Lessons from my Mother-in-law :Mrs N.E

Mrs Naomi  Elimelech

I like to talk about my mother in-law as I learnt some valuable lessons from her.

I began to live with her after having married one of her two sons. Her family had migrated from her country of a different faith to mine. Her faith in her God was proved as one disaster after the other struck. She became a widow and so did I and my sister in- law, leaving us all childless. She then decided to go back to her hometown based on a rumour that the economic circumstances had changed for the better.

One of the first things I learnt from her is that it is never too late to retrace one's steps and  start all over again. Also I learnt that a leader must be able to effectively communicate the vision so people can run with it. She talked about her God and her nation so well that I decided to leave my own country and follow her. However it was not just the talk that attracted me, it was her walk. I also learnt from her that not everyone can follow you to the place of your destiny and if people are not committed to your vision, it is okay to kiss them goodbye. This she did with my sister in-law. I learnt not be afraid to let people go as some people in my life are only for a reason and a season.

She showed me   selflessness as she mentored me when we got to her hometown which led to my remarriage to one of their most honourable men. She made me realize that in helping others achieve their dreams, mine will be fulfilled. Even when I had my baby, she was so much into my own dream that her milk began to flow and she nursed my baby. Her dream of being a grandmother was fulfilled.

Finally, I learnt from her that our pain can serve as a platform for effective ministry to others. She was able to empathize with her daughters- in-law   when we became widows because she was one.

In hindsight, I learnt also that I should make decisions based on God’s words and not circumstances. I decided to follow her   when the prospects were bleak but that decision brought me, a foreigner into the lineage of Jesus Christ.

Read about me and my mother -in-law in the  book of Ruth.

Ruth Boaz saying" Happy Mother's Day".