"Your People Shall Be My People"

I got a call from my youngest son about midnight this past Tuesday. He was calling to tell me that Jessie Mae King was in the hospital and was very sick. If you have read my book you have been introduced to Jessie Mae King. Anybody who visited my parent’s house in Reynolds from 1942 until they died know her well. And they all have Jessie stories. I have written about her on this blog. In short she has been a part of our family since about 12 years before I was born. When I got married and started having children she came out of retirement and helped raise my boys. And my boys consider her another Grandma. She turned 100 a couple of months ago so when she gets admitted to the hospital it gets our attention.

I visited her yesterday in the hospital. I walked in the room and I was surprised that she called my name. Her mental clarity is not what it used to be. She calls me Brucie. She was brought by ambulance to the hospital this week because they could not wake her up. Not sure of the extent of her other problems but they did discover she has congestive heart failure. But not surprisingly she has come back strong. Hopefully she will be dismissed from the hospital today.


Jessie has three living children. She lives with her son Billy and his wife Jeanette in Reynolds. Billy has been ill for several years and Jeanette not only helps look after her husband but she looks after her mother in law. Today when I walked in the hospital room Jeannette was wearing gloves and had just finished changing Jessie’s diaper. Jeanette has gone home only one time in the past five days. She has spent every single night in a chair by her mother in law’s side. She waits on her hand and foot. And she was waiting on her hand and foot before she was admitted to the hospital.

I was reminded today of the biblical account of Ruth and Naomi. Naomi refused to leave her mother in law’s side. Although most people could not understand Naomi’s faithfulness to Ruth, God blessed her faithfulness in an incredible way.

And I have a feeling God will bless this daughter in law’s faithfulness in an incredible way.

Maybe it’s because I saw the relationship my own wife had with my mother. Or maybe it’s because of the two incredible daughters in law God has given me. But I have a special place in my heart for daughters in law.

Maybe that’s why God gave me three sons.