Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. Ruth 1:8

Has anyone ever tried to make you pay for their pain? Because they were miserable, they wanted you to be miserable too. They couldn’t bear the thought that you might be tasting joy while they were drowning in sorrow. They set you up to have to prove that you loved them and no matter how much you poured out, it was never enough. You felt their anger rising whenever you tried to return to your life. Their unhappiness clung to you, and over time, the relationship soured in your spirit.

Naomi could have become that kind of person. She had every reason to. She was bereaved, displaced, and empty. Living in a foreign land with no husband, no sons, and no blood relatives left, she stood at the crossroads of despair and entitlement. It would have been easy for her to cling to her daughters-in-law, using guilt, grief, or manipulation to keep them bound to her side. But she didn’t. Instead, she did something remarkable. She gave them freedom. She blessed them to go. She released them from duty, knowing it would cost her dearly. It was grace—a holy generosity born from a historic trust in Yahweh.

We all know what it feels like to be tethered to someone who is perpetually unhappy, someone who plays the martyr so convincingly that we begin to believe their wholeness depends on us. They would have us become their savior, but we’re not God. We can walk beside them and hold out living water, but we cannot make them drink.

Naomi ~ someone who blesses others with freedom rather than chaining them with guilt is rare. And when God calls me to be like her, I need to remember something. Grace is transformational when I let go, when I love without control, and when I trust that the same God who cares for me will also care for those I release.

Lord, teach me when to love through sacrifice—and when to walk away in peace. Amen

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