“Naomi!
Mother! Come quickly!” As she slammed the door, Ruth scanned the house for her
mother-in-law’s face.
“Ruth, my daughter, what is it? Are
you okay?” Naomi flew in and looked sick because she was so afraid for her
daughter-in-law. Feeling a twinge of remorse for scaring Naomi, she promised
herself she would never frighten her like that again.
“Look Mother,” Ruth replied, showing
her the huge bundle of grain. “This is what I gleaned today!”
“My daughter! How did you gain so
much?” Naomi was clearly surprised, and Ruth took joy in seeing her happiness.
“Oh, just wait till you see what
else I have! Look at this!” She opened the bundle in her arms to show Naomi the
leftovers from lunch that Boaz had so kindly let her take home. Ruth could
hardly keep her smile away as she saw Naomi in entire shock and try to compose
herself enough to give a reply.
“Ruth... I... I don’t know what to
say!” Ruth giggled as her mother attempted to put into words her amazement.
“Where did you glean today? Where did you work that you were so blessed?”
“Well, this morning I searched and
searched for a place to glean. I wasn’t sure where to go or what to do or if I
would even be allowed to glean at all. I ran into one woman who, well, she
wasn’t very hospitable. However, I met a friend. You have some very nice people
in your land. I am glad I came to live with you.”
“Ruth! Tell me who gave you all this
food! Don’t keep me in suspense anymore,” interrupted Naomi, who was getting
very impatient.
“Alright mother,” laughed Ruth,
placing a comforting hand on Naomi “his name is Boaz. He’s so_”
“Boaz! May the Lord be praised,”
Naomi interrupted again. Her whole composure changed and Ruth noticed that she
seemed happy. That was something she hadn’t seen for the longest time in her
mother-in-law’s eyes.
“Why are you so happy that I gleaned
in Boaz’s fields, Mother?” questioned Ruth.
“Boaz is a well respected man who
loves God, and he’s our relative. He hasn’t forgotten me in my absence.
May God be praised and may He bless Boaz richly for his kindness to you! You
know,” smiled Naomi, coyly looking at Ruth, “I might actually have a new
family, and a grandchild I can call my own.”
Ruth cocked her head and looked
confused but then, as the meaning of what Naomi had said sunk in, she blushed a
deep red. “Mother! Don’t even think about that! He has just helped a stranger
in his land; he has not given any sign that this could potentially be... well...
more. You have high hopes that cannot be.”
“Well, we’ll see about that. Did he
tell you anything else?” Naomi spun around and went back to the kitchen. Ruth
followed her, as she knew their conversation was not finished. The two talked
about whether or not it would be wise to keep gleaning in Boaz’s fields, but
Naomi assured her that it would not be bold of her to go back, and furthermore,
if Boaz told her to come back, she surely must go back. She would be able to
keep away from the abusers in other fields that could cause her harm as long as
she stayed in Boaz’s fields. This day was the beginning of a long stretch where
Naomi and Ruth were both happy.
Chapter 8
Every morning, Ruth would get up,
prepare her lunch, say goodbye to Naomi and head out the door to glean in
Boaz’s fields. She never had to worry about others mistreating her, because
Boaz made sure that no one ever harassed her. Ruth also began to see a change
in Naomi, and it made her ecstatic. The dark circles under Naomi’s eyes began
to disappear, showing she was sleeping again. Her eyes began to sparkle and she
began to smile more, and soon, she was laughing and telling stories of the old
times.
Ruth’s favorite time of day was the
part where she came home and ran into her mother’s welcoming arms. Ruth noticed
that as time went on, Naomi was letting go of her past and moving on. It
brought so much joy to Ruth as she watched her mother transform from a depressed
and sour old person to a smiling and joyful woman who didn’t seem as old.
One day, as Ruth walked home with her
usual sack of grain and leftover lunch, she was ready to have a good long talk
with Naomi. Ruth opened the door and expected to hear Naomi’s voice echo as it
had every day before for so long, but she heard nothing.
“Mother, are you here?” Ruth looked
around once again and then walked into the kitchen. Still she found no one.
Setting down her belongings, she went into her mother’s room and there she
found her, sitting on the bed, crying. Ruth let out a little screech and ran to
her side.
“Mother! What has happened?” Ruth fell
down beside her mother’s bent form. What could have happened to make Naomi so
sad? “Have I done something to upset you? I am so sorry!”
“No dearest. I am not sad at all!” She
looked up and Ruth saw her smiling through the tears. Very confused, Ruth tried
to make sense of what Naomi had just said. “You’re not sad or upset; you’re
happy, yet you’re sobbing like your son has just died. I don’t understand.”
Ruth sat down at her mother’s feet, ready for an explanation.
“You see, I have finally been able to
let the hardships of my life go. I’m not living under their curse anymore. I
feel as if God has resurrected me from the grave. I feel as if I have been
living on death’s door itself and now I have been revitalized! My God is
remarkable, Ruth! Don’t ever take his power for granted!” She stood up and
lifted her hands to the sky in worship. “May God be blessed for all he has
shown me. I was lost and dying, but he found favor in me and raised me up!”
Ruth stood up beside her and smiled, thanking God for showing Naomi how much
she was loved.
Thank you Adonai. You have answered my
prayers! Truly you are a God who can be worshiped and trusted, for you have
brought the dead back to life!
“Now, tell me,” began Naomi as she
sat and pulled Ruth down beside her, “how was today’s work. Did you talk with
Boaz again? Did anyone harass you?”
“Mother, of course not.” Ruth
replied as if it was the stupidest question one could ever ask. “Boaz would
never let anyone harm me. He is such like a father to me.” Naomi put her hand
on Ruth’s cheek and smiled. “Just like a father? Do you think he could
ever be ... more?”
Ruth immediately put her head down
in embarrassment and blushed all the way to the roots of her hair. “Mother,
please, we’ve been over this before. I cannot ask any more of him. He’s been so
kind to us. Please do not even suggest_”
“Ruth, he is our close
relative. He has a duty to marry you, because my son’s have died. It is
his job to give me an heir to continue on our name. Don’t act as if you haven’t
thought about it. Your eyes tell me everything that you do not speak. When you
tell me of your day, your eyes_”
“Mother, please,” begged Ruth,
closing her eyes, but she couldn’t keep a little smile from appearing. “I don’t
need you to tempt me anymore. I must keep my thoughts pure. If you are here
telling me it is okay to feel the things I do, how can I keep my thoughts
captive? We mustn’t talk of this.” She stood up and walked towards the door. “I
must fix dinner. You rest, I think you need it.” She left the room and went to
the kitchen to make some fresh bread with the grain she had gleaned.
What can she be thinking? I
cannot marry Boaz! He is so much better off than we are, even if he is our
relative. Anyways, there is no duty to marry a foreigner. Mother must be
having a hard day and she’s trying to stay happy by suggesting that nonsense.
God of Jacob, I beg of you that you show Naomi what is right. Let me keep my
thoughts pure of anything that could pull me from you. I do not wish to be
sidetracked by a man.
She continued to pray for herself, for Naomi and for
their life as she made the bread. Little did she know that her God was going to
answer her prayers, but not in the way she was expecting him to.