Fashioned Inside Out: A Tribute to Aunt Ruth
She spent the last few weeks of her life continuing to pray with and for her four sons, and gently reminding God, “Lord, I’m 93 years old; I’m ready to go home.” And so it was - - on the morning of February 27, 2013, Aunt Ruth looked up from her bed, gave her caretaker a big smile, and slipped quietly into heaven’s gates. Never one for much fanfare, I’m sure she was surprised when a whole host of angels met her just inside the gates. I can just imagine the scene that followed went something like this:
“Welcome Ruth,” said the head angel. “We’ve got a whole lot of things for you to see and people for you to meet.” And with that, the tour of heaven began as thousands of angels escorted Aunt Ruth down the streets of gold.
“Pick you out a mansion, Ruth.” To that, I can just hear her replying, “Thank you very much, but I’ll just be happy to settle into a little wood frame house like the one I had in Georgia. It would be nice, though, if you could put a few hogs and cows out in the field to remind me of my days on the farm.”
As the angels and Aunt Ruth strolled on down the streets of gold, they came to this huge building with a sign on it that read: REWARDS. “Ruth, let's go inside this building. We’ve been told to let you pick out one of the biggest crowns in here as a reward for your faithfulness. You will be crowned tonight at a special ceremony being held just for you.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I really don’t want any recognition for serving the Lord. If you don’t mind, I’d just as soon stay home tonight instead of going out. My favorite program, Bill Gaither Homecoming, is on TV and I’d like to watch it. Oh, I guess ya’ll don’t have TV up here, do you? Well, how about sending Vestal Goodman or the Statesmen Quartet over to sing for me. I’d enjoy that much more than a reward ceremony for me.”
The angels gave her a puzzled look, talked among themselves, and decided to try one more thing to raise her level of excitement as they continued their stroll. “Hey, Ruth, look whose waving at you from their mansions side by side.”
Aunt Ruth looked up, and there they all were shouting and waving at her. It was hard to tell who was shouting the loudest - - her husband Hubert, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt June, or my daddy, Roy. Aunt Ruth looked up, smiled a little smile, and gave them a slight wave with her hand.
By now, the angels were really getting frustrated about their latest arrival and loudly proclaimed: “Ruth, what does it take to get you excited? I know you were always contented at being a ‘stay-at-home person,’ but for goodness sakes, this is Heaven!”
Aunt Ruth gave a soft chuckle and with a twinkle in her eyes said: “It’s all so beautiful, but you see, I’ve had this dream for a long time. I just want to see Jesus.”
And suddenly, as if He had heard, Jesus appeared before her and immediately, this “low-key woman” came alive with excitement. Those old worn out knees from the years she had crawled on them picking cotton on the farm sprang to life. They held her up as she danced a wild jitterbug. Then she bowed down before Jesus saying.
“Holy, Holy, Holy.
Glory to the Son of God!”
Perhaps as you are reading this, you might be wondering, “can a woman become all that God created them to be, as this website encourages, and never branch much further than their own front door?” Personally, I believe that as Aunt Ruth was kneeling before Jesus worshipping, He finally pulled her up to His face and said:
“Well done, Ruth, my good and faithful servant. You shared my peace, unconditional love, and forgiveness to all who entered your home. They all went away seeing a reflection of Me in you. You became all I created you to be right where you lived on Highway 39 South, Donalsonville, Georgia. Your name is now on the world-wide web as a testimony to other women that they, too, can bloom where I plant them,
if they will allow Me to fashion them from the inside out as you were.”
And all the angels shouted: “AMEN RUTH! YOU GO GIRL!"