Double Blessings

Our church ladies' Bible study class has recently finished studying the Book of Ruth and is now into the Book of Esther.  We wanted to compare and contrast the sovereign workings of the Lord in the lives of the two women for whom books of the Bible are named.  What a beautiful study this has been!  And what wonderful nuggets of truth the Lord is showing us as to how the lives of these women can inform our lives in the 21st century.

Although a book is not named for her, there is another woman in this study who has been a blessing to me.  That is Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ruth.  She is a wise woman who pours her life into that of her daughter-in-law, in order to see God fulfill His plan in the next generations.  The one thing that is most impressive to me about Ruth and Naomi is the depth of their relationship and their commitment to one another.  It is truly instructive to us -- to me -- as a mother-in-law.

Of course, my thoughts have turned to my own children-in-law.  When our children were born, what precious blessings!  We thought we could never love anyone as much as we do our children.  As they grew and the Lord brought them all together with their spouses, we found that we had received double blessings!  Each in-law that was added to our family became truly that -- family.  And our love for each one has grown in depth the place where we can both say we love them like our own children.

Now, as the parents of our 22 grandchildren, each child-in-law  has become even more precious.  Living in ever-deepening relationship with them, we can see their unique qualities, quirks, and characteristics coming out in the grandchildren, along with those of our children.  Each grandchild increasingly develops a distinct personality, a combination of both parents.  And that's what makes them so loveable!

Yes, children-in-law are truly a double blessing.  Thank you, Lord, for Eddie, Chris, Robert, and Ashley.  We could not imagine life without them!  We love y'all!

Eddie, with his beloved bride, our oldest, Beth.  He is a quiet Canadian, but he brings so much to our family.  His creativity is unique -- he is an accomplished artist, but too humble to let anyone know it.  His firm steadfastness of purpose has been passed on to his children, and we believe that will stand them in good stead in the difficult days ahead.  We love you, Eddie!

Chris, Molly's husband, with his grandfather.  Chris' heritage goes back many generations in Florida.  He is the designated story-teller when we get together.  Everyone loves to hear Uncle Chris get going on a story.  And generous -- he is always, always ready to help someone in need, especially if it means getting under a vehicle!  He is an artist at mechanics, and is a student of the Word.  We love you, Chris!

Robert, Katie's husband.  Here he is teasing his niece, Emma Jane.  Uncle Robert always wants to plan some fun stuff for the children -- giving them nicknames, playing dominoes.  He is quite a musician, but he doesn't like anyone to know it.  He has a sacrificial spirit for his family (as do all the daddies) staying away from home for weeks sometime to put bread on the table.  We miss him.  We love you, Robert!

Ashley, Jason's bride.  Ashley probably thought we were nutty when she first met us -- you know, big families, homeschooling, bread-baking, frugal living.  Now, she's just one of us!  She has been a very sophisticated lady but she knows how to handle a 4-wheeler in the woods!  Next, she'll be bringing home the venison out in Missouri!  She is a talented singer and public speaker and is a blessing to our family.  We love, you, Ashley!