Ruth 2:5 “Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, ‘To whom does this young woman belong?’”

On the surface it is not clear why Boaz might be asking about Ruth.  Here is this foreigner gleaning from his fields, is he concerned that a foreigner is in his fields?  Or does he find her intriguing and wants to know where she comes from in order to find her again?  Is he asking to make sure this young woman has someone to take care of her?  We are not told his intentions but we do know He is a man of God.  He greets his workers with a blessing and has the best interest of Ruth in mind as he takes her under his wing.  It is nice to belong to someone; we are blessed to have family and friends that we belong to.  As cold weather comes more often I pray for those who do not belong to anyone.  They live in shelters or under bridges.  They are ostracized by their blood relatives and feel alone.  As God’s children we are called to love each other.  Instead of cringing at the people on the exits of highways maybe I should ask myself who they belong to.  Would a simple act of love, a gift of food or money help them feel love?  Let the words of Boaz encourage us to open our eyes and see, then care for those who do not belong yet.

Lord,

We all belong to you but we do not all know it or acknowledge it.  Help us to see each person we come across today as a child of yours, help us remember they belong to you just as we belong to you.  In that realization move us to care for others so they will feel your love for them.  Amen.