Follow the Thread: Not Your Christian Mingle Meet-Cute (Series Intro)

Subtitle: A Bible study rabbit trail turned blog series—on kindness that undoes us, grief that teaches us, and a God who threads redemption through the mess.

If we were sitting across from each other right now—mugs in hand, kids noisily destroying something in the background—I’d probably smile, lean in a little, and say:

“Okay, can I geek out with you for a second?”

Because I’ve been knee-deep in the book of Ruth lately—studying, teaching, scribbling in margins—and I can’t stop thinking about it.

If you had asked me a few years ago what Ruth was about, I would’ve sheepishly shrugged and said something like:
“Sweet Ruth. Friendship. Tragic backstory. Enter Boaz—godly, wealthy, field-owning dreamboat who just so happens to notice her gleaning one day. Cue the ancient Hebrew rom-com.”

And honestly?

Boaz is the guy you’d hope to stumble across on a Christian Mingle profile.
“Hardworking. Kind. Fears the Lord. Says ‘The Lord be with you’ to his employees.”
I mean… swipe right, sis.

But here’s the thing—I've read Ruth a million times, but this time has felt different.

The more I’ve studied to prepare for teaching this book, the more I’ve realized:

It’s not primarily a love story.
Well—not just between Ruth and Boaz.
It’s a love story between God and His people… between God and me.

It’s not even primarily about Ruth. Or Boaz. Or Naomi.

It’s about God’s kindness—His hesed—and how that love shows up in our mess, our grief, our longing, and our waiting.

And that’s what’s undone me.

The Book That Reads Me Back

This is not a neatly tied-up story.
Each chapter leaves you in the tension.
It opens with famine and funerals.
It ends (again and again) with waiting and uncertainty.
And somewhere in between, there’s barley, bitter tears, broken prayers, and a strange night on a threshing floor.

I don’t naturally like any of that.

I like clear outcomes. Resolution. A plan.
But Ruth has invited me to sit with God in the in-between. In the waiting. In the not-yet.
In the moments where I’m not sure what He’s doing… but I’m pretty sure He’s up to something.

And what’s surprised me most is this:
I’ve seen myself in these characters—not because I’m particularly heroic—but because they aren’t either.

They’re messy. Unsure. Brave and broken all at once.
And through their story, God has been reintroducing me to His kindness.

Hesed in the Hard Places

That word—hesed—keeps showing up.
It’s a Hebrew word that means lovingkindness, covenant faithfulness, mercy, compassion.
But more than that, it’s a posture.
It’s the kind of love that sticks around when things fall apart.
It’s the character of a God who binds Himself to His people—not because they’re perfect, but because He is.

In Chapter 1, Ruth makes a vow that stuns Naomi into silence.
In Chapter 2, Ruth is overwhelmed by Boaz’s generosity and falls to the floor.
In Chapter 3, Boaz is undone by Ruth’s boldness and humility.

That’s the thread I want to follow.
The way kindness undoes people in this book.

Because it’s undoing me, too.

Following the Threads

So this little blog series?
It’s not a rehash of my teaching notes.
It’s a trail of rabbit holes I couldn’t fit in, threads I can’t stop tugging on, and places where I’ve seen the heart of God shimmering in the text.

I’ll share some literary details, theological nuggets, and maybe a few embarrassing moments from my own life.
But mostly, I’ll be writing because God has been kind to me through this study—and I want to trace that kindness for myself, and maybe for you too.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the waiting, frustrated by your imperfection, or unsure what God’s doing in your story—
maybe Ruth will be a companion to you like she’s been to me.

Here’s to finding God’s hand not just at the ending—
but right in the middle of the mess.

Glad we’re in this together … April