Ruth 1:16-22
But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you, to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Call me no longer Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty; why call me Naomi when the Lord has dealt harshly with me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Ruth 1:16-22 (NRSVUE)
Many when reading this passage may focus on Ruth and her determination to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi. I would like to focus on Naomi. Prior to this passage Naomi and her husband left Bethlehem due to a famine. Once in Moab, Naomi lost her husband, and both of her sons. She is grieving and is now returning to Bethlehem. Grief is a universal emotion, everyone grieves at times in their life. Some, like Naomi, have experienced a lot of loss and therefore a lot of grief. Naomi views these losses as God bringing her back empty and bringing calamity upon her.
I read once on social media that there should be a distinction between “It is all in God’s plan” and “God has a plan for it all”. This passage is a perfect example of this. Naomi sees this as God’s plan (all in God’s plan). But when you step back and look at it, God really had a plan for it all. Due to the deaths, Naomi makes her way back to Bethlehem with Ruth. It is in Bethlehem where Ruth meets Boaz and they have a son, Obed. It is from this lineage that Jesus is born. That is certainly God’s most magnificent plan.
When we are going through grief, it might be helpful to pause and reframe our thinking. Try to reflect on our grief and circumstances and know that God has a plan for us and what we are going through. After all, Naomi had no idea her connection with Ruth and her return to Bethlehem is one of the pieces needed for the birth of Jesus. God indeed had a plan for it all.
Questions for Reflection:
- Does it change the way you look at grief when you reframe “It is all in God’s plan” to “God has a plan for it”?
- Who have you made connections with through joy or grief? Can you see that God had a plan for it?
- Who is your Ruth or who can you support like Ruth?
Prayer:
Loving God, thank you for your ever presence in our life. May we trust that You have a plan for it all. Amen
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