Developing a Different Perspective to Help You Win at Life Part 2
“One of the toughest things in life is to continue to move forward when disaster strikes you down two, three, or four times in a row…” — Rick Cox
Although from birth we are driven to accomplish, life has a way of testing our mettle. It has a way of finding out how much we have in the tank. In many cases we don’t even know what we have until we come face to face with that which continues to slap us. Those slaps, those defeats, those inner hurts and injuries, can bring one to a place of feeling miserable and dejected.
This was Naomi, she was depressed beyond belief. When you are like this you want to be alone. Your loved ones may surround you, but unfortunately, you push those loved ones, those that can help you get through the pain, away. With that as her mindset she tells her daughters in law to depart and go back to their families. Had this actually happened, she would have had no one close to help her get back to that place of having a sense of value, with something to contribute. This fact is very important in the life of Naomi, as we will see later.
One of her daughters in law, Orpah, does follow her advice and goes back to her family to start all over however, her other daughter in law, Ruth holds fast to her. This is important as Ruth winds up being that which God used to get life back into the heart of Naomi, though at the time, Naomi couldn’t see it. Naomi even told everyone to quit calling her Naomi, a name which means beautiful, gentle, and pleasant. She wanted everyone to call her Mara, which means bitter. She no longer felt beautiful, gentle, and pleasant as she believed herself to be stripped of all she valued. She was only bitter. There was nothing in her life that mirrored the name, Naomi.
It is at times like this that in order for this to change we must reach inside and find that inner strength, resolve, and courage to carry on. The real reality however, is we are so distraught, so confused, so angry and bitter, all we want to do is hide within ourselves and fade away. Again, such was Naomi, but fortunately for her, Ruth stayed by her side and they returned to Naomi’s home land.
Even in her home land, Naomi wanted everyone to call her Mara. She didn’t change because nothing around her changed. She still felt destitute with no husband, no sons, and no grandchildren. I can imagine her thinking why is this young girl hanging around? Why doesn’t she let me be? Why can’t she go off and get married and leave me alone to feel sorry for myself? The reason was, God, in His sovereignty, had put something in the heart of Ruth. Something that told her to stick by her mother in law and she would be blessed so, stick by her she did.
A series of incredible things happened because of Ruth following that which was placed in her heart. One of those things I believe is she gave Naomi a reason to keep going. Ruth loved Naomi in spite of the fact Naomi didn’t love herself. I believe this helped Naomi to get through the day with an ever so small glimmer of hope, but none the less, hope. Something she had actually given up. It eventually gave Naomi a different perspective. Secondly, it placed Ruth in a position to be able to become a vital part of Naomi’s extended family, when she married Boaz, a cousin to Naomi, which inevitably wound up changing Ruth’s life from a young lady scrounging in the fields for left overs to the owner of those same fields. It also made Naomi a grandmother.
Several generations down the line Jesus was born through the very union of Boaz and Ruth. All of this because of the optimism and purpose found in the heart of a young lady that wasn’t even an Israelite. She was a Moabite. It wasn’t what she was on the outside, or even her blood lineage, but what she was on the inside that made her special. She was full of optimism. She was full of purpose. She cared for someone when they needed it most and gave that person a reason to continue to live. She helped that person to win at life and in turn won in her own.
The issue isn’t if you are of this religion or that religion. The issue is, what is your perspective on those around you and how do you view life? Have you a purpose? Do you believe all will work to your good? Are you willing to accept and love those around you to a place of helping them get whole again in the same manner Ruth did for Naomi?
As stated in Part 1, we all have our downs and ups, but how are we going to land? Are we going to stop at the bottom or continue till we are back on top? That is the choice we must make. Ruth could have felt just like Naomi. She lost a husband. She had no child. They both could have been bitter and hated each other as this often happens in families when the death occurs. On the other hand, we can be a positive influence to help others just like Ruth did to Naomi. It takes an optimism to believe all will work to our good.
Best of LUCK as you
Labor Under Correct Knowledge…
Respectfully,
Rick Cox