A newlywed farmer
and his wife were visited by her mother, who immediately demanded an inspection
of the place. The farmer had genuinely tried to be friendly to his new
mother-in-law, hoping that it could be a friendly, non-antagonistic
relationship. It was all to no avail, though, as she kept nagging them at every
opportunity, demanding changes, offering unwanted advice, and generally making
life unbearable to the farmer and his new bride.
While they were
walking through the barn, during the forced inspection, the farmer’s mule
suddenly reared up and kicked the mother-in-law in the head, killing her
instantly. It was a shock to all no matter their feelings toward her demanding
ways.
At the funeral
service a few days later, the farmer stood near the casket and greeted folks as
they walked by. The preacher noticed that whenever a woman would whisper
something to the farmer, he would nod his head yes and say something.
Whenever a man
walked by and whispered to the farmer, however, he would shake his head no, and
mumble a reply. Very curious as to this bizarre behavior, the preacher later
asked the farmer what that was all about.
The farmer replied,
“The women would say, ‘What a terrible tragedy’ and I would nod my head
and say ‘Yes, it was.’ The men would then ask, ‘Can I borrow that mule?’ and I
would shake my head and say, ‘Can’t, it’s all booked up for a year.'”
We often make jokes
about in-laws (especially mothers-in-law), but the family of our spouse can be
quite a blessing to us.
When we read of
in-laws in the Bible, we find some relationships that were good and some that
were not so good. There was Jacob and the struggle he had with his
father-in-law Laban (if you think your in-laws are bad, imagine one that would
switch daughters at the wedding ceremony!). There was Moses and the good
relationship he had with his father-in-law Jethro.
But the most
beautiful in-law relationship described in the Bible was between Ruth and her
mother-in-law Naomi. Listen to these words spoken by Ruth to Naomi, words which
have been repeated in countless wedding ceremonies:
“Entreat me not
to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I
will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.
The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and
me.” (Ruth 1:16-17).
What a beautiful pledge of love and loyalty! If you are married, may I
encourage you to do something today you may not have done in quite a while —
give thanks to God for your in-laws.
Have a great day!
Alan Smith
