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Written by Vicki Willoughby
With that glint in her eyes and zeal in her life, she brought so much to mine.
Back in the early ’70s God brought a wonderful older woman into my life. She had lived a good life with her husband; and between the two of them, they had many an interesting story to tell.
Reflecting back and remembering Ruby, I believe God placed her upon my life’s path to help nurture and teach me lessons from her life’s experiences to help me as a wife and mother.
Paul wrote about older women serving as “teachers of good things” who could “admonish the young women” (Titus 2:3-5).
There is much more to this passage in Titus. But when I read it, I think about Ruby and how, with that glint in her eyes and the zeal in her life, she brought so much into my life.
I didn’t have a grandmother figure in my life, but Ruby more than filled that void. She inserted into my life warm advice seasoned with love. She passed on many a gem of wisdom to me, but most of all she lived her life as an example to me, allowing me to see Proverbs 16:31 in action: “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness.”
A treasure box of lessons
Ruby offered a treasure box overflowing with life lessons for me as a young wife and mother. She was a seasoned warrior of life, with a zeal for God’s Word and a love for His people.
Her words still resonate in my mind, such as, “Teach your daughter grace and poise; dance lessons will help with that.” We only had one daughter at that time, but I remembered Ruby’s advice, and in time all three of our daughters would participate in dance lessons.
Ruby also shared with me canning secrets, some of which turned out better than others, but I always gleaned much from her.
Saying good-bye was difficult
When we moved out of the state to relocate for my husband’s work, it was very hard to say good-bye to Ruby, knowing that we would not see each other as regularly as we had. We would go back to visit, and she and her husband also traveled to visit with our family, and in doing this we were allowed to share that example and love for a few more years.
Ruby died before our last child was born, but she shared in the joy of our first three children. It was my great pleasure to have had her in my life for almost two decades.
Leave a legacy
Now that I am getting older, I am able to more fully grasp the example that Ruby set. Looking back, I see how she lived the scripture in Titus 2. She left me the valuable legacy of her example and character.
There have been other Titus 2 women who have set a fine example, but none left as memorable an imprint on my life as Ruby, with that glint in her eyes and her zeal for life. May we strive to be like Ruby, leaving a memorable legacy to the young women in our lives!
Vicki Willoughby and her husband of 39 years, Jack, live in Northwest Arkansas where they attend the Springdale congregation of Church of God, a Worldwide Association.
For more about learning from and being a good example, see:
