My Circumstances Don't Define Me

Many of us have had an "interesting" past couple of years.  We have had to change our habits and make adjustments in our life styles.  And it feels like there is no end in sight.

(calm down ... I'm not gonna say, "Consider it a pure joy ... ")

There are many different ways to respond to your circumstances.  And people around us can have suggestions on how we should respond to our circumstances.  It seems much easier to see an obvious solution to someone else's problems, than to recognize one for ourselves.

I was reminded recently of Naomi, from the book of Ruth in the Bible.  Naomi was the wife of Elimelech.  There was a famine in Israel, and Elimelech elected to move his family to Moab.  While in Moab, Elimelech dies, Naomi's sons marry Moabite women (Ruth and Orpah) and then her sons also die.  Naomi decides to return to her home and encourages her daughter-in-laws to return to theirs saying, "No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me." [Ruth 1:13], but Ruth stays with Naomi.

William Blake (1795) - Naomi entreating Ruth and Orpah to return to the land of Moab

The circumstances of Naomi (which means, "pleasant; agreeable; my sweet" in Hebrew) were:  She had experienced a famine, was taken from her home, and lost her husband and only sons.  Her conclusion was that God was against her.  In fact, when she got back to her homeland,

She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. "I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?" [Ruth 1:20,21]

Naomi allowed her circumstances to define her to the point of changing her name.  Mara means bitter.  Don't get me wrong, those circumstances are pretty rough.  But sometimes we get so focused inward, we can no longer see outward.  Or we are so caught up with the tree, we can't see the forest.  The story continues, that Ruth is "redeemed" by her husband's kinsman, Boaz and becomes the mother of Obed, who becomes the father of Jesse, who becomes the father of David ... King David whom Jesus is descended from.

How many times have we gone through a hard circumstance only to look back on it with a different perspective than when we were "in" it?  I am certainly not perfect, but I try hard not to let my circumstances define me.  Could you imagine if I asked you to start calling me "Bitter" or "Frustrated" or "Ican'tbelievetheydidthatthingagain!"?

I control what I control

and I go with the flow

'cause that's how I roll

and now you know.  What!?

::prayer:: Lord, help me remember that you are in control of all things and win or lose I will praise you ::endprayer::