Family story

Ruth 1:1-18

We chose the names for all our intended children whilst pregnant with the first. The name of the second daughter was to be Naomi Ruth. And that was the name we gave her when she was born ten years and quite a few children later.
The grandparents were anxiously awaiting the telephone call announcing the birth. My mother's immediate reaction was along the lines of "What a peculiar name". Later that morning she told her friends of the dreadful names, particularly Naomi, that we had inflicted on our daughter only to get the response "What a beautiful name" and be directed to this passage and of course the whole book of Ruth.
Ruth deserts her birth family and her country to care for her mother-in-law in a foreign land. She lives an exemplary life of dedication and care. Naomi may not always have been pleased with God but she trusted him in all her adversity.
My mother read the story and realized that even though she might have a bias against names ending in an "i" the Naomi and Ruth of the bible were people to emulate.