The Open Window: 8 Weeks to Creating an Extraordinary Life - Hardcover

Catherine Galasso-Vigorito is the author A New You and God Will Do the Rest, and is founder and CEO of A New You Worldwide. She is nationally recognized for her acclaimed syndicated weekly column, “A New You,” featured in the New Haven Register and in newspapers nationwide. Catherine lives in Branford, Connecticut, with her husband and two daughters.

The Book of Ruth is a story about change. It opens with the sad death of Ruth’s husband, but it later unfolds to reveal the triumph of God’s grace in the midst of changing circumstances beyond Ruth’s control.

Ruth, a Moabite widow, had selflessly refused to leave her mother-in-law, Naomi, alone after her husband’s death, proclaiming the timeless words: “ Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16, 17).

When Ruth left her family and the familiarity of her homeland to accompany Naomi to Bethlehem, she had accepted the unknowns that lay before them. The two women arrived in Bethlehem poor and hungry. But they did not just sit back and let events simply happen. To obtain food, young Ruth gleaned the ground for morsels of grain in vast fields owned by a wealthy man named Boaz.

And, soon, to their amazement, Boaz turned out to be a relative of Naomi’s, and when he heard of Ruth’s kindness to her mother-in-law, Boaz instructed his workers to leave grain behind for her to gather. Boaz himself was very kind to Ruth and encouraged her to collect food from his fields. Before long, Boaz obtained the blessing of the elders to take Ruth to be his wife.

Their union was a joyous one, and later she gave birth to a healthy son. Change had led to glory, and Ruth’s tears of sorrow became tears of gratitude.
Now, think about the unknowns you have encountered in your life. How did they turn out? For example, when you finished school and didn’t find a job right away, what happened? What about when you moved to a new city? Looking back, how did the transition work out? When you got married, that was an unknown. What about when you had children? All of our major life events have always been unknowns, right?

In a journal, keep a record the unknowns that you have faced in the past. What happened in each of these circumstances? Now, write down the unknowns that you are currently facing. Next, compile a list of problems resulting from your current circumstance, like an illness, a rejection, or a loss. Did something good come out of those events? How has change become a positive force in your life?

Some time ago, I received a letter from a reader I’ll call Janet. Janet wrote that three years ago she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Thankfully, it was caught early. But just when she thought one problem was solved, the following fall, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Once again, by God’s grace, it was caught very early. Still, she had to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Unfortunately, while trying to regain her health, her marriage crumbled. The pain was great. Although she prayed earnestly, she ended up going through a divorce. However, Janet did not become embittered with all the unknowns and changes; she responded to all these struggles with trust, and as a result, her faith in God grew. Janet looked to and depended on God, knowing that He is in complete control and that He loves each of us. Indeed, God brought good out of a difficult situation, as her past suffering has turned to new joy.