Fullness of Joy

For the person whose Thanksgiving looked a little different…

This year, your holidays may look a little different. Maybe you’re grieving… the loss of a family member, the end of a relationship, or grieving the way things used to be. Your stomach may be full, while a seat at your table is void… matching the emptiness within your heart. 

You aren’t alone. In the Bible, a woman named Naomi felt the same way. After losing her husband and sons, as she returned to her hometown, she declared, “I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty” (Ruth 1:21). The Lord did not miraculously mitigate Naomi’s loss; yet, through the faithfulness of her daughter-in-law Ruth, He brought Naomi restoration and redemption. The end of the book states, “Blessed be the Lord who has not left you… He shall be to you a restorer of life.”

May the story of Naomi serve as a reminder through the pain of loss, the Lord is with us always. Our circumstances may change, but the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Fullness of joy doesn’t come from a picture perfect holiday, but according to Psalm 16:11, from His presence. This year, things may not look the same, and may never be the same, but may we give thanks, for He is the one thing that remains.