Tonight, I lost the first in my village of courageous women. My village is not that big, and the loss is immense physically, emotionally and most of all spiritually. When Stan and I moved to Texas in 1981 she was my second Texas friend. Jojo was my first. I needed a babysitter for my 4-year-old son and Stan actually found Ruth. This started what would be a 44-year friendship of love, loss, agonizing heartbreak and laughter. She was spiritually gifted, and God spoke to her on a regular basis. He answered her prayers, and she never failed to do what the Lord wanted her to do. She would get "nudges" and hardly ever failed to answer what inevitably was a call from God. On the rare times she ignored her nudge she would regret it sincerely. It might be a call to go to the Electric Co. and pay a bill for a perfect stranger or give her last dollar to someone on the street. When she answered the "call" her blessings would come in abundance. We bought her house in Texas, and she moved to a bigger home several miles away. We both lived in College Station, but I was closer to Texas A &M. I was in charge of a Humana ED and could not get my house together. I was too busy at work and was exhausted when I got home. My house was large about 3000sq f, and it was in chaos. One morning I was headed out to drop the kids off and Ruth and her two oldest, Tiffany and Jenny were standing there with brooms, buckets and mops. Ruth homeschooled the kids at that time and she said that God told her to come to my house and have home-ec. with her kids. I had to leave for work and when I got home many hours later, my house was completely put in order with all the moving boxes undone and put away. My laundry was done, the dishes cleaned, dinner was ready and the toilets were scrubbed. I looked in amazement and of course cried. I told her that what they had done would have cost me 200$. That was a lot of money 40+ years ago. She went home and I got a call from her shortly after telling me thru laughter that she sure wished I had said it was worth 500$ because she had an unaddressed envelope with just her name on the front and 200 cash inside. There was a note telling her that Jesus loved her. Then there was the meat miracle. Ruth was my rich friend and her husband had lots of oil wells. They had a big house and a big swimming pool. This was in the early to mid 1980s and the first oil crisis hit. They went from boom to bust literally overnight. They did not tell a soul. They started giving things away from office supplies, clothes, jewelry, food and their very last penny for their tithe to the Lord. The day of the meat miracle had their house empty of all food. They didn't have a cracker. I was oblivious to the need and went to get my Limousin calf that I had slaughtered. As I was marking off each piece as they put it in the sack a voice inside my head said that piece is Ruths. It stopped me cold. I was doubting what I had heard. Next time it was stronger. I stopped the meat man and made him get out the last wrapped piece and put in a sack labeled Ruth. Then we continued on until I "heard" again that something was for Ruth. The man commented that he wished his name was Ruth. I had multiple bags that we loaded in the car and I was off to Ruthies. I had no clue what I was going to tell my "rich" friend as to why I brought her meat. When I got to the house and knocked on the door her husband answered, and I said "I ummmm I ... well I have meat for you" Imagine my surprise when they both fell to their knees crying and praising God. Not an hour before another woman who was not a close friend had delivered bags upon bags of groceries, can goods, milk, and all the food that Ruth and the kids liked. Ruth believed that the four food groups were raisins, chocolate chips, M and Ms and fruit roll ups. The other woman was a health food mama and didn't condone processed food. But she was apparently used to hearing God because he took her on a shopping spree buying food that she would not have dreamed of buying for her family, but she obeyed the Lord and brought all the crap food that Ruth and her kids(and mine) loved. Ms. Rose truly did not know Ruth's dietary preferences she just bought what God told her to get EXCEPT MEAT. God told her and she told Ruth that someone else was coming with the meat.
Ruth carried me through some of the worst times of my life. My son was molested at a day care center. We caught the guy and had to go to court. She came with me the entire time. And when Michael Williams got on the stand, she grabbed my hand and began to bind the spirits of lying. Michael acted like he was choking. He kept trying to talk and would gag. He finally was able to gasp out answers to questions but seemed stunned at his own admissions. He opted for a trial with just a judge and then admitted to pretty much everything after pleading not guilty. Like I said he was stunned. Ruth's final comment before she stopped praying was God, deal with this man. He went to prison and was not allowed to finish medical school. I could probably write a book about the miracles that happened to Ruth. I was witness to many, so I know that they were true. God did bless his daughter. She was not afraid to witness her love for Jesus. She was dearly loved by my Mom, Ina Lee. Her girls called my mom their Grandma Ina. My mom flew from Ohio to Texas to stay with Ruth and help her with the births of her last two girls, Faith and Joy. Mom didn't stay with me.... 5 miles away... she stayed with Ruth. Mom told me that I didn't need her, but Ruthie did. She honestly looked at Ruth as another daughter and they were so close spiritually.
We attended weddings and funerals together. She was an equal opportunity crier. I told her one time as I handed her yet another wad of Kleenex at my niece's wedding that she could hire herself out as a professional weeper at any event. She looked at me with one eyelash nearly off, tears dripping down her face she said it's just so beautiful..... WAIT you can get PAID for this?? We were hysterical. You really took a big chance sitting us together, we were out of control at times. But we were immensely fun. She loved my whole family, and they loved her back. She was a friend to my friends. Jill Forbes became another bestie to her. It was such a kick for me to have friends who genuinely loved each other.
She was the garage sale queen and had it down to a science. She would pick me up at 430am on Saturdays with 2 thermoses of coffee and 2 packs of cigarettes. I told Stan that I quit smoking before we ever got married. Only I didn't. That's another story for a different day. Anyway, I smoked Ruthies. She had the newspaper, map and a flashlight and off we would go. She knew where to go first and how long to stay. I dressed my kids in the most up to date clothes and paid pennies for them because of her ability to bargain. She would pick up a piece of what I thought was junk, pay a few dollars for it and turn around within a week selling it for 10 times that amount. I remember an ugly wooden chair she bought for 5$. As I recall she hinted to the owner that the chair might be valuable, but the owner wasn't interested. She took it home cleaned it up made a few calls and sold it for over 200$. It was some antique that she recognized.
We celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas together every year. What started out as just family at Thanksgiving ended up the first year with about 50 kids from A and M that didn't have anywhere to go. We had 3 turkeys, about 20lbs of barbecued venison, 10 pies or so, acorn squash by the dozen, rolls, green beans, and her damn tomato aspic that she had to have. It looked like jellied blood, and I couldn't even look at it. The last Christmas we spent together in Texas was the most meaningful. Instead of buying ridiculous amounts of presents for our kids we drew names, and we had to do good deeds for strangers as our gift to the person whose name we drew. It was a challenge to do something for a stranger anonymously in the name of Jesus. On Christmas Eve after Dinner we sat in my game room and each person "gave" their gift to the person whose name they drew. The entire room, men included were in tears. It was a glorious being able to bless someone in need.
The week before Christmas Ruth and I would go to K Mart at night and wait for the blue light specials. it didn't matter what it was whenever the special was announced over head, off we would run(and we RAN) to the area and scoop up whatever it was that was announced. We scored a lot of toys and clothes. Then we would take our goodies back to the house and wrap it up. Then she would take the gifts out and drop them off at houses that she found out were in need. I was in awe of my friend. These ideas for giving were all from her. I was along for the ride and the cigarettes. All Ruth had to do was call me and say " Hey do you want to........" (fill in the blank) and I was game. I pretty much knew at that point that God talked to her and if I wanted to witness His will being done firsthand that I had better get my clothes on and get ready to go. Oh, we laughed all the time. We loved each other's kids like our own. I trusted her to always be honest with me and she was. We shared our heartbreak knowing that we could depend on the other to pray for a solution. She loved me despite my many flaws and set out to make me my best self. She would hysterically laugh at a perceived trauma I was going through, and I would often return the favor. She knew that laughter was indeed good medicine and that I was making a big deal out of nothing.
A month ago, she called while in the hospital after a bout of coughing up blood. I knew then that my friend was in serious trouble. With her nurse in the room and me on the phone she was asking why she had to have an MRI of her brain. The nurse said because you told the doctor about your confusion and headaches. I was on speaker and introduced myself as a nurse. I told her nurse that I had known Ruth for over 40 years and that she had always been confused..... but that I couldn't testify to the headaches though. Ruth and I cracked up. It was the last time I laughed with my friend. She went rapidly downhill and died tonight at her home.
People prayed for her all over the United States. I prayed and asked God to give my friend another season that I wasn't sure I could handle losing her.... my friend, my confidant my prayer warrior. I texted her daily and it was placed on my heart to write a text about an angel sitting beside her as an answer to all those asking God to send a ministering angel to her. I want to share in this blog my last text today.
And the woman asked the Angel "why am I going through this? I'm in pain, I'm confused, I'm sad and I'm scared? Why is this happening? And the angel answered "And yet with all this poured out on you, you still believe. Daughter of the King you are being purified. I have been sent to support you and help you" And the angel raised her hands to glorify the Father and then laid her hands on the woman. BE AT PEACE..... The Lord is here.
Oh my dear sweet friend. I will miss you each day. I will tell Ruth stories to those who will listen. I will tell the stories of your miracles so that other will know we serve a living God. I added a picture by Kerolos Safwat that reminds me of Ruth and her entrance into Heaven. I know that she leaped into His arms and said I'm home Jesus, I am home.
