A Praying Life by Paul Miller is one of those books that actually changed the way I thought about prayer. I found it so touching that I was excited to see A Loving Life was also published. A Loving Life is a short read examining the book of Ruth in the bible and more specifically her hesed (loving-kindness) toward Naomi.
What is love? A passionate, fleeting feeling? What is our biblical, God-given calling when the person you love is difficult? This book outlined Ruth's response to such a query. When Naomi's husband and 2 sons passed away, 3 women were left unprotected in a patriarchal society. Naomi decided to travel back from Moab to Bethlehem, her home town. Orpah, upon Naomi's urging, quickly abandoned the journey to stay in Moab with her family. Ruth cannot be persuaded to leave Naomi even though it means the loss of her family, culture, and home for an unknown and unstable future. Her sacrificial love for Naomi exemplifies hesed and models Christ's love for his people. I enjoyed reading insight into the culture of the day and learned many things I had never known about the familiar story of Ruth and Naomi.
Miller's anecdotal style made this book easy to read with many applications to real life. If you are struggling to love someone who is ...not very lovable, this book will be an encouragement to you!
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