I see your smile And it’s so much sweeter After all that I’ve been through And when we laugh I get a glimpse of forever And I praise God that I found you And anytime someone asks me How it all unfolded I’ll tell them Such incredible chances Make for marvelous love. Just like the sun lights up the moon This love is a reflection Of more than just me and you Our lives were less than ordinary And while I couldn’t see past tomorrow God was making history Oh my, what a beautiful story of love. Unexpected mercy Is the greatest thing to find When you’ve been broken many times My soul found joy And for the first time in a whileI felt singing
- Mandi Mapes

 

These have to be my very favorite song lyrics! It's about two people in love wanting their relationship to glorify God. Also, it's about what God's doing in your life when you don't even realize it! "And while I couldn't see past tomorrow, God was making history" just makes my heart melt! After doing a little research, I found out this song is about my most favorite story in the Bible: the story of Ruth. Ruth followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Bethlehem promising, “Where you go I will go... Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” Eventually, God led Ruth to a man, Boaz, who was related to her late husband. Boaz and Ruth were married and became the parents of Jesse, the father of David who later became the King of Israel. And from this lineage, Jesus.

 

The story of Ruth is also one of real friendship. Loving her mother-in-law so much, Ruth was determined to stand by her side. Often, I imagine my relationship with Christ in the same way. Jesus, where you go I will go. Your people {your broken, imperfect people} are my people, too. Your Father is my Father. This story of friendship between Naomi and Ruth is one of loyalty, kept promises and unconditional love. Somewhere, I read a quote that loosely translated to: Friendship is not based upon convenience, but on commitment.

 

One of the most hurtful things you can say to someone is, "I have no reason to be there for you anymore." I'd know. I've heard it before. Ruth's husband (Naomi's son) was gone. Ruth didn't have to stay with Naomi, she didn't have to be on her side and she didn't have to make the trek with Naomi. She could have chosen to leave, to go home and find a new husband right away. She didn't, though! She kept her promises because she cared, she loved and she was loyal to Naomi. She didn't need a reason. Their history, their friendship had meaning and it was enough. It was significant! We don't need a reason for friendship, either. Friendships are like any relationship. They take work. But they're worth it.  It's a beautiful story of love.