Without warning, everything fell apart. Naomi’s sons, the bulwark of the family after Elimelech’s death, both passed away suddenly, leaving the women of the family on their own. Ruth, swimming in the sea of her grief, looked to her mother-in-law for comfort. But Naomi had changed. Now Naomi was lost, cast behind a veil of mourning.
The hardest thing was the pain Ruth saw in Naomi. She knew her mother-in-law was in anguish. Those first few weeks were a time of suffering with Naomi in her darkness. Finally, Ruth decided to act. She decided it was her responsibility to take care of herself so she could provide for Naomi until her mother-in-law could function again.
Do you feel trapped in the mire of someone else’s depression? Are the inner mental workings of someone you love confusing and disorienting? When trying to understand the mental struggles of our family members, it is so easy to allow them to set the tone in our hearts and become filled with confusion and frustration. Sometimes, instead of trying to comprehend or fix their problems, the best thing we can do is to bear with them patiently, praying for their healing, while at the same time pursuing a stable, healthy life of our own. Sometimes, choosing to be healthy even in the midst of the poor decisions of those around you is the most powerful weapon against chaos. You have the power, given to you by the Holy Spirit, to cling to hope. You have the power to do what is necessary to create spaces that allow you to breathe, be restored, and enjoy life. Today love those who struggle with mental issues by helping yourself so that you can support them in their time of need.
Sally Clarkson is the author of numerous books. Her son Joel Clarkson is a composer and editor. Adapted from A Different Kind of Hero, the companion study guide to Different: The Story of an Outside-the-Box Kid Who and a Mom Who Loved Him (both Tyndale Momentum). © 2017. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
