Corona Devo 596

Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. (15) May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”

(16) Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. (17) The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.  ~Ruth 4:14-17

Can't you just feel Naomi snuggling her little baby grandson, Obed? 💗

We can't help but pick up on the deep sense of love and gratitude that Naomi has for him. There is a tenderness there that seems to go even beyond a (regular) gramma's love for her grandson.

But if we know the story of Naomi, we might understand why she is cherishing this child so deeply... Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. (5) Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband. ~Ruth 1:3-5).  

Naomi had gone through a hard and dry period without cuddling, without joy, and with sorrow, grief, bitterness and bleakness.

But Naomi's deep, felt gratitude and authentic joy in the last verses of the Book of Ruth are only possible because of the hollowness and struggle that she labored through. In truth, it was only because of her lack (then) that she could more fully appreciate her blessing now.

Can you attest?

Have you lost someone close to you? After wading through the sorrow and heart-break of losing a loved one, there is a period of time when we are a shell of who we once were. The sadness seeps into every facet of us. But this hollowness seems to (eventually) provide more space (and awareness) for us to be refilled when the cycle of life moves us back into being present and grateful and (still sad) but becoming more whole.

We appreciate time with people more fully, we sense the brevity of life and hopefully live it better and more fully. We cherish those who are special to us, and metaphorically speaking, after loss we (eventually) look at the "babies" that are left in our life and we "take the baby and cuddle him to our breast. And...care for him as if he were our own".

Because of our loss, we gain a deepened sense of enjoying what we do have, and in that sense, we gain.

But it's not just death that brings perspective through a process of pain, lack, and uncertainty. God uses many and all areas of our lives to grow us, if we are willing to stick by Him through the stages.

A lack of resources allows us to more deeply appreciate having "enough". I remember a Winter when family members visiting our house would wear their jackets inside of our house because we had to keep the heat thermostat so low. Not because we were penny-pinchers but because we did not have enough pennies to pinch. I have a sincere gratitude and feel purposely blessed to (now) run the air conditioner and furnace when needed. I "cradle those things" to my breast and have gained an appreciation for them because I was blessed to go through a cycle without them.

"Blessed"? Did I type that correctly?

Are we "blessed" when we lack?

Blessed by a clearer understanding of what is/becomes important (when we have to make choices about it). Blessed by a narrowing sense of priorities. Blessed to (hopefully) lean in to God and rely on Him as our Provider. Blessed to realize that much of what we thought was important is actually not important at all.

Yes, I meant "blessed".

Some of our most intimate times with our Lord can result-from/occur-during our leanest (spiritual/physical/financial/joyful/emotional) times.

After Naomi's season of sorrow came a season of refilling, rejuvenation, and possibly a state of contentment/gratitude/wholeness that she could not have "gotten to" without walking through the loss and lack of life for a while.

When we have had dreams/people/hope die in our life, then when we circle back around or finally get our head above the suffocating water, there is a gratefulness in the gasp, and there is a treasuring in our grasp.

We had thought we lost it all, but God's never done with our story.

If you are in the lack...hang on.

If a new season has been birthed in your life...cuddle, enjoy, embrace, savor it.

We can't get here without having walked through there.

Because of our loss, we gain a deepened sense of enjoying what we do have, and in that sense, we gain.

Rejoice for the second chances, and the second go-arounds. When they come along, grab onto them tight and cuddle them to your breast. They are a gift from God and a refilling of our empty spaces.

Blessings, 

sarah     

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com