God is Still Writing Your Story

As kids, my sister decorated her bedroom wall with various celebrities. Ripped from Tiger Beat magazine, she adorned her walls with Michael Jackson, David Cassidy, and her favorite Bobby Sherman. Last month, her teen heartthrob passed away.

As the news broke, I reached for my phone to call her. Within seconds, I recognized my error. Grief poured over me as I remembered she had passed long before her teen idol. Please understand, I know my sister is no longer with us, but reminiscing caused a momentary lapse in the present.

Grief, loss, and pain are common to human experience. The bittersweet emotions fill us in the wake of the loss of someone we love. Initially, its smothering weight fills us with unexpected responses to the world. Despair intermingled with anger quenches our zest for life. With time, grief’s crushing presence lessens, but it never leaves.

Grief becomes a normal but strange companion. As Christians, we look to God’s word for direction in a painful season.  The book of Ruth shares wisdom with us as we look at the life of Naomi. In the shadow of loss, we relate to Naomi’s despair.

“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.”  Ruth 1:20 (NLT)

 Like Naomi, we choose to travel home for care and support. God did not want Naomi to travel alone, so He provided Ruth. Naomi was far from done, and the source of her new life walked beside her.

What has God provided to comfort you in difficult seasons? The two widows were nourished by the grain Ruth gleaned from Boaz’ field.  Barley did not rescue Ruth and Naomi, but it did sustain them as they searched for direction. He can provide physical provisions, but also a person or community to walk through hard times with you.  Remember, difficult seasons last for a finite period. In the waiting, we look for God’s provision.

Although we may not experience Naomi’s trauma, we may remain reluctant to help others. Fear of the unknown whispers to us to keep life the same. Anything that disrupts our routine threatens the peace we have worked hard to maintain. Few of us risk leaving our comfort zones to try building new relationships. Our lack of confidence can blind us to the needs of others around us.

But God called us to love one another. God help us to work through our fear, pain, and grief so that we can see those around us. Teach us the importance of true friendship, as we look to build stronger relationships with the women around us.

God always brings victory on the other side of pain. Turning my focus from my pain to the younger women in my life restores my hope. Rejuvenated, I choose to pursue God as He continues His story through me. You, too, can become a caring person for another woman. Look around you, is there a younger woman already in your life, looking to find her way?

God is with us and sees us.

God loves us.

God comforts us in our time of need.

God provides for us.

God provides relationships for connection and purpose.

God continues His story of victory in us.