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Loving-kindness
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Under the pink sky, in the late evening as the sun settled on the horizon, Ruth walked back home, parting ways with the harvesters, who sent her off with smiles and hugs, and words like see you again, that made her heart stir.
It was a long way home.
When Naomi's home came into view, the old wooden house that stood afar off from others, the barren land with more weeds than grass, Ruth picked up her pace, eager to see Naomi. To tell her, and show her, all that had happened. Eager to see the woman eat.
Walking wasn't enough anymore. Ruth ran as the wind whirled past her, and her heart thrummed against her chest. The events of the day came back to her in waves that sprung tears to her eyes, blurring her vision.
She ran faster, floating on a wave of euphoria, as laughter, the sound of freedom, tore out of her while tears trickled down her cheeks. She reached the doorstep, knocking, hard, breathless- yet she wouldn't allow another breath of ease out of her until Naomi heard the good news.
The door was pulled open seconds later. Ruth, unable to contain the butterflies in her stomach, threw herself into the arms of Naomi, almost tackling her over.
Trying to keep herself stable while holding Ruth in the embrace she clearly needed- Naomi laughed at the surprise of it all.
It was late.
She was dying with worry for hours. As she pulled away, she witnessed the tears trickling down Ruth's cheeks, a sight she had grown so used to seeing, yet there was a certain joy, in the young woman's weeping, as the softest laughter escaped her lips, mid-sobs.
"Ruth," Naomi began, then her eyes drifted to the big basket Ruth carried, to the green veil that was tied in a sack, the one that hung over Ruth's shoulder.
"My goodness...."
Ruth wiped her tears, taking in a shuddered breath, and she held Naomi's brown, dull eyes that were brimming with questions.
"Mother, this is all I've gleaned today. And look! I have lunch with me as well, I saved you some."
"Where did you gather all this from Ruth?" Naomi questioned, the surprise melting over her. "In whose field did you work? May Yahweh bless the man who showed you special attention."
Ruth told Naomi of all that had happened that day, ending off with: "And the man in whose field I gathered grain today is Boaz."
At this, Naomi went quiet. That name sounded so familiar. The memories came back gently, stirring her heart. He was one of Elimilek's youngest distant cousins.
"Young Boaz." Naomi murmured to herself.
"Yes, Boaz," Ruth affirmed, watching Naomi fade into her thoughts.
The silence after that was deep, almost reverent, as Naomi felt it in her soul. Tears she'd thought had run dry, sprung in her eyes, and her heart squeezed.
She thought of the heartache she experienced stepping back into Israel without her husband and children. Empty. She thought of how hard it was, living in the same house they had once loved and lived in, hungrier than she'd ever been before. And finally, Naomi dwelled on what she attempted to do in the hours Ruth was gone, when a thick darkness consumed her, and she'd finally had enough.
"It seems," Naomi began softly, " that Yahweh's loving-kindness has not left us... either through life or through death.
"Then she looked at Ruth, saying,"Boaz is closely related to us...He is a kinsman-redeemer of our family. May Yahweh greatly bless Boaz."
YOU ARE READING
Ruth: Reimagined
Romance"I want you to belong to someone Ruth." Adira said, her voice softer. "I want you to be able to breathe in a world where everything is placed on a woman's chest, on her back and tied to her legs and then she's told to be beautiful, to be good enoug...
