It has been two years since the world experienced a pandemic that struck many homes like a plague eating away at the soul. Many families of the earth were faced with the difficult task of saying goodbye to their loved ones “before their time”. Grief filled every heart as if it were a cancer that corrodes to the marrow. Communities of faith found themselves with the great task of strengthening their members to give a helping hand and words of comfort to suffering souls in the face of the threatening wave of death sweeping across humanity.

This reminds me of the biblical story of Naomi with her daughter-in-law Ruth. Naomi was a woman who not only faced widowhood in a distant land, but later her two sons would also leave their daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah widowed. What a profound pain to lose your husband and two sons! Her grief led her to even doubt her identity as she no longer wanted to be called Naomi which means “pleasant or sweet”, she now wanted to be called Mara which means “bitter or afflicted woman”.

 Grief has the potential to make us lose sight of who we are, if we don’t set out to guard our hearts in the process.

But Naomi’s story does not remain bitter, she has someone to count on, her daughter-in-law Ruth promised her fidelity and to be with her until death! Ruth, whose name means “friend, ally” lived up to it by behaving with Naomi as a true friend in grief, after all, she was facing it herself, in the face of her own husband’s death. Perhaps her own grief made her develop such empathy that she followed and served her mother-in-law wherever she went.

None of us are exempt from suffering, in fact, we are all in some way carrying our own dose of grief. The question is, are we counting on those “Ruths” in our lives? In what way have you identified that person God has placed to make your burden lighter? What characteristics would she have?

Remember that it should not surprise you to go through bitter trials, since our Lord Jesus had declared it to His disciples before being sacrificed for the sins of the world, He said: “in the world you will have tribulation, but trust that I have overcome the world” John 16:33.

My beloved Virtuous Woman, I encourage you today to put your trust in Jesus, the Author and the consummator of our faith, I encourage you today to raise your eyes to heaven and be strengthened in the most intimate part of your being. He will accompany you in your process, like a faithful friend. He will dry your tears and restore your name, you will be called blessed and sweet again for having placed your security in the Giver of life.

My prayer for you today is that you will be filled with all the comfort of God, He has overcome the pain of the world.