From Genesis to Numbers, God demonstrates that he is interested in revealing our true identity in order to give us a purpose. This purpose come from allowing God to free us from our past and from people. Your freedom is in your Israel. Your purpose is in your struggle with God.
Before she had experienced the joy of being a mother, before she felt the pain of hearing him cry uncontrollably, before she even said thank you to God for providing a son, she found herself saying: give me another son.
Ruth had a difficult life perhaps even caring for her husband until his death. Ruth was a woman who had experienced hardship. As a result she was not uncomfortable going into the unknown. Her past difficulty had equipped her to stay the course.
It may seem crazy but, after I finished the Book of Leviticus, I realized that God put humanity out of Eden and allowed the Israelites to be enslaved for 430 years in Egypt because he loved them. I believe that the ability to truly appreciate God’s love requires knowing what it means to live without it.