Family Ties

There are times in our lives where we may struggle to keep our family close, together, and in speaking terms.  For some, this is easier than others due to circumstances life may throw our way.  Many families have suffered from separations, divorces and even spousal deaths. Should these events cause those who were your previous family members to be cut out of your life?  If this is something you have struggled with, think about the relationships you built, the memories and time spent together.  If deep in your heart you feel the urge to reach out, God might be telling you, “It’s okay, it’s time.”  Having a sense of closure in the situation goes a long way, whether that means eventually really letting go or starting up a new sense of relationship. 

As I read the book of Ruth, I became amazed at her eagerness to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi.  She wanted to help her, guide her and be her sense of companion.  Naomi asked Ruth to go with her people; her family, but Ruth clung onto her because she felt a strong connection with her mother-in-law.  Although her husband was dead and she no longer had that obligation to be a part of Naomi’s family, Ruth wasn’t searching for anything else but to accompany Naomi.   Ruth wanted to keep the connection with her mother-in-law.  It wasn’t their fault that life threw a curve ball. 

 

Let’s try our best to pursue our family ties and reconnect with those whom we’ve lost in the process.   As Naomi and Ruth did in this verse, let’s start a new season.  “So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning” (Ruth 1:22). Just because there have been obstacles in life, it doesn’t mean that you have to divorce yourself from your family.