So, February is undeniably all about love. Not just any love; romantic love, and around every corner! If I’m honest, as a single, young, twenty-something, it grates on my heart. It’s very easy to throw a pity party! “Woe is me, I’m all alone and everyone is in love and adorable with their cute lovey plans!”

However, that didn’t last long this February because of two things. Good friends and the book of Ruth. On Friday, I will see not one, not two, but five of my dearest friends in Dallas. The morning will be filled with wings, slushees and silly reality TV and the evening will be filled with bingeing The Office and Dominoes!

Now, you might be asking yourself, “What on earth does this have to do with the book of Ruth”? Well, if you remember, Ruth faced quite a bit of calamity in her life. Her husband died and then her mother in-law decided to go home to her people and urged Ruth to leave. “But Ruth replied, “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. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16

Ruth is a rare lady who exemplified sacrificial love. Not for romance, but for someone who was her family and possibly even a friend. She didn’t make the easy choice. She knew going with Naomi would be hard and she willingly, adamantly chose to go anyway.

Sound familiar? Maybe a friend has stuck by you through the hard times or your own pity parties? Even more incredible, we get a beautiful picture of how our God sticks by us! Jesus knew that the cross would be hard, excruciating and humiliating and yet he chose us anyway: willingly and adamantly chose us anyway. Because of that, we cling to him for hope and life!

So to all my singles out there, cling to Jesus because he’s the best love there is and enjoy life as it is now! And to all my friends who have stuck by me through thick and thin, through joys and pity parties, who make me braver and more confident every day- thank you! Thank you for being my Ruths and for showing me how to love better!

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