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    JOURNEY: Finding God's Path For Your Life
    JOURNEY: Finding God's Path For Your Life
    JOURNEY: Finding God's Path For Your Life
    Ebook78 pages1 hourThe Merry Hearts Inspirational Series

    JOURNEY: Finding God's Path For Your Life

    By Lisa Y Dodson

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    About this ebook

    Two women discover that with God's grace, soul-wrenching heartbreak can lead to a remarkable journey of self-discovery.

    Naomi, and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, find the present filled with personal tragedy and the future too painful to bear. For these widows, remaining in Moab without their husbands or next-of-kin would be f

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherFiction Cove Publishing
    Release dateJun 23, 2021
    ISBN9780999891773
    JOURNEY: Finding God's Path For Your Life
    Author

    Lisa Y Dodson

    Lisa Dodson is an Essence® National Bestselling Author and an Amazon #1 bestselling author of over seventeen novels in the Multicultural, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Sweet Romance, and Clean Read genres. Published by Harlequin and Kensington publishing houses and indie published, Lisa writes positive, realistic characters that she hopes readers can connect with while enjoying her novels. Lisa has functioned in the literary community as a publicist and radio talk show host. She also works with both aspiring and published authors in marketing and content editing.

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      Book preview

      JOURNEY - Lisa Y Dodson

      1

      A Light in the Darkness

      Naomi glanced down at the three graves spaced equally apart. The shadows were falling, and the sun would set soon. The wind swirled around her and blew the dust over her feet and sandals. Her gray scarf whipped against her face, but Naomi was oblivious. Caught up in her grief, lost in her pain, she stood motionless. Unexpectedly, Naomi’s anguish rocketed out of her like a geyser. A scream echoed off the rocks, and silence fell surrounding her long after her mouth closed.

      How? She shouted. How in the world am I supposed to carry on without my husband, Elimelech? He was the love of my life. It’s hard enough breathing in and out every day, but now my beloved sons, Chilion and Mahlon, are gone, too?

      Naomi turned her face toward the sky and threw her hands in the air. Why not just open up a hole in the ground and let me jump in, Lord, because I can’t imagine life without them. She wrapped both arms around herself protectively. "The big question of the day is, why do I have to?"

      Naomi paused for a moment as if an answer was supposed to materialize.

      Why take them and leave me stuck in a land packed to the brim with pagans? Moab is no Israel, but what were we to do? Our people were dying of famine back home.

      Her family’s graves were marked by many small stones as opposed to a large one, so Naomi knelt down and began replacing the stones that had shifted.

      Should we have stayed, Lord, and died with our family and friends? We came to Moab because it was close by and because food, land, and work were plentiful. Was that our big sin against you? Naomi asked as she worked. That we left and didn’t stick it out? Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon loved you as much as I did. They were faithful and followed your commandments to the letter. But now I’ve lost not one man to break my heart over, but three.

      More silence.

      Grief caused Naomi to lash out. She grabbed one of the rocks that she was about to place and threw it.

      How is this fair? She grabbed another and lobbed it. I loved him. He was my all. I wanted to grow old with him and bounce our grandchildren on our laps. Now that dream is gone. Have you judged us, and my family came up short? What woman could endure this much and not lose her mind? Rock after rock sailed through the air. They landed in the dirt, on boulders, or in the grass. The physical exertion caused Naomi’s breath to come out in choppy gasps. Sweat dampened her temples, and her chest rose and fell as she struggled to regain control. It was a lost cause. She used the back of her shawl to wipe the moisture from her face before going to collect some of the stones she had thrown.

      I’m no saint. But I have always lived a God-fearing life. I study the scriptures, pray fervently, live a life of servitude to honor you, Lord. I resist the urge to focus on material things and my fleshly desires. Yet here I am. Husbandless. Childless. With no possibility of being blessed with more.

      Naomi used her scarf as a makeshift wheelbarrow to carry the stones back. Dropping to her knees, her hand instinctively seeking her husband’s grave while she worked.

      This is not how I saw my life stretched out before me. You are Jehovah Jireh—my provider. Our family has served you faithfully, Lord. Even here in our adopted home of Moab, we worshipped and prayed to you, not the Moabite god, Chemosh. We were outsiders in this pagan land. Foreigners and they never let us forget it, but still, we honored our heritage and clung to your commandments.

      Naomi worked between the three graves, placing each rock with infinite care.

      What is our sin? Why have I been allowed to live and my beloved family was taken from me? Please, Father, I beg of you to tell me."

      When she finished, she sat back on her haunches. Tell me how I can repent for this great sin? Please, tell me what to do.

      The tears plopped from her face onto the arid rocks—wet spots left in their wake. Suddenly, a hand gripped her shoulder. The touch startled her, but she was too exhausted to be afraid. Instead, she raised her head slowly, as if the effort alone were too much to bear. Her eyes swollen and burning from the vast amount of shed tears.

      Mom, what’s wrong? her daughter-in-law and Mahlon’s widow, Ruth, knelt beside Naomi. She wrapped her arms around her mother and held on tight. Are you ill? Should I go and get help?

      No, Naomi said as her shoulders drooped. I’m not ill. I’m heartbroken.

      I know. Ruth dabbed at the corner of her eyes. I was so worried about you. Normally, you’re home before sunset. I didn’t know what happened to you.

      "Something has happened, Naomi whispered, I’m dead inside. I have nothing left. No male relatives to provide

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