Gleaning

“Let her gather grain, and be kind to her.” — from the story of Ruth

Long ago there was a young woman named Ruth. She was poor, and she had no food. So she did what poor people did back then: she went out to the fields to glean.

Gleaning meant walking behind the farm workers and picking up the little bits of grain they dropped as they worked. The leftovers. It was hard work, bending down again and again, just to gather a little.

Now, the field Ruth went to belonged to a good, kind man named Boaz. And when Boaz saw Ruth working so hard, he did the loveliest thing. He quietly told his workers, “Drop some extra grain on purpose, right where she can find it. And be kind to her.” He made sure she would have plenty — and he never even told her he had done it.

God is like kind Boaz. Maybe you feel small, or think you don’t have very much. But God has so many good things for you, and he wants you to come and gather them up. All you have to do is bend down and pick them up — that means come to him, listen to him, and pray.

And here is a lovely bit: when Ruth had gathered enough, she took some home to share with someone who was hungry. When God fills your heart with good things, you can share them with others, too.

Dear God, thank you for being so kind and generous to me. Help me to come to you, and to share your good gifts with others. Amen.