Ruth 2

From kindergarten to college, I was the most shy, diffident person imaginable when not talking with my family members. In fact, I have yet to come across a kid quite as shy as I was. So I consider myself tremendously fortunate to have had teachers who showed me such unwarranted, forbearing kindness and understanding. Yes, I was respectful and probably easier to handle than some tyrannical, misbehaving hellion, but I know how hard it is to engage with someone who doesn't really interact with you--even if such lack of interaction is out of social anxiety and not haughty insolence. But I did truly appreciate those who treated me, this withdrawn enigma, with compassion.

Boaz, a well-to-do and respected Israelite landowner, shows similarly abundant kindness to Ruth, a poor, widowed, Moabite woman. The cynical part of me is tempted to speculate that maybe Ruth had a pretty face and thus caught Boaz's eye, but the truth is that Boaz heard of Ruth's selfless aid to Naomi (verse 11). As a man of God (verse 4), he recognizes that God will reward Ruth for her sacrifice (verse 12)--so why not show her some generosity of his own? Not only does he feed her copious bread and roasted grain (verse 14), but he also tells his servants to leave her alone (verse 9) and even leave grain stalks for her to glean (verse 16).

All Boaz's accommodations are literal godsends to Ruth, because the allusion in verse 9 to the harvesters laying a hand on her reveal just how badly things could have gone for her. The Mosaic law commanded harvesters to leave behind stalks of grain so the poor and the widowed could glean it, but I imagine some workers didn't exactly jump for joy at having to leave some of their hard-earned harvest to the outcasts of society. Indeed, some may have "lifted a hand" against said outcasts out of resentment and spite. I don't know how long Ruth was gleaning before Boaz rode into town on his mighty steed, but it seems like none of the workers had censured her--Boaz's magnanimous disposition reflected in his servants.

I can moan and groan about my social anxiety, but the truth is that I'm more fortunate and have so many more opportunities than many others. As such, I know I have to watch for the "gleaners" in my life, those I can help and even those who, like Ruth, deserve generosity above and beyond the norm. Of course, I must rely on God to guide me in these matters, showing me where I should use the gifts and resources he has given me. Because as I've learned, when you show kindness to someone, sometimes you may get something in return, and sometimes you don't. But every single time, you get everything in return.

(To quote The Lego Movie, "I know that sounds like a cat poster. But it's true.")