Life as Thank you 36

Dear Ruth,

You are one of the most amazing women I know and I am so blessed to call you friend.  The memories we made while the Mohlers lived in Chicago are among of my sweetest.  One of my goals in 2016 is to write an old school thank you to people in my life each week. In honor of your birthday, it is your turn! I think of and pray for you often, and I thought I would take a minute to share with you how grateful I am that you are in my life and the impact you have made.  (This includes Mark too)

I knew of you years before I met you.  I read your books.  I loved the articles in the Marriage partnership journal. I memorized a poem you wrote in Campus Life magazine.  Needless to say when Jim and I moved to IL and met you and Mark, we wanted to put you on a pedestal since we were fans of your ministries and admired the impact you were making for the gospel.  We often talked about how Mark asked us to take you both off the pedestal and just become friends and colleagues.  And we are so glad we did.

I am so grateful for the things I learned as a teacher by observing you and Mark teach.

I am grateful for the example you both set as servants at church, from watching Mark on the floor with babies to you teaching women the Word of God.

I am grateful for the example of hospitality I gleaned as a recipient and observer of your relational openness.

I am grateful for your example as a team in ministry, which was always our goal as well.  We found kindred spirits in you both.

I am grateful for the traditions we established and enjoyed. And I was so thankful that Mark helped Jim as his roommate at the last AYME conference.

I am always grateful for the example you set as parents and caregivers of your aging parents (and then as grandparents).  You may not have known that someone was watching, but I was one of those watching and taking notes.

I am grateful for your journeys of faith, lived out so winsomely and consistently.  I still hope to be like you when I “grow up!”

May God continue to use you both. May you both remain trustworthy with the keys to the kingdom,  May God continue to shine through you and His favor on you.

Ruth, I love you, my Friend! – and it is much easier to drink tea and hug when you are not on that pedestal!

Miriam