The woman named Naomi looked back at her homeland of Bethlehem for one last time.
She did not know when or if they would ever be returning.
Everything that made her heart beat faster existed there in Bethlehem. She tried her best to remain calm and composed for her dear husband. He had been through so much during this horrible, long-lasting drought. His always successful and prosperous business was not surviving. Constant worries filled his head night and day. He had always worked hard for his family. Now there was no way for him to make a profitable living here in Bethlehem. Three years without rain had ruined many people’s savings and livelihood’s.
Naomi did not want to add to those worries; so she rarely expressed her thoughts. Inside, her heart was breaking. The home she had always known and loved was being taken away from her and there was nothing she could do about it.
She must have pondered why God was allowing this to happen.
There was certainly no question that Naomi was faithful in trusting God. She had been faithful and diligent in all things.
Why was God allowing her family, and so many other families, to be forced to leave the homeland because of no rain? Every day they had prayed for rain, but the miles and miles of once fertile land lay parched and dry. There was no food for the cattle, the goats or the donkey. That meant eventually there would be no food for them.
No food.
No water.
How many times would God allow this with his people?
Naomi wondered. In her pondering God’s Holy Spirit must have reminded her of Abraham. Had he not been asked to a foreign land, not knowing what the outcome would be?
Well; if Father Abraham had accepted God’s will for his life and obeyed without complaint; so would Naomi. She resolved in her heart to remember Abraham and put on a happy face for those who would have to be around her daily.
As their two sons walked along with Naomi and Elimelech, she came up beside them and hugged them. She wanted to be their assurance that things would get better.
What could she say to them that would make a difference?
God reminded her of Joseph. Joseph, the Son of Israel had made every effort to cooperate with God in the times of famine. Because of his cooperation; the whole nation had been saved. His actions brought the People of Israel food and sustenance in a time of famine.
Naomi talked with her sons of this long ago part of their family history as they traveled along. She hoped it encouraged them that they were following God’s will for their family, and that everything would be okay in the new place.
Naomi thought she actually saw a small flicker of hope in the eyes of her two usually very happy and thriving boys as she told them the stories of God. These were the stories they had grown up with. They could take the stories with them to the new place. No one would ever be able to take the stories away from them.
Silently and inside her heart Naomi thanked God for all of the stories. She walked beside Elimelech and sometimes sang songs to him in order to make their travel more cheerful. He loved the sound of her strong, clear voice. The emotions of Naomi’s songs from the Psalms of their people stirred his heart. The words provoked deep emotions of his homeland. He prayed that God would be good to them in the new land. Silently and inside his heart, Elimelech thanks God for the songs. So many of them had been sung by his people for many, many years. The lack of rain did not have to mean the lack of songs. They would always have their songs; no matter what. No one could steal the songs that God had given The People of Israel.
Elimelech also thanked God for the gift of Naomi.
What a miracle and a blessing it was when she came into his life and gave him two strong, healthy sons who would grow up to help with his family business. The boys would learn the salt trade while they were away in Moab. By learning that trade, they would always have something to fall back on in emergencies, should they be able to return home again in the future.
This move to another land was always a temporary move in the mind of Elimelech. He constantly assured Naomi that they would return to Bethlehem one day.
Returning was, after all; one of the strongest traits of God’s people.
Had the People of God not returned to Israel even after over 400 years of Egyptian slavery? What was a drought and a temporary time away for his family compared to that? It was important to remain positive right now. Elimelech reminded Naomi of that story and she smiled.
He loved her smile. It brightened up his whole world.
Naomi’s smile had not happened very often lately. Smiles had ceased the moment she heard she had to leave the homeland that she loved so much. Was it just his imagination; or had her eyes gained a few little wrinkles during these days.
Elimelech considered the bravery of Naomi.
He knew she was being strong and courageous to honor God and simply to help him and the boys. This was the nurturing side of Naomi’s character which Elimelech had always cherished. Naomi would always put God first, and family came immediately after God. This was a very valuable trait deep within the character of Naomi’s personality. Elimelech did not take it for granted.
He vowed to show this woman all of the love he had in the days to come.
When he got them all settled in the new place and their income increased because of the new work, Elimelech would be especially careful to cherish and appreciate his family. Elimelech set a goal to pamper Naomi in every way. She would be made to feel like a very blessed woman. He would remind his boys to love and honor their Mother above all of the other women in their lives.
In all of the land of Israel; Elimelech knew there was no other woman who would measure up to the value of Naomi.
He thanked God for her as they traveled down the dusty roads; headed for the unknown destiny that awaited them somewhere in a foreign land.