But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." — Ruth 1:16–17 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. — Romans 12:15 |
You may feel like you are all alone in the depths of your pain, but you're not. An army of fellow fighters is also digging their heels in, refusing to give up on dreams of a new kind of beautiful life. If you are walking through the loss of a child, know there are other families walking through the same loss. If you are walking through the loss of a marriage, know you aren't the only one picking up the pieces. If you are walking through the death of a dream, know there are thousands of others dreamers out there who are grieving with you. If you are facing a diagnosis you never saw coming, know you and your loved ones aren't the only ones receiving bad news.
Although your loss or circumstance may feel unique, remember that around the world — possibly even in your own neighborhood — people are courageously walking down a similar path, wondering how the world keeps spinning while their life is changed forever. Find these people. - Find the fellow warriors. Find a community that sees you and understands you at a depth no one else will ever be able to reach. Solidarity is powerful, and it is available to you...
One of my favorite stories of the power of solidarity is that of Ruth and Naomi. If you've read the book of Ruth, you might be familiar with this tale of two women: a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law, both unexpected widows, who fought hard to find their way forward after a series of horrific tragedies. Following the death of her husband and sons, Naomi decided to make the long journey back to her native home. She tried to convince both Ruth and her other daughter-in-law to let her go alone, urging them to stay in their own country with their own belief system. Naomi argued her daughters-in-law were young enough to possibly marry again one day. But Ruth refused to leave Naomi's side, and in doing so chose to walk away from everything she knew. "Don't force me to leave you," Ruth said. Don't make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I'll die, and that's where I'll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us! — Ruth 1:16–17 msg |
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Find the fellow warriors. |
Find the fellow warriors. |
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Ruth's words are powerful in this heartrending moment of the story. Were it a scene in a movie, I can imagine the score playing in the background, the buildup, the tension, and the emotion of this pivotal exchange. Ruth made a life-altering decision to be with Naomi. Not only that, but because of the strong cultural divides at this time in history, Ruth knew she would be considered an outsider, an outcast, or even an enemy of society if she went with Naomi — but she was willing to go anyway.
Those of us whose culture values and praises independence may see this as an extreme choice. As I read this story I couldn't help but wonder: Why? Why would Ruth ever choose to sacrifice herself like that? The only answer I could find is love. Because she loved her mother-in-law too much to let her suffer alone. This is the kind of solidarity that takes your breath away. Powerful, moving, rare, unbelievable sacrificial love. Later on in the story, we see redemption for both Ruth and Naomi. Ruth met and found favor with a kind and generous man named Boaz, who looked out for her, let her glean his fields, and even provided extra food for her to take home to Naomi. As she began to see God's handwriting a new kind of beautiful story, Naomi said: God hasn't quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good! — Ruth 2:20 msg Solidarity, faithfulness, love, friendship, and redemption: It's the formula for a really great story, one we could read over and over again. Not only are we are reminded of the power of solidarity through the story of Ruth and Naomi, but we are also reminded of the goodness of God. Although we might not see our circumstances as good right now, like Ruth, we can choose to stay faithful, to work hard, to love sacrificially, and to fight for a way forward even when the path looks grim. May we all strive to be as good of a friend as Ruth was to Naomi. May we all strive to find the solidarity they found. Perhaps the key to surviving, thriving, and encountering God's love in a circumstance we never saw coming is through people — the people who would love nothing more than to be invited into the messy, level-zero rebuilding process with us... A brand-new widow daunted by an unforeseen future and overwhelmed by grief called me looking for the same reassurance that I had once needed. I can confidently say my answer to her was the same answer I would give to anyone sitting across the table from me today: It will be okay. I don't know how it will, I don't know who it will involve, but I know there is always a way through to okay. Maybe even better than okay, perhaps even more beautiful than we imagined okay could ever be. I'm not there yet, but I haven't lost hope that better than okay is still waiting in the future for me. |
Excerpted with permission from Rebuilding Beautiful by Kayla Stoecklein, copyright Kayla Stoecklein.
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Part of the beautiful of being a part of the family of God is that we have brothers and sisters around us who are going through or have gone through similar circumstances to ours and we can lock arms and endure together. God gave us this community on purpose! Have you found your fellow warriors? |
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Fall in love with life again |
Rebuilding Beautiful: Welcome What Is, Dare to Dream Again, and Step Bravely into What Could Be |
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+ FREE shipping on all orders $35 and more |
Kayla Stoecklein became an unexpected widow in August 2018 when her husband, Andrew, the pastor of their large church in California, died by suicide. With three young boys also grieving and a heart full of pain, it became her mission to bring hope and help to others who have faced unexpected hardships. Rebuilding Beautiful shows people that they not only have a purpose, but that they can build a beautiful life once again. In Rebuilding Beautiful, Kayla shares the life experiences that have turned into lessons, including - acknowledging the pain;
- making the choice to start healing;
- finding courage in uncertainty;
- embracing God's constant presence; and
- exploring a new path and falling in love with life all over again.
Sometimes, the journey from agony to awe takes time. Rebuilding Beautiful is the perfect roadmap for anyone who's on the path from heartache to a life that is a new kind of beautiful. |
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"What a gift this book is! The author authentically invites us to examine what helps us welcome life as it comes, even in the face of the most painful situations, so that we can grow from our experiences- instead of becoming defined by them. Kayla's words are not only inspiring, but the way she has courageously and vulnerably lived her life in the face of her own pain, is truly powerful. A beautiful read! " — Kelsey, Amazon Reviewer |
"Great read! Authentic, transparent, genuine, heartfelt words from the author. Help for anyone dealing with a loss, heartbreak, and/or disappointment. Gives hope that one can truly Rebuild Beautiful again! Highly recommend." — C.S., Amazon Reviewer |
"A book packed with real stories is brokenness and filled with hope-filled practical ways to rebuild a life on the other side. If you're in the midst or coming out or a storm, let this be a guide for you." — BW, Amazon Reviewer |
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The God of the How and When Online Bible Study |
by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel |
The God of the How and When Online Bible Study |
by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel |
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways . . . as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:8–9 Friend, let's kick off the new year studying God's word together! Sign up now and join us for The God of the How and When Online Bible Study with Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel. |
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this devotion with someone who needs it today |
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