Saturday Share: Ruth Snell – Seeking to Live in Abundance

So, who is Ruth Snell?

Ruth Snell is an adventurous follower of Jesus, mother of three beautiful seeds and Nana to three more beautiful seeds.  She’s a daughter and sister from Illinois as well.  Ruth has been wife to John for forty abundant and mostly joyful years.  Life long tennis partners still, they’ve navigated some rough terrain together, especially the part when they said, “See you in heaven” to two of their three children on two different days and years.

I didn’t know Ruth then, but I know the variety of experiences in her life story have all been combined by our loving and living God to sculpt Ruth into the “going for it” woman she is today.  Her testimony is wonderful, joy-filled and enough to bring tears, so I hope you’ll get to read it here sometime in the near future.

Better yet, maybe Ruth will dust off her blog and write her own e-book one day only because so many of us face these “valley of the shadow of death” stops on our journey, and wonder if anyone else has ever crossed this way before.  She has, and she has a word for those of you who are in the valley or on your way.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.  Romans 15:13 esv

Now that I’m a knitted heart friend of seven or so years, I can testify Ruth has gained exceedingly abundant life through her surrender to God.  She’s suffered loss and has learned through the travail how to sing praises to God through tremendous pain in the dark; and yet, Ruth desires more from her journey with Jesus.  She is asking, seeking, knocking on her Father’s door for more love for others, more joy, more Holy Spirit power in her prayers, more of God’s creative gifts, and more encounters with empty people into whom she will be able to pour the more.

I am continually amazed by Ruth’s desire to learn something new.  In one of our first conversations, Ruth expressed a deep heart desire for God to grow her up.  I remember thinking (and maybe I said it out loud), “Now that’s a prayer Father’s going to delight in answering!”  And He most certainly has grown His daughter up with abundance.

In these few short years, Ruth has written several songs and is learning to paint in watercolor.  She’s bought a bicycle for prayer riding exercise in her neighborhood.  Through our shared Community Bible Study leadership experience, she’s become an inspirational truth-soaked speaker and has shepherded many women with love, compassion, and grace. Additionally, Ruth eagerly pursues opportunities to share Jesus with strangers on airplanes, which she calls, “flying by faith”.

Most recently, Ruth decided to try on her writing hat.  She’s heard me talk about Five Minute Friday free writing, and the faith based community of writers who weekly participate.

In case you’ve never heard of a five-minute free write here are “the rules” for playing.

Read the word prompt.  Think.  Pray.  Perhaps sleep on the word prompt.  Ask for revelation.  Finally, set a timer for 5 minutes.  And write about the word prompt.  In the original intent of a free write, there are no edits, no spelling or grammar corrections. Just post.

In her growing pioneer spirit, Ruth set a timer today and wrote for 5 minutes.  I’m so honored she emailed me with the beautiful result of her “do it scared” first try.  You really have no idea how difficult it is to post without editing unless you’ve done it.  I’m so proud of you, Ruthie!

And so without further ado…

I am absolutely thrilled to welcome my sister of another mother, Ruth Snell, to the sharing place with her debut Five Minute Friday writing on the word prompt {collect}.

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Many people collect things –salt shakers, seashells, accomplishments, awards. I’m not a collector of things but I am a collector of encounters in the middle of life circumstances with Jesus.

Several years ago I was playing, The Question Game, with family. The question that left me wondering, others answered quickly.  What accomplishment are you most proud?  They both had accomplishments that honestly they were proud to acknowledge.  But in a moment of sensing lack of accomplishments the Holy Spirit highlighted this for me, my greatest accomplishment was experiencing the Lord in the middle of life. 

I realized in this word, “collect” that I do collect encounters with the living God.

In the Passion Translation Ephesians 4:23  says “Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you.”

I collect encounters with the living God when He meets me in the middle.

Stop.