“Don’t call me Naomi. . . . Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.”
RUTH 1:20

Hope Trumps Grief Ruth 4:13-17

Naomi’s words fall heavy, laden with the burden of bereavement. After the death of her husband and two sons, Naomi did not hide her fear and sorrow. She thought the Lord had raised his fist against her (1:13), yet Naomi chose to follow God and honored him by giving her grief to him.

Marie and Tim Kuck demonstrate this same kind of courage today. After their son Nathaniel was born with multiple birth anomalies, he underwent seven major surgeries in only four years. During that time, these parents grieved the loss of their dreams for their son, but they weren’t prepared when Nathaniel unexpectedly died before his fifth birthday. Their grief sank to new depths. Tim tried to express his loss, saying, “Without our consent, our little boy changed addresses—from earth to heaven.” Their pain was indescribable. But even as they made arrangements for Nathaniel’s funeral, the Kucks were determined to honor God and their precious child.

Since that day, Marie and Tim have continued to trust God as they embrace their son’s memory. In 2002, they started a ministry called Nathaniel’s Hope to encourage families of children with disabilities. This ministry, which was birthed out of grief, now reaches thousands of people with the hope of Jesus Christ.

The Kucks proclaim that in the midst of their grief, God was faithful. The hope that they clung to on the darkest days, they now make available to others. Through Nathaniel’s death, countless people are finding new life in Christ Jesus.

Hope trumps grief just as eternal life triumphs over death. That’s the message Naomi embraced as she cuddled her newborn grandson at the end of the book of Ruth, and it’s the message Marie and Tim Kuck continue to share today.