In the opening verses of the book of Ruth, Naomi experiences great tragedy and loss. She is a sufferer, who is struggling to hold on to any hope. And, though she sees God’s hand in her tragedy, she has concluded that God is against her and that she has returned “empty” – even though Ruth returns with her in a great display of devotion and faithfulness. Suffering can have the effect of impairing our vision – just like Naomi, it can lead us to idealize the past and fail to see God’s blessings in the present.