Mother’s Day

My life will never get better.  (Ruth 1)

Naomi had reached her breaking point. First, her husband died and then both her sons, leaving behind their destitute young widows. Naomi couldn’t even take care of herself. How in the world was she supposed to care for them too? So she packed up and moved home, back to her people. Back to the familiar. She had left her homeland full of promise, a glowing bride on the arm of her Prince Charming. She was returning a broken and bitter old woman who had given up on life. Everyone who met her heard about it. She had Bitter Brain Disease and left a trail of despair germs everywhere she went.

Because life had dealt harshly with Naomi, she adopted the mindset we often take: “This is how it will always be.” We want to write “The End” after a grueling season and grumble, “Well, that’s how that turned out.” But God reminds us that it is His book and it hasn’t “turned out” yet. That was only a chapter. Most good books have some scary chapters: hair-raising, nail-biting, what’s-gonna-happen page-turners that your nerves couldn’t stand if it was like that the whole way through. But it’s not. It’s only a couple of chapters. So it is with our lives. No matter how bad the season, we must never fall for the lie that our lives will never get better. With God, all things are possible. Second chances are the norm and new beginnings are in the next chapter.

Final Thought:  Have you believed the lie that your life will never get better? You’re counting on a future without God.

Prayer: Father, please forgive me for allowing myself to fall into Naomi’s mindset of despair. I even announce to people about how faithless I am. But the past doesn’t dictate the future. I choose to hang on til the next chapter. In Jesus’ name, Amen.