A Book of Ruth

by Sandy Wakefield

  “Humph,” she returned, as she brushed past her with her chin held way too high for a normal sort of person. After she had shut the door on her way out, Ruth walked up to the window and smiled at the postal matron.

  “I’m sorry you have to go through that Ruth,” Mrs. Jackson said with a light heart. “That chin of hers is going to break off from her neck if she doesn’t lower it back down where it should be, don’t you think?” They both started to giggle.

  Mrs. Jackson was a joyful woman. Ruth loved her. Her husband had left to war last year, and had not been heard from. “He’ll be back or he’s with Jesus,” she would so often say. “Not for me to know right now I spose.”

  The two friends talked for a short time about the coming season of chillier weather, and Ruth invited her to supper that evening. Beth Jackson said, “Pick me up on your way back from the store this evening, and I’ll bake the bread pudding for coffee afterwards.”

  “I will,” laughed Ruth as she left the post office.

  Coming into the General Store young Nathan was standing in the midst of several men, laughing and proudly showing off his bird. Boaz was laughing with the men and all seemed nervous when she shut the door.

  Nathan said, “Look Ms. Ruth, tell em, they think someone else shot it and I bought it from em, tell em, tell em you saw me.”

  Ruth smiled, “I did, I heard the shot, I saw the feathers fly, and young Nathan make his way out of the brush. That’s a pretty good witness I would say.”

  All the men laughed, and Boaz smiled at Ruth. “Thank you Ruth for an honest testimony from an upright woman! Nathan is glad you were where you were today. And so am I. What would we do without you around here?”

  Nathan’s father, who was Nate, yelled, “Um, Boaz, do I see a gleam in your eye? Finally?”

  Boaz and Ruth both became flushed and she hastily made her way to the back room to assist Julia. With laughter coming from the store, she got a little jittery. “What’s that all about,” asked Julia.

  “Don’t ask me,” said Ruth. “I think I just walked in at a wrong time.”

  Boaz yelled, “Alright men, I gotta get back to work. Nathan be on your way to your ma, she’s gonna want to cook the bird, before he’s stiff .”

  “Ok, come on pa. Take me in the wagon. You said you would if I helped load it.”

  Nate laughed and said, “Its about time Boaz. It’s about time.”

  Boaz just shook his head as the men left out the door. Then he stood and just gazed at the back room. “Could it be? Nah, she’s so young,” and went about unloading the newly arrived crates of sugar.

  Ruth wasn’t sure what that was all about, she just got busy with her work, and asked Julia to help her learn this new dress pattern that she was struggling with.

  Handfuls On Purpose

  “Ruth, I know it sounds strange, but it is what I believe God has spoken for me to instruct you to do.”

  “All that you say, I will do, Naomi. I trust you and God completely.”

  Then she went to her room and took time to pray. “Is she serious God? I said I would. Would you go with me?”

  Ruth made her way to the harvest tent. The men had finished their work and were set at evening supper. A large open area filled with tables and food, smells of delicious fish and chicken from the grill. Fresh vegetables were strewn about. Ruth took a moment just to take in the smells. She did her best to remain hidden, so as not to embarrass Boaz, should he decide to decline her offer, as Naomi had instructed.

  There at the end of the table she saw him. He looked so worn, so tired. He arose from his seat and walked out into the forest. She saw his campsite ahead of him, at the end of the heap of corn, a small glow of the coals from a fire-pit, he apparently had made earlier. She moved quietly around another way. She stopped again, and watched as he sat and warmed himself by his fire. It only took a few moments for him to climb into his bedroll.

  Ruth took another moment to pray.

  She quietly made her way to the campsite. Nervously, and without a sound, she made a place for herself with her bedroll, near Boaz’s feet. She slept soundly for what seemed like only a moment. The fire was so warm in the cool night air.

  At midnight he was struck with a startling fear, and turned himself; and, saw, a woman lying at his feet.

  “Who are you?”

  “It’s Ruth. I know you are a man of faith. I also know you worship God, like Naomi.”

  “Ruth, what brings you here?”

  “Naomi asked me to come. She said..,” her voice trailed off

  “O Ruth, you are such a young woman. You are a kinder woman than I had understood. You pursue not young men, rich nor poor. Alright, don’t be afraid. I’ll make sure this comes out right. All of these townspeople understand that you are a good woman. They understand that you live a clean and holy life before God. However, there is one thing I need to sort out. I need to take care of it before I can ask what I think Naomi would like to see for us. Stay here tonight, so you will be safe, and as God as my witness, I will take care of this situation in the morning.”

  And so she stayed at his feet until the morning. She rose up early.

  Boaz spoke first, “Will you travel this way, so that no one knows that a woman was here last night?”

  He took her bedroll and filled it with corn, and helped her tie it to her back, and he watched with delight as she went her way towards town. “Oh Naomi, you have brought such a treasure to me.” He noticed those beautiful long dark curls escaping out of her scarf as she made her way up that hill. “God, help me work through this, that I could be a blessing to these women, the both!”

  She saw her mother in law, near the outskirts of town. “Ruth? You’re up so early.”

  Ruth told her all that had happened, showing her the corn in her bedroll. “He said to me, I won’t send you back to Naomi empty handed.”

  Naomi was thrilled. “Continue on to town with me. You know, he won’t rest until this situation, whatever it may be, is taken care of today. Let’s go tend to these few errands. I’m just curious what God is up to. ”

  “Ok, I have to get to the General Store, so I’ll walk with you. I can clean up there, Boaz won’t mind.”

  Reaping

  So Boaz went to town, and met up with the elderly banker, just as he was opening the back door of the bank. “Good morning Boaz, what can I do for you this morning?”

  “Well, it’s the matter of my father’s will. Could you help me with that?”

  “Great timing, Boaz, come on in, I’m not open for business for a little while. Let me look at that again.”

  Boaz paced back and forth in the tiny office while the banker made his way to his room full of old dusty archives to retrieve Boaz’s file of important papers he kept there for safety. It took him a few minutes, but it seemed like hours to Boaz. Finally, he emerged with a slight smile on his lips, “Found it! Let’s see here, may I look on with you?”

  Boaz and the banker read slowly and carefully the one page document. “Well Boaz, you were just a young thing when he wrote it. He couldn’t have known …” and then he stopped.

  “Ah, but he did know. Isn’t that just like God to do something like this? And, so far in advance of any of us understanding. Did Peter ever read this?”

  “No, he was long gone south when your parents,” he hesitated, cleared his throat, and went on, “when the fire took them.” Joshua’s eyes seemed to swell up with tears. He hated to think on that night, and knew that Boaz did as well. It surprised him when Boaz began to laugh.

  “Why do you laugh, Boaz?”

  “Don’t you see? Don’t you see? It’s almost public record before the fact! I’m going to ask Ruth to marry me, if she’ll have me. It’s almost like God speaking His direction right out loud to me.”

  “Well, according to this document, you need Peter’s permission to marry, or the store and house and all that is in it are to be taken from you. Boaz, Don was just attempting to make sure you made a good choice for
a wife. I think legally we can just ignore this. Look on, it says and if Peter is not alive, you need his children’s permission. Jacob and Jonathan are dead. “

  “Think on this! Who are Peter’s heirs?”

  “Well Jacob and Jonathan,” and he stopped again and looked up at the twinkle in Boaz’s eye. “Oh, and Ruth is Jonathan’s wife! You are thinking he would give the permission in this situation. Naomi would be the one to step in I suppose,” he said laughing with his old friend.

  “I remembered that there were stipulations in this will. However, it has been so long since I read it. I have ignored it, because I did not think I would ever marry. I just knew there was something about my marriage in here. I did not remember this though.”

  Joy

  Ruth laid down the pile of corn outside the general store. She made her way inside, as Julia opened the door for her. “I’m so sorry I’m here so early, Julia.’

  “That’s ok, I was up praying. You didn’t wake me,” Julia responded with a smile. She admired her new friend. “What’s with all the corn?”

  “Oh, nothing, a gift for Naomi. I just need to take it home tonight.”

  Julia looked at Ruth kind of funny now. She was realizing Ruth had not cleaned up as usual from the night before. “Where ya been in the night, girl?”

  “I didn’t sleep as I usually do. I slipped away without waking Naomi. She met me on the road anyways though.”

  “Hmm,” was all Julia said and went back to her room to finish getting ready for her day.

  Ruth was cleaning up at the wash basin when she heard Boaz come in the front door. He was whistling. Ruth smoothed her hair and her dress as best she could manage and went out to the front of the store. When their eyes met, his began to dance.

  “Guess what?”

  Ruth smiled at this boyish look of his, “what?” she sheepishly asked, almost as though last night never happened.

  “I am free, I am free, I am free, and I’m free indeed.”

  Julia came out and said, “What’s this about, you sound like me a few years ago.” Julia was laughing now, not sure what was going on.

  He walked over to his safe under the counter. Fumbling around for a little while he came out with his mother’s old jewelry box. “This is where ma hid her jewelry. Thank God she didn’t keep it at the house, or it would have been lost as well. But I put her wedding ring in here a long long time ago. It’s for only one woman in my life."

  “Boaz! You getting married? To who?” Julia screeched with delight.

  “I am going to marry Miss Ruth, if she’ll have me.” He bent down on one knee, with one hand over his heart and the ring in his other stretched towards Ruth.

  Ruth slowly, with tears in her eyes, shook her head yes. “Are you sure?” she stammered.

  “Sure? Well of course he’s sure!” yelled Julia.

  They all started laughing. Boaz rose to Ruth and held her hand. I’ll make you happy the rest of your life, if you will have me.

  Epilogue

  So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. The Lord gave her a pregnancy almost right away. Ruth bore him a son. Ruth bore Naomi a grandson. Boaz named their son Obed,

  “He has restored my life, and nourished me in my old age, you are better to me, Ruth, than seven sons,” Naomi said while making hotcakes that beautiful fall morning. So Ruth and Boaz, and Naomi laughed and enjoyed the blessings of God that morning and for a long time to come.