Preserved by Purpose – Boaz Ain’t Broke

“I don’t want a Paw Paw!” exclaimed a 50 something co-worker a few years ago.   

After we stopped laughing at her comment, we resumed our conversation about her struggle finding mature men who were dating and marriage material. Clubbing was out of the question and the men that she seemed to be meeting were too old (and set in their ways) for her tastes.   “They are either too old to remember what it was like to be in a love with a woman and treat her well or too hurt by past relationships to try” was her pointed observation.

“I want my Boaz” she said with a cheery grin on her face. “How do I know him when I see him?   Maybe I’ve met him already?”  

I leaned on her office door frame and replied, “I don’t know if you’ve met him already but remember that, “Boaz ain’t broke or broken.”  

We burst into laughter again.  

“I don’t mean that Boaz automatically has lots of money, though that is a plus. What I mean is that Boaz, the one that you’ve been praying for God to send, is not broken emotionally, physically, financially, or spiritually He’s whole.”  She nodded her head in agreement and said, “Amen to that!”

I thought about this conversation from a few years back when I watched the recent Netflix movie Ruth and Boaz.   It is a modern-day retelling of the biblical story and watching the movie made me revisit the columns I wrote a few years ago about Ruth and Boaz.  As I watched the movie, I thought about the similarities and differences between the biblical story and the movie adaptation. There were a few differences, but the movie remained true to the heart of Ruth and Boaz’s love story. 

The story of Ruth and Boaz in the Old Testament is one of the greatest love stories that also shows us women what to look for while waiting for our Boaz…it also shows women what Boaz looks like. Boaz’s actions toward Ruth showed that he was whole emotionally, spiritually, financially, and physically.

Ruth 2:1 says that Boaz was “a man of standing.”  Some translations say he was a man of “wealth and influence.”  It wasn’t the fact that he had wealth that made him whole; it’s what he chose to do with his wealth. 

In Ruth 2:8 he even advises her on where she’d be safest. Later in that same chapter, he showed his generosity by inviting her to join him at the noon mealtime and giving orders to his men to help her while she is gleaning. He didn’t try to manipulate her, but he showed her and others that he was genuinely concerned all the while encouraging and protecting her. 

In thinking about their love story, I think about how those of us over 50 years old have a unique set of issues when it comes to rediscovering love and embracing authentic romantic relationships. We meet people who are dealing with decades of relationships games and are very skeptical, in some cases, that true love still exists.   

One definition for broken is separated into parts or disconnected. Broken men are separated into parts and sometimes are often nursing wounds from past hurts. A whole man may still have personal and professional disappointments, but he has learned to allow God to heal him.

Next week, we’ll explore more about how Boaz ain’t broke physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually.

Shewanda Riley is a Texas -based author who can be reached at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com  or you can follow her on Instagram @shewandawrites.