Ruth Ann Gleason was a living, breathing testimony of God’s limitless power at work when we say “yes” to Him. In 2020, she attended the first virtual Cultivating Inner Beauty class offered by Grow with Me. Though navigating the advanced stages of multiple sclerosis and grieving the recent death of her son, Ruth Ann’s joyful countenance lit up her little Zoom square each week!
Those twelve weeks in class were life changing for Ruth Ann as she experienced spiritual growth and cultivated new friendships. With her physical limitations, she engaged in the ministry where she could, serving on the Warrior Women prayer team and authoring several “Encouraging the Mentor” posts. But Ruth Ann didn’t stop there! Her heart and home were always open and welcoming to all. In her final years of life, she often hosted Grow with Me sisters at her bedside for lunch, fellowship, prayer and mentoring. These are some of the lessons she modeled:
- Joy is a choice.
- Mentoring is a way of life, not a job for someone else.
- Give thanks for everything as Ephesians 5:20 teaches us.
Ruth Ann said she was thankful for her illness that kept her tethered to Jesus. She readily shared the wisdom God had cultivated in her throughout all her life circumstances. We will be forever grateful that the Lord wove this beautiful sister into our lives and our hearts. We are blessed by Ruth Ann’s friendship and mentoring during the brief time we knew her before going home to be with her Savior on March 23, 2026.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
Authored by Ruth Ann’s Grow with Me Sisters