“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” Ruth 1:20
I snapped at a guy a while back. I won’t go into specific details, except to say that I’d not eaten enough and found myself hungry, impatient, and a little crabby. As this guy droned on incessantly about nothing, my mind was screaming for him to shut up. I tried a couple of times to gently redirect him, but my efforts were futile. Finally, I’d had enough of his endless babbling and I abruptly told him so. I was supposed to be one of the Christian leaders in this setting, but when faced with too few carbohydrates and too much talking, I allowed myself to act rudely. For the good of the group, I believe that I was justified in saying something – he was ruining the group – but still, I allowed a small stressor to make me behave badly.
This, unfortunately, isn’t all that uncommon. When faced with any little inconvenience, I’m tempted to lash out, often at God. Why God? Why did you have to hide my car keys when I’m running late? I’m trying to go to church after all. I know it sounds absurd, and I’d like to say that I’m exaggerating, but at the time, my inner frustration often boils out in irrational and unhealthy thoughts, words, and actions.
How do I act when bad things happen? That’s the question I found myself asking while reading today’s passage. In the story, we’re told of an Israelite woman name Naomi, who left home with her husband, seeking refuge from famine in the foreign land of Moab, where their two sons married local women. Then, disaster struck as Naomi’s husband and sons died. In grief, Naomi returned home with one of her widowed daughters-in-law. In her loss, Naomi was clearly frustrated with God. Even in her grief though, it appears that Naomi never treated others badly. She remained kind and caring towards her daughter-in-law, treating her with love and respect. The passage never chastises Naomi for her frustration with God. It just explains that she was frustrated, while painting her as a kind, loving mother-in-law, whom God later blessed.
Bad things will happen in life. Most of my minor frustrations aren’t worth mentioning, but still, I often allow little annoyances to twist my thoughts, words, and actions. Naomi had far worse things happen to her, but still, she lived rightly, clinging to God, even while frustrated with him. How do I respond to life’s trials? I’m sure I’ll face far worse trials than an over-talker in Bible study. How I respond to the little common things though, is practice for the big things. When stressed, that which is inside of me spills out. So, as revealed in Bible study recently, it appears that I’ve got some work to do on that which inside of me.