Scripture: “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.’” — Ruth 1:16 (NLT)
I had an opportunity a few years back to welcome several mothers into my home for a special retreat for women who had lost adult children to death.
These women were loved on by several women volunteers and myself who have kind hearts like Ruth.
My husband grilled filet minions for them and we served them the sides and made sure their drinks were refilled timely.
After dinner we asked them if we could wash their feet for them. They were nice enough
to allow us this honor (something that Jesus taught his disciples). Directly afterwards we gave them fluffy smiley face pillows and smiley face slippers. They loved them and it truly brought big smiles to their faces.
We invited them to sit round table and join us for worship
music and a Bible study which was led by volunteers who also sat at the tables with these honored moms.
These women (the moms) spent the night in my home and got to share their stories with each other and we saw joy starting to come through from these divine connections.
The same special treatment continued through out the next day and parting in the afternoon was not easy.
When I look back on this retreat it reminds me of how kind it must have felt for them to be loved this way.
We took care of them and made sure they had all they needed. All they had to do was let us!
While reading the book of Ruth recently I was reminded that the actions of kindness we took towards these moms, was similar to the kindness Ruth showed Naomi.
Naomi’s world had fallen apart. Her husband was gone, her two sons were gone, and the life she had known in Moab had crumbled into grief and uncertainty. It would have been easy for those around her to step away—grief can feel heavy, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. But Ruth did the opposite. She stepped closer.
In one of the most beautiful acts of kindness in Scripture, Ruth chose to stay. She didn’t just offer comforting words; she offered her life. Her loyalty, her presence, and her compassion became a healing balm for Naomi’s broken heart. Ruth didn’t know what the future would hold, but she knew the One who held it—and that was enough.
Kindness often shows itself not in grand gestures, but in steady companionship. Ruth’s kindness wasn’t a moment—it was a lifestyle of love, faithfulness, and courage. She walked beside Naomi through loss, through uncertainty, and into the promise of redemption. All the while doing this while she was grieving the loss of her husband Malon. (One of Naomi’s sons)
Her kindness opened the door for both of them to step into God’s greater plan—one that led all the way to the lineage of Jesus.
When someone around us is walking through deep loss or disappointment, we can be a Ruth. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is to simply stay—to love, to listen, and to walk beside them. Kindness that clings changes lives.
We ended the retreat at my home by taking a picture of us all wearing sunglasses and declaring our futures were so bright we had to wear shades.
(Jeremiah 29:11)
Of course nothing we did could take away the loss they felt but it surely seemed as though the actions of kindness and love toward them that weekend was like a healing balm to their hearts and minds. They knew they were not alone because our kindness clung not just through words but through actions as well.
Prayer:
Lord, help us to love like Ruth—steadfast, loyal, and kind. When others walk through sorrow, help us be a source of comfort and faith even when we have pain of our own. Teach us that true kindness is staying present, even when the road is uncertain. Use our kind hearts to bring Your healing balm to those who need hope.
In Jesus’ name, amen.