Ruth's Kindness

Ruths Kindness
Scripture
Tell the story using the 3 illustrations below. Print off the illustrations, cut them out and
laminate them.
A kind, old woman named Naomi lived far from her homeland. Her husband and
sons had died. All she had left were her two daughters-in-law. One day, Naomi
told them, "I must return to my homeland. I'll miss you, but I'm just an old woman.
There's nothing I can do for you."
"Please, Naomi," begged Ruth, one of the daughters-in-law. "Let me go where you
go. Your people will be my people. And your God will be my God." And so Naomi
agreed. And the two women traveled for many days until they finally reached
Naomi's hometown, a place called Bethlehem.
"It's time for the barley harvest, Naomi," said Ruth. "If I gather leftover grain, we
can make bread to eat." So Ruth got permission to pick up grain missed by the
harvesters.
A man named Boaz owned the field and wondered who she was. "She came back
with old Naomi," said his foreman. "All day long, she has worked hard."
Boaz called Ruth to him and said, "Gather as much grain as you need, and my
workers will watch for you."
"You are very kind to a foreigner," she said.
"You helped my relative Naomi," said Boaz. "May God bless and reward you for
your kindness."
God did bless Ruth. In time she and Boaz became friends. Boaz shared food, and
helped her whenever he could.
One night, Naomi told Ruth to go to the floor where Boaz was sleeping. She told
Ruth to wait for him there. When Boaz awoke he was surprised to see Ruth.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Naomi has sent me," said Ruth. "Since you
are her nearest relative, I have come to ask you to care for us."
"God bless you," said Boaz. "And don't be afraid, for I will take care of you."
Naomi rejoiced when Ruth and Boaz got married. And Ruth became the great-
grandmother of the great King David!
Story
Print off, laminate and read the story together. Explain how acts of kindness make us feel
really good and make other people feel really good. Jesus is very proud of us when we do service
and especially when we do the service in secret.
B Y R AY G O L D R U P
(Based on an experience from the authors life)
Comfort all that mourn (Isaiah 61:2). Who could have taken it, Dark? he asked. Who
t was a hot summer day as Tyler made his way could have?
toward the big fields a short distance from his Suddenly he spied the ladder, laid out across a large
house. As he tromped up the dirt road, he looked at bush. A closer look revealed that whoever had used the
the tall yellow weeds on either side and pretended for a ladder had picked almost all the berries.
moment he was a Nephite warrior, hidden by the high Madden! Tyler breathed angrily. He knows Im
weeds as he crept up on the enemy. saving up to buy those cowboy chaps. Tyler
Earlier that morning, his father had talked about could already envision wearing the
heroes in the scriptures who performed great deeds to leather pant legs over his jeansthen
help others. He had said that everyone could perform hed look like a real cowboy.
noble and honorable acts of service. They didnt have to He sat down beside his dog.
be big or brave acts to be important, he had explained. Madden did it just to get even, boy,
In Heavenly Fathers eyes, any act of selfless service is just because I told Mr. Ruggles I saw him
of much worth. swipe that ice cream bar from
I want to do noble things, too, Dark, he confided to the store. I couldnt lie to
the big black German shepherd that walked along Mr. Ruggles when he
beside him, asked me.
dragging a He gazed at the
sparse bushes. His
family didnt have a
lot of money since
Dad had gotten
laid off from his
job. If Tyler couldnt
small dog sled (travois). Tylers father had helped him make enough money from selling
make it. It consisted of two poles tied together at one blackberries, he wouldnt be able to buy the chaps.
end, which were placed over the dogs back and Theres only one pair left, Dark, Tyler murmured.
secured. The opposite ends of the frame trailed along For a good part of the day, Tyler worked feverishly to
the ground behind the dog. The load to be hauledin fill the jars, not even stopping for lunch. As he reworked
this case, a box filled with empty jarswas fastened the already picked-over bushes, it took him a long time
between the poles. to fill each jar.
When Tyler had walked deep into the field, he A while later, he looked up and noticed Madden
stopped, removed the sled, and lifted one of the jars pulling a wagon behind his bike. It was filled with cans
from the box. He walked toward a jumble of brush on of blackberries. He was selling them to Tylers regular
the ground, pulled it away, and stared down with sur- customers! Tyler hurried even faster, dropping one of
prise. Where was the old ladder he had hidden there? the jars and losing all the berries from it inside a huge
The ladder helped him climb out across the blackberry bush. He wiped sweat from his hands onto his pant legs
bushes and reach the berries that were otherwise and fumed at Madden.
impossible to reach. Dark lifted his head from his cool place in the shade
ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD ROGERS F R I E N D AUGUST 2005 37

his father had said about doing honor-
able acts of service for others. At first
he tried to ignore the thought,
because he so wanted to buy the
leather cowboy chaps.
His mother eyed him. A penny for
your thoughts? she said.
I couldnt charge you for that,
Mom, he said, any more than I can
charge Mrs. Gregory for the blackber-
ries. Tyler stepped to the window and
gazed out. Dont people usually come
back to the house to eat after a funeral?
as Tyler placed the final filled jar in the wooden box. He Often thats the case, his mother answered. Why?
quickly attached the sled to the big dog. Mrs. Gregory Well, Tyler said, there were a lot of people at Mrs.
will buy all these jars of berries, he realized excitedly. Gregorys place. I know she isnt going to feel like fix-
Madden doesnt know about her because she hasnt ing a bunch of food. Shell probably have help, but Id
lived here very long. Mrs. Gregory loved blackberries like to help her, too. He turned and faced his mother.
and always paid Tyler 50 cents a jar. Ive got eight jars, Mrs. Gregory likes blackberries even more than I do. I
Dark. If I add that to what I already have, Ill be able to want to make blackberry pies for her and all those
buy the chaps! people.
As Tyler walked down the rutted dirt lane, his His mothers eyes welled up with tears. I know how
excitement grew. He turned a corner and stopped. badly you want those cowboy chaps. Youre willing to
Someone was helping Mrs. Gregory sit on her porch sacrifice them?
swing, and she looked very sad. There were four other I want to be like the heroes in the scriptures, Mom,
cars parked in front of the weathered two-story house and help somebody.
and almost a dozen people mingling about. If it was a Tylers mother hugged him.
family reunion, it must be a sad one, he thought. Maybe If I squeezed a blackberry as tight as youre
we had better come back tomorrow, Dark, he said. squeezing me, Mom, Tyler grunted, it would be
Somethings wrong down at Mrs. Gregorys place, squished to bits.
Mom, Tyler said when he got home. Theres a bunch Tylers mother laughed. Would you like a little help
of people there, and His mothers serious face made making those pies?
him pause.
One of Mrs. Gregorys sons died. Theyre having a
memorial service at her house, then theyre going to If given in the right way and for the right
reasons, . . . service will reward us beyond
the cemetery.
anything we have given.
I was going to sell Mrs. Gregory my blackberries
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the
today so I could buy those chaps. But . . . His voice Twelve Apostles, The Gospel in Our Lives,
Ensign, May 2002, 33.
trailed off. Then an idea came to him. It was something
38
I was hoping youd ask, Tyler said. berries, and Mom and I made some pies.
Three hours later, Tyler stood before Mrs. Gregorys Tears gathered in the old womans eyes. How kind
door. of you, Tyler. Just a moment, let me get my purse.
Hello, Tyler, she greeted, her voice warm but weary. Oh, no, Tyler blurted quickly. Theyre free, Mrs.
Tyler pointed to three freshly-baked blackberry pies Gregory. I just want to help.
in the wooden box on the dog sled. I picked some Mrs. Gregory bent over and hugged Tyler. He could
feel her tears on his cheek. She didnt say
anything, just patted him on the back.
As Tyler walked down the dirt lane
from the little two-story house nestled in
the big trees and the evening shadows,
he felt a feeling he had never felt before.
It was warm, different from the warmth
of the summer night.
When he finally had saved
enough money to buy the cowboy
chaps, they were gonebut the
good feeling from having
done a kind deed stayed.
Ray Goldrup is a member of
the Bennion 15th Ward,
Bennion Utah Stake.
F R I E N D AUGUST 2005 39
Activity
This was one of my favorite FHE lessons growing up. I had quite the time trying to track down
these printables! There are 21 question mark squares. Print them off on colored paper and cut
them out. Then Print off the 21 chore pictures off and cut them out. Glue a chore to the back
side of a question mark. Then laminate the 20 squares. There is one extra question mark if you
would like to add a chore.
Then print off the 20 squares of feet onto a different color of paper. Cut out each square of
foot prints. Print out the 20 squares of writing and cut out each square. Glue the writing
square to the back side of the foot prints and then laminate them.
Print off the picture of the secret agent and the top secret square, color the agent, glue the two
squares together and laminate it. Then print off the poems, cut them out and laminate each
one.
Get an envelope and put the 21 chore cards, the 20 foot print cards, the secret agent card, and
the poem in an envelope and then write top secret on the envelope.
Get an old glass can or jar and slit an opening in the lid about 2 inches long so the children
can put some of the laminated chore cards in the jar. Print of the I Love You label at the
bottom of all the illustrations and glue it on the jar and put the jar where the other family
members cant see it (i.e. in your room, under their bed, etc.)
Tell you child that they are secret agents and you have a mission for them to do.
It is a service mission and it is a secret so they cant tell anyone. Hand them the
envelope and let them open it. Show the picture of the agent and the poem and
explain what service is and why we want to do service in secret. Them give them
the foot prints with the writing on the back. Read them what is says and explain
that service is like a wave in the water, it keeps going and going and the more
service they do the more people will be affected and feel the Holy Ghost. Explain
that every time they do an act of service the foot print cards tell the person to do
it to someone else. Finally give them the chore pictures with the question marks.
Tell them that these are some ideas of service they can do to their brothers and
sisters. Explain that every time they accomplish a secret service (of one of the
chores) they can put it in the glass jar. Explain to them at the end of the week
you will empty the jar and see how many secret acts of service to other people
they did and you are going to reward them for each act. The reward doesnt have
to be huge, this is just a fun way for you to see what your child has done and for
your child to tell you about every chore that they did for someone at the end of
the week. Have them remember how they felt during the acts and what their
brothers and sisters did when they saw the secret service.
A secret act of service A secret act of service A secret act of service A secret act of service
has been successfully has been successfully has been successfully has been successfully
been launched against been launched against been launched against been launched against
you. Your mission now is you. Your mission now is you. Your mission now is you. Your mission now is
to carry out an act of to carry out an act of to carry out an act of to carry out an act of
secret Service to a secret Service to a secret Service to a secret Service to a
member of your family. member of your family. member of your family. member of your family.
Leave only this card and Leave only this card and Leave only this card and Leave only this card and
your service as traceable your service as traceable your service as traceable your service as traceable
evidence. You have 24 evidence. You have 24 evidence. You have 24 evidence. You have 24
hours to complete your hours to complete your hours to complete your hours to complete your
mission! Good luck! mission! Good luck! mission! Good luck! mission! Good luck!

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Ruths Kindness

"You are very kind to a foreigner," she said.

ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD ROGERS F R I E N D AUGUST 2005 37

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