Ruth Graham and "Lessons from Ruins"

Wow, what a weekend!!! Here in Brockville we had the priviledge of having Ruth Graham & Friends here to do a conference! On Friday night over 1100 people packed into Wall Street United Church to hear Ruth Graham speak, but first a time of worship and Huntley Brown shared his amazing gift of music with all of us! WOW! That's all I can say is "Wow!"! I've heard some amazing pianists in my time, but "Wow!", he was incredible to listen to, and to watch! I wish I was able to take in the entire conference, but I was thankful to have been able to go and hear Ruth speak at least once, and it was definately a "God thing".

Ruth Graham, 3rd out of 5 children of Billy and Ruth Graham, who the world knows, and respects, she had two failed marriages, delt with depression, grandchildren born out of wed-lock, a son who dabbled in drugs, a daughter who had an eating disorder, etc... As she spoke that night on the Prodigal Son, and shared bits and pieces of her story with all of us, I sat and listened. The words she spoke rang true with me! I knew and understood where she had been, for that is where I had found myself.

I, like her, have grown up in a Christian home.
I, like her, am a Pastors daughter.
I, like her, am the 3 child.
I, like her, have delt with depression.
I, like her, have a failed marriage.
I, like her, have carried around that guilt for so long.
I, like her, have been shattered and broken by it.

Those are just a few of the things I connected with. She spoke of how hard it had been to share her failures with her parents, with her family, with her friends. How she had felt like a failure to herself, and to God for years, how she didn't trust herself to make good decisions for her life anymore. Oh how I understood those feelings all too well! But life happens, things happen that you don't expect, including failed marriages. The good news is that God will accept us, in our broken, hurt, and wounded state, and welcome us home! He'll love us no matter what we've done, how we feel, what mistakes we've made. We all have our flaws, nobody but Him is perfect. So as I now read the story of the Prodigal Son, it is no longer focused on the son, but on the Loving Father.... our Father, who accepts us unconditionally!

Something Ruth said that night stuck with me. She said "When you feel like you are in the midst of the ruins of your life, remember that God doesn't see it as the end of something. God will use those ruins and make something beautiful out of those hardships or trials, failed marriages, whatever it is!"

I asked my Mum to get one of her books for me, and she did, and also got it signed by Ruth Graham, and it says "To Amanda - God Restores! Ruth Graham John 1:16 I am encouraged! I can't wait to read this book on my trip to New England next week!