This Time Next YearSample

If I know anything about successful people, it’s that successful people don’t see “I”, they see “we”. Successful people aren’t focused on how much they’ve taught themselves or how far they’ve come, they give thanks to all those along their course who have carried them, helped them, and cheered them on in their journey. 

We see this in the story of Naomi & Ruth in the book of Ruth. Naomi, left with nothing after she walks through the tragedy of experiencing famine and losing her husband & sons, tells Orpah and Ruth, her daughter-in-laws, to leave her. Orpah leaves Naomi, as Naomi wishes, but Ruth STAYS loyal to Naomi. Naomi had been through so much hurt in her journey. She missed her husband & sons, yet she was still open to stepping into a new season and trying again when Ruth tells her she will stay. 

When Ruth made the decision to stay by Naomi’s side, little did she know her entire life was about to change at an accelerated speed. When she lost her husband & her sons, and then Orpah left her, Naomi thought she was empty; however, she still had Ruth! Don’t let who’s missing block your vision from seeing who is with you. What was about to happen was an incredible bond forming between Naomi and Ruth: the young & the old, the mentee & the mentor, the learner & the educator. Naomi, then, began to invest in Ruth, listen to Ruth, coach Ruth, and walk with Ruth. In the same sense, God began to use Ruth to help Naomi have hope again, give Naomi purpose again, and breath life back into Naomi again.

There’s a reason this book isn’t called the book of Naomi— it’s about Ruth! It’s about the person we were born to help. We weren’t put on the earth just for us; we were put here to be a blessing and to be an impact on the next generation. God may be calling us to be part of a new season, a new chapter, a new way of living, growing, and dwelling in community. It may not be easy, and it may be uncomfortable. For Naomi, her entire life had been flipped upside down. Her focus and season was to now raise up a young girl. Through Ruth, Naomi saw her future. Through Ruth, Naomi could change the world. Through Ruth, Naomi could help a girl do what she couldn’t do. To get there, Naomi knew she needed to be a mother, a mentor, a friend, an encourager, and a motivator to Ruth.

To get past your past, you have to wake up to your present. Just like Naomi, I believe some of us in 2018 are called to help someone else get to where they can’t go on their own. Some of are to step out of the spotlight, some of us have to let go of the season to be seen and step into the season to empower. Don’t miss out on your miracle because you’re trying to be a Ruth when God wants you to be a Naomi, and don’t miss out on your miracle when you’re trying to be a Naomi when God wants you to be a Ruth.

This time next year, God wants you to not just look back on the year and see who has been faithful to stay by your side and become your “we”, but He wants you to be able to look AROUND and see who is your “we”. God wants you to have invested yourself into someone else. You never lose when you help others win!