to care more for each other. We could have been critical but, we looked "for the best." No matter what was going on we always trusted God to get us through. And you know what? He proved Himself faithful!

I am so thankful that God gave us this weekend to enjoy the love we share. I pray that God will remind you of the love you share with your spouse.

In His Calm,

Mary

My Husband's Helper

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18

So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man and he brought her to the man." Genesis 2:21-22

Dictionary.com defines helper as "a person or thing that helps or gives assistance, support, etc."

God knew it wasn't good for man to be alone. So, he made woman out of man's flesh. From the very first husband and wife God's plan was for us to work together.

When my husband and I were first married I entered our marriage a very independent person. I loved him very much but I was determined I would not lose sight of myself. In name we were one. In practice we were two. During our first year of marriage I did not rely on my husband the way God intended.

Just after we celebrated our 1st anniversary my husband became very ill. The illness was severe enough that we were not sure he would live to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. At that moment God taught me how we were to lean on each other for support. I learned what it meant to be my husband's helper.


My husband recovered and we have now been married for 12 years. During those months of recovery I worked to support us both in the home and outside of the home. Not only did I offer physical help but I also offered emotional help. I was there when my husband needed someone with whom he could talk, laugh or even vent.

Those months were hard on us emotionally, physically, and spiritually. But, God taught us valuable lessons about helping each other. We learned that neither of us could make it alone. When Jeff needed assistance getting to another part of the house, I was there. When I needed reassurance to know things were going to be ok Jeff gave me the hug I needed.

God taught us what he meant in Genesis 2:18 "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

How is God teaching you to help your spouse? I'd love for you to share your thoughts with us.

In His Calm,

Mary