Today would have been the 26th birthday of a very good friend of mine from University. Ruth Elizabeth Bryant died last April from cancer. She was a godly woman, a great example to many. Her love for her family and friends shone brightly, and her desire to help the helpless, love the loveless and fight injustice was infectious. Even in the toughest days after being diagnosed with cancer and knowing she had only weeks to live Ruth held firmly to the promises that her God was sovereign and everything was happening for a reason and ultimately for her good, even if she could not understand it. Below is a prayer that she wrote just after finding out that the doctors could do nothing else but make her last weeks as comfortable as possible. It was an encouragment to me, I hope it may be to you too.
"Father God, please help me to keep clinging to you above everyting else and be confident that however bad it gets, you will never ever leave me to face it alone, even if I can't see where you are and I'm angry at you. Please help me to trust your promises and stay faithful to you. Help me to believe that I'm beautiful no matter what happens to this feeble body of mine - my flesh and my heart may fail but please always be the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Thank you that you are so much bigger than I'll ever be able to understand or imagine, help me to stop boxing you in - in the life I expect and plan for, in the ways I expect you to respond, in the higher plans and ways you have through all of this. I just pray that however long this life is for and however painful it is, that I would enjoy you forever and literally shine with life. I want to know the whole truth of what you meant when you said you came that we might have life and have it to the full (John 10:10)"
Ruth Bryant, 16th February 2008
She is now with her Lord and Saviour Jesus and I look forward to seeing her again in glory.
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