Ruth is living a fairy tale life.
Her husband, Don, is an ordained minister and college instructor, and she considers her precious children her "jewels"-young souls she polishes and prepares for the Kingdom of Heaven. To many, the Gibbs are an inspiration as a family blessed by God.
Then disaster strikes. Teresa Lynn, the oldest of the Gibbs girls, receives a diagnosis of leukemia and begins a grueling battle against the disease.
They proceed to explore every path in the hope of a cure-including enthusiastic offers of divine healing from the local charismatic community, who see an opportunity to recruit Don and his family to their beliefs. Ruth views the religious community as charlatans...but when a child's life hangs in the balance, every straw seems worth grasping.
When God finally gathers Teresa into His arms, Ruth and Don find themselves criticized and attacked by the once supportive charismatics, who claim some sin within the family led to Teresa's death.
A combination of grief and condemnation causes a crisis of conscience in Ruth.
How she ultimately returns to faith and finds redemption, however, is a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit.
About the Author: Ruth Elizabeth (Heighton) Gibbs is a wife, sister, daughter, friend, counselor, mother, and grandmother. She has been married to her beloved husband, Don, for sixty-three years. Together, they raised seven gifted children. When a young seventeen year old came over to study in the United States, they quickly took him into their hearts as another son.
As a pastor's wife, Gibbs engaged in youth work and women's ministry. She also held jobs in banking, director of the office of economic opportunity, and as a marketing coordinator and office manager. Weekends and summers were spent water-skiing and with the children.
In retirement, they took a small loving church at the base of Mt. Hood. While there they led fourteen trips abroad to Israel, Greece, Egypt, Turkey, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Gibbs eventually returned to Marylhurst University to earn a degree in philosophy and religion, as well as a pastoral care certificate.
Now living in Vancouver, Washington, she counsels, travels, writes, and hosts quilting retreats.
