Grief

Still Searching For Naomi? Part 2

by Janice S Ramkissoon 
01/29/16
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Is there a Naomi in the House?

Are you wearing your Mara hat today?

We are desperate for your services. Please rest up. Allow the process of grieving to run its course then come back to us fully armoured and prepared for service in the army.

Once the process of healing takes place you will naturally want to take off your Mara hat, longing to operate in your true calling once more. Rest is needed so that you can recharge the batteries and feel alive again.

Rest up my fellow comrade and be restored mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. They all work together to bring about the desired result. Physical restoration cannot make-up for mental, emotional or spiritual restoration. In other words, being content/happy in one area of your life will not make up for the lack in other areas. It will only be a matter of time, before the lack in other areas is highlighted as areas of discontentment.

Losing loved ones or any form of major loss will bring on the process of grieving. Grief comes in a variety of ways: the death of a loved one, unfulfilled dreams: a pregnancy that didn’t come to maturity, allowing for a couple to become a family, a business failure or a career that wasn’t successful; the news of long-term or terminal illness; the loss of a job; a divorce...Each type of loss means the person has had something taken away.

No one responds to grief in the same way. However, there are some common traits drawing attention to someone who is going through the process of grieving: feelings of great sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, despair, sleeping disorder and loss of appetite.

It is the normal response to a major loss such as that faced by Naomi who lost not just her husband but the children they had together. Her sons were the key to the future. They were the ones who could extend the lineage and care for her in her senior years. She was angry. Then her anger turned into bitterness. She was in no place to offer encouragement to others. She was deeply wounded by the tragedy and was grieving. If left alone she would be marred, remaining in her ‘Mara’ state-of-mind. What she needed was the support of a loved one who had great respect and love for her to help her through those difficult days. For Naomi, that was Ruth. We all need a Ruth in our lives when grief strikes (even if just for that season).

So I’m encouraging you today to do what you can to help a grieving soul. If you are exposed to a Naomi who has temporarily slipped into a ‘Mara’ character please don’t turn your back on them, even if they seem somewhat hostile towards you. It’s a process they are going through.

If I am speaking to a Naomi then please understand that your experience was not to make you bitter. It was to make you better able to serve the Ruth characters in your life. Too many Ruths are giving up on you and seeking help elsewhere, we need you to get better and get back on track. We miss you Naomi. Please come back.

"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort that God has given us" (2 Cor 1:4, NIV).

Although in this article the focus is on the female character of Naomi (Mara) the advice applies equally to both male and female so my final thought comes from a previous article, ‘Destined For Greatness part 2’:

“Today, you may be a Nathan to the David in your life (see 2 Samuel 12) or you may be a Naomi in the life of the Ruth character(s) in your life (see Ruth 1). In life, we travel through a series of cycles. For example: when we are down, we need a helping hand to rise again. So when we receive that strength and can stand again we are in a perfect position to help another person rise again or keep standing. This, I believe is what 2 Cor 1:4 is highlighting. Freely, as we receive, so should we give (according to Matthew 10:8) and that cycle--the circle of love--will remain unbroken.”

End of article. Part 2/2.