Is this story true?

There is this girl that I read about the other day, I have heard the story before, but it struck me differently this time. She wasn't really anyone too special, didn't necessarily stand out in a crowd. Anyway, she gets to a certain age and takes the next logical step of progression in her culture, she gets married. She marries into a good family, but says goodbye to her old family. Not sure how often she gets to see her old family, but I know she really kind of left them to cleave to this new one. Well within the course of 10 years, her father-in-law dies, her brother-in-law dies, and her own husband dies. I wish I knew the details of what happened to them, but unfortunately I do not.

Well with all of these tragedies in the family, along with some other circumstances, the mother-in-law decides she is going to move back to a place she once lived, a place that once was a symbol of comfort and joy to her. No doubt when she thinks about this land, she can picture times of enjoying her husband and her 2 boys. She encourages her now widowed daughter-in-law to go back to her old family, try to make a life for herself, maybe even find another husband. She won’t do it. She hugs her mother-in-law tightly, as if they were truly mother and daughter, and says "I will go where you go." So together, they go back to a place once filled with joy for this mother, and a place completely unknown for this girl.

Once settled into their new home, the girl decides to try and go get a job and find some way to help provide for her and her mother-in-law. While doing this, a man of good standing notices her, and shows a desire to help her and serve her. He tells her he actually has heard about her, and the care she has shown for her mother-in-law. He tells her,

"May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." (Ruth 2:12)

The story is from the small book of Ruth in the Old Testament. I share it with you because if you are someone I do ministry with, this is an encouragement and challenge to us all. Go and read the story for yourself, the whole book is only 4 chapters, so it goes quick. Here is what I can tell you and what I think God wants to show us:

In our post, in the ministry that we serve in, as we reach out and invite in new people, we are Boaz (the man in the story who is of good standing).

Every new person we meet in our ministry starts out a Ruth (the girl in the story).

When you read the story, please understand I am not talking about marriage, this is not a literal meaning from the story. What we see is a man from the "home crowd" reaching out and working for the comfort of Ruth, the "new person."

Whether you realize it or not, every person comes into our doors with hurts and fears and questions about God and His people...they literally are stepping under the wings of the Lord to take refuge. Our "church" home offers a place of refuge for Ruth. And we have the privilege of serving each person, and showing Gods love.

May this short story be a source of encouragement to you as we serve together in the months ahead; as I know it will be for me. Every time we meet a new person, I am praying these words are going through our head, "May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."