Joel M Bradshaw

1Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?2Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.3Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” 5And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”–Ruth 3

When I first begin to journey with people, they are sometimes so lost in their situations. They are buried beneath shame and guilt. The weight of depression is heavy. Anxiety robs them of sleep.

I always end our first session together with Biblical clarity and hope. What does God say in the Bible about their situation? How does the Bible uniquely address how God will work in their life? Once hope is established, we get to work.

Naomi had such a moment. In Part 1 she was buried beneath her situation. In Part 2 she had a moment of clarity and hope as she saw divine providence at work. So now in Part 3 Naomi herself got to work as she trusted in God.

Her plan was a bit risqué as the threshing floor had a reputation late at night, but nobody is questioning anyone’s intentions here. Naomi had Ruth’s future in mind and Ruth was respectful and obedient.

In depression we first need to change the stories we tell ourselves. With Naomi she changed the way she saw things from God acted bad to God acted good.

And the second step is to get the focus off of the self. Depression marinates in the self. It weighs upon us and depends upon harmful self-talk to maintain it. Naomi immediately shifted her focus from herself to Ruth. She made a plan to care for her daughter in law who was depending upon her.

Naomi shifted her story to seeing God at work in her life. Naomi then focused on serving others. What a great example for us. We will have to see how her story ends next time.–JMB