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. (Ruth 1:16)
The above verse is a powerful verse from a lesser known book of the bible; the book of Ruth. It expresses the loyalty and love of Ruth for her mother-in-law Naomi, who had just lost her two sons and husband. After her own husband died, Ruth had the option to return to her homeland but opted instead to remain with and share in the plight of Naomi. The Lord greatly rewarded Ruth for her faithfulness with a husband and son.
After recently getting married, moving to a different state, and leaving behind a number of family and friends, this verse really hits home. It shows the type of loyalty and love I want to express to my wife in our new life together. We have the exciting opportunity of discovering a new church, making new friends, and fulfilling new dreams.
This verse also reminds me of how I should be treating all of the family members and friends in my life. For too many years I took for granted just how blessed I was. Last week, I returned to New Jersey for the first time since the wedding. I decided to treat each moment with each person I saw as if it was my last and to be so thankful for the opportunity to be together. I only wish I had been so wise my whole life.