How To Be WellnStrong

110: When Life Doesn't Go as Planned | Ruth Chou Simons

• Jacqueline Genova • Episode 110

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Today I’m joined by author, artist, and GraceLaced founder Ruth Chou Simons to talk about trusting God in seasons that feel slow, hidden, or uncertain. Ruth shares how some of the most meaningful work of her life was formed during the ordinary years of raising six boys, creating art during nap times, and learning to recognize God’s faithfulness in everyday moments. We talk about navigating waiting seasons, quieting anxious thoughts, discerning God’s timing, and what it looks like to live faithfully without rushing ahead. This conversation is a grounded reminder that even when life feels slow or unclear, God is still at work — forming, preparing, and doing things beneath the surface that we don’t always see right away.


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*Unedited Transcript*

[00:00:00]

Jac: What does it truly mean to be well and strong? Not just embody, but in mind and spirit? Welcome to the How to Be Well and Strong podcast. I'm your host, Jacque Will and Genova. After my mom's breast cancer diagnosis introduced me to the world of integrative medicine, I saw how important it is to have a clear, trusted roadmap for true healing.

Now I'm bringing those insights to you On this show, I sit down with some of the leading voices in wellness, mental health, and faith to help you find the motivation and tools you need to thrive. Get ready to be inspired and encouraged because your journey starts now. If you've ever felt like you're in a season of waiting, wondering why life isn't unfolding the way you thought it would.

Or questioning how to trust God when things feel uncertain. This episode is for you today. I am joined by Ruth Joe Simons, an author, artist, and the founder of Grace Lat. You may know her from her beautiful artwork and devotionals, but more than anything, Ruth has a [00:01:00] gift for helping people see God's faithfulness in the middle of everyday life.

In this conversation, we talk about something that I think so many people struggle with, how to trust God in seasons that feel slow, hidden, or uncertain. Ruth shares her story of raising six boys while quietly creating art and writing in the small pockets of time she had during nap times, but it felt like an ordinary unseen season that ultimately became the foundation for the work she's doing today.

She also shares beautiful wisdom about recognizing God's care and the small details of creation, like the wild flowers Jesus points to in scripture, and how those reminders can anchor us when life feels overwhelming. So wherever you're listening from on a walk in the car or making your morning coffee, settle in and enjoy my conversation with Ruth.

Let's get into it. Well, to kick things off, Ruth, I know we have an hour, and I know this is gonna fly by. I first came across your name on Instagram. We have a few mutual connections and I read the way of the wildflower and A was immediately [00:02:00] encouraged. Um, and BI was like, I wanna have this woman on my podcast.

So I. I'd love to dive into that book, particularly in our conversation today. But Ruth, for listeners who may not be familiar with your work yet, I'd love if you could share a little bit about your story and what led you to write this book in particular.

Ruth: Yeah. Well it's so sweet to connect with your listeners and um, yes.

My name is Ruth Joe Simons, I am Obama to six boys. My, they're like men now. The oldest is 24 and the youngest is almost 13. And oh my goodness, we've got one getting married this summer and so congratulations. There is a lot going on. Yes. Um, but it's been a wild and wonderful ride that I did not expect.

Never thought I would be a mom to six boys. And in the middle of that, um, that, that decade and a half of pregnant and nursing and all that, um, my husband was a pastor and is now still a pastor all these years later. But [00:03:00] at the time he was a pastor and a headmaster of a classical school. And so I was a homeschooling mama, um, that was doing this hybrid model.

And during nap times is when I would have them read quietly and I would paint and meditate on the word of God because I really didn't have a lot of other time. And I had a blog called Grace Lace, finding Grace in the Everyday because my life just. Didn't look the way I expected it to. I imagined serving God and doing some amazing things with my life, maybe overseas or doing some majorly like notable things with my life.

And there I was kinda like working on phonics with the kids and, um. Chopping up carrots and celery every day, wondering like, gosh, what are, what am I doing with my gifts? And in that season, it wasn't the right season to, um, step out in anything major, but I was serving my kids right at home. Major meaning like something public or some kind of huge like.

Start a nonprofit or start a [00:04:00] business, right? I wasn't doing that in that season. And so around the kitchen table, I would share with my kids, I would talk to them and, um, about the word. I would have young women in our church over during nap time and we would do, um, little bits of mentoring and coaching.

And then in the evenings we would do premarital counseling. And years later, um. That artwork and that heart for applying God's word got to come together in the form of writing books. And so, um, I've been traditionally published since 2017 and, um. I've now written full color devotional like books. I, um, say devotional like, because I think a lot of times devotions are light and I try to write devotions in a way that kind of, um, gets you deeper in the word and deeper, maybe even in soul work, so that you ultimately know that the answer is not found in yourself.

Um, and so I write books like that. [00:05:00] I write. Typical 12 chapter trade books where you're really processing a topic. Um, and then I write some Bible studies, but I'm also the founder of Grace Lace that turned from a blog into, um, a brand for art scripture. Scripture art. Prince and resources that help you look to Jesus.

And so I'm super grateful to be doing all of that right now, but it, I, I share that story and thank you for the opportunity to share it because sometimes you think that, um, you see somebody who's doing all that and you think they've always done that. And I just would love to be able to always say, Hey, it didn't always look like this, but God was always at work to prepare me.

In seasons that were hidden Seasons, that felt a little slow, um, for seasons ahead. And so currently you're seeing some blooms, but it wasn't always this way either.

Jac: Ruth, I love that so much that yeah, I, I definitely resonate with that because similar with Well and Strong, right? Started off as a small blog in 2020, um, and it's evolved quite a bit over the past few years, but I always [00:06:00] say.

When people always ask like, how did you accumulate your following? Like, how have you spoken with all these people? It's God. Because quite honestly, Ruth, like I did not know anyone when I stepped into this space. Um, so to be able to see like, you know, when God touches something that he wants to grow, like it grows, right?

And it's not within our own means to do so. Um. That has certainly also helped take the pressure that I feel sometimes to always be working. And I know you addressed this in your book as well, this hustle culture and you know, always gotta check the boxes and do the next best thing. But in reality, you know, what would take us a lifetime to accomplish?

God can do in a second. And whenever I find myself living in a state of heartiness trying to do everything, I stop myself and I remind myself of that very thing that again, what would take me a lifetime God can do in a second. So I love that.

Ruth: Love that. That's very good.

Jac: Going back to seasons. So when you were telling me about your story, a lot of my friends as well, like I'm 30 and all of my friends are through at different life stages, right?

Like some are married, some are still single, some [00:07:00] are expecting kids. And with all of those seasons, right, they require different things. And I'm so curious, Ruth, like how did you learn in your season, you know, as you were raising six boys to be patient? And kind of bloom where you were planted, right.

Versus always living in the future. Because I often find myself right, constantly living in the future, thinking, okay, mm-hmm. Once I hit this, once I get this, once I meet this person, like then I'll be happy. Then everything will come together. And I know you address this in your book as well, but how did you like.

Just tactically, like truly learn to like,

Ruth: yeah.

Jac: Be present. Like is that, did you at all,

Ruth: well you're, you're literally tapping into like, my life message because now and not yet is a story, is a book about, um, finding God faithful in the, when you're not yet where you want to be. Grace Lace is about seasons.

It, there's so much about this and I wanna tell you, it's. It's a lesson I wouldn't have chosen to learn on my own. Yeah. [00:08:00] Like it's not a lesson I wanted to learn. I remember, um, being in the little years where all my kids were like six and under, and I was a little, like, I was feeling totally overwhelmed.

Nobody could tie their own shoe laces or cook their own breakfast or do their own laundry, whatever season that was in. It's all a little blurry now, but I remember thinking, oh, the ship is passing me by. Everybody is right. Starting big things. They're writing books. They're getting, and honestly, I don't even know that at the time I was even noticing.

People who are writing books. So I, I wasn't even thinking that big. It was more just like, I just was like, there are people who know what they're doing with their lives and I'm just like sweeping up Cheerios and I'm folding more laundry. I know. I'm that feeling of like, yeah, I know I'm made for more. Is this all there is?

And I love my kids. And I was, I founded a privilege, but I knew I had all this creative energy. And so at the time I remember thinking blogs were like taking off and people were getting, um. You know, well known for their work online. And I remember thinking, oh, [00:09:00] in order to pursue this, I'm gonna have to really set aside what I feel really called to here at home to do something else.

And I think God calls us all to different scenarios. So it's not that there's one way to do it, there's not, there's everybody has. Different opportunities, right? Some people have, um, parents who are nearby and can help. I didn't have that and I didn't have opportunities to, I was also in full-time ministry with my husband, and so there wasn't a lot, there wasn't a lot of opportunity to say, Hey, you know what, I'm gonna take us several hours uninterrupted to just work on the craft of writing.

That wasn't something I could do right in that season. But I think the phrase that kind of came to. Mine one day as I was, um, I've always been a plant lady and so I always had like in my kitchen different, you know, house plants and one of the plants that I loved keeping, I, I lived in the southwest and I don't know why I thought I could keep citrus alive, but it's, I just imagined myself a Florida or a California girl, but I would keep a Meyer lemon, um, a potted Meyer [00:10:00] lemon in my kitchen.

And Meyer lemons are not the easiest to grow. I mean. In the desert. Yeah. And they would bloom and then they would produce fruit. But sometimes that fruit didn't come into full, you know, whatever. And I would be waiting and waiting for it to finally bloom. And the phrase that kind of came to mind as, as I was learning to grow Meyer lemons at home, um, was that you don't have to be blooming to be growing.

This phrase came to mind as early as I wanna say, probably. Hmm. It was probably 20. 14 20 15. I was in the little years. And this phrase, I just jotted it down because it was almost like the Lord just pressing on my heart. Just because you're not in full bloom, your garden is not full of beautiful cut flowers where everybody's like dazzled by your amazing work and all the towns, and it feels like you're just doing the same thing every day, that you're still growing.

And so, um, I think the way you learn the patience in that is to recognize it. If you trust [00:11:00] that God is who he says he is, and that he doesn't make mistakes, he's not wasting any season, and he didn't create you by accident, that you are here on purpose for a purpose, then you can trust him that he's using every moment of your mundane life, even right now while you're folding laundry, while you're answering emails, while you're running your kids to the next soccer practice that he's using every moment.

To sanctify you as a mom, as a roommate, as a friend, whatever it is that you're doing, that you're like, ah, this is a little mundane and isn't getting me where I wanna go. And you can trust that he's preparing you for another season. Because even as we've talked about this, um, the book that you read, the way of the wildflower.

Wildflowers don't bloom all year round. They notoriously bloom in the summertime. But I learned as I was studying them that you truly find that wildflowers have to be dormant for a season to be prepared for the blooming season. And we don't like [00:12:00] dormant seasons. We don't like seasons where we're, we're hidden or we're quiet or everything seems a little.

Like suppressed and not able to just burst out in great success. We don't love that. But God calls us just like he does in nature to have seasons of rest, seasons of preparing, seasons of humility where we learn and we're like, oh, I'm not all that. I've got a lot to learn here. Because he prepares us. And I can say rightly so that here I am at 50 years old.

Um. So much of what I hope to share in wisdom or in applying God's word or in experience comes out of a time where nobody knew that I was growing on the inside.

Jac: Yeah, that's beautiful. That's so true. I had a conversation with one of my best friends here. Uh, I'm in Greenville, South Carolina, Ruth, so if ever you're in the area, please do come pay me a visit.

But we were talking about that very topic about just, you know, kind of blooming in silence. And there are seasons where, you know, the world doesn't have [00:13:00] to really see what you're going through. Um, nor should they, I think you should have like a group of close, close friends that you share, you know, your deepest battles with and your struggles with.

But there certainly is a time for everything. And speaking of seasons, Ruth. Seasons of waiting, I have found to be most challenging, as I'm sure you and many listeners have as well. For someone, Ruth, who is waiting on something, right? Whether that's a relationship, whether that's a child, a new job, and they feel like it's just not happening.

What advice would you offer them? Perhaps maybe even like looking at certain biblical stories, things that have helped you in your life in, in waiting seasons. I'm just seeking wisdom.

Ruth: Yeah. You know, I think that's kind of a major theme in all of scripture. You think of, um, a Abraham and Sarah trying to conceive and have the child of promise and being in a rush and kind of going, well, how, how are we gonna get this promise fulfilled?[00:14:00]

But really God just called them. To take the next step to stand up and go, to go in the direction that he commanded and not have the entire plan. And sometimes when we get in a rush is when we get into trouble. Right? Right. When we wanna fix the plan and say, you know what? You didn't gimme the full plan, so let me try to like hurry it along.

That's when

Jac: Yeah,

Ruth: that there's a problem there. When you think about, um, Hannah waiting, when you think about so many in scripture who wait on God because they. They go, surely you don't want me to be sitting here struggling with this situation, right? Surely you want me in a better place. I think about Paul Imprisoned going, Hey, I've got a message here.

I've got, I've got drive. I'm actually effective. Why am I waiting here in this prison cell? And in every single situation you see in scripture, God has purpose for what we would call. An unfruitful [00:15:00] waiting season. What we think is unfruitful, what we think is a waste of time, God has purpose in it. And so that implicitly basically implies that we have to trust God to be sored.

Yeah, trust God to be faithful, trust God to be good. So I would encourage and challenge at the same time for anybody in a waiting season to ask yourself. Do I really trust God to be God and what's my view of God? Do I end up thinking of him as the Father who will give me good things if I clean myself up and do the right thing and start reading my Bible fervently?

Or do I trust him to be the father who woos me even when I'm sinful, even when I'm not? Right on track. Even when I have really grumpy thoughts, how do I see him? Because you're what you believe about God. Aw Tozer says is the most important thing about you because it will affect whether you come to him [00:16:00] when you're waiting and impatient and tired and sad, or whether you stay away and try to be the hero of your own story, trying to manipulate and make things work for your own good.

So. I think that's a really, I, I wish it was an encouragement just to be like, it is an encouragement to press on, stay faithful, trust him. But I hope in there you hear the challenge, that it actually starts with what you really believe and what you're speaking to yourself about what God is doing. Because if the narrative that you're feeling your mind with is, God doesn't care about me, he forgot me, my prayers don't work, then you've basically.

And ignored all of how God puts himself on display in throughout scripture. You look at scripture and you go, it never made sense to any of those people either, right? But God's story was complete and in his time, he accomplished his will when we get out of the way. And so repeat good stories to yourself of what he's doing.

Jac: I love that. Ruth, here's a question for you. [00:17:00] So. On the topic of God's sovereignty, I actually asked this question to Stephanie May Wilson, who I'm sure you've heard of. Um, I had her back on the podcast a couple weeks ago, but she wrote a book called Create a Life You Love. And her philosophy is kind of all about like, like taking steps, right?

Like being active, doing things, um, that you wanna do, which I love. Something I have struggled with, Ruth is. Figuring out like what is the balance right between trusting God's sovereignty, but also taking steps of active faith. Right. And I always use the Bible stories of like, you don't necessarily like wanna birth an Ishmael, right?

By going ahead of God and doing things your way, but you also wanna take steps of active faith like Ruth did, right? So. I know most people will just respond. We'll just, you know, pray about it. But like, is there any other way to kind of discern like, what is the balance there, right? Between saying, okay, like I have this desire, or I wanna do this thing.

Like I trust that God will, you know. Bring it to me or give it to me in his timing. Right. Versus [00:18:00] saying, okay, but God also calls me to just like take steps of faith too, right? Like what is, what is that balance?

Ruth: Well, first of all, something I notice in the way I approach God's word is that sometimes I end up wanting to read it prescriptively.

Like sometimes it's easy to be like, well, look at what she did. Well, I wanna be like an Esther. I wanna be like this. And those are good illustrations. Yeah. But those stories. Are not meant to be prescriptive, as in do exactly the way he did it, but look at God's character in it. What was obedient? Like? What was the consequence to the sin?

What, what is it? Scripture's not gonna contradict itself. And so as you look at the whole Council of God's word, you start thinking about issues like what we're worshiping, what we're treasuring, what we, um, consider. The most worthy in our lives. The reason why I bring that up is because if we just look at courage and if we just look at how do I step out in faith, how do I [00:19:00] be more like a so and so in the Bible, it, it makes it easy for us to ignore.

The, the warning signs in our own lives, right? But if we think, okay, I'm created not to be somebody who produces, but for some to, I was created to primarily not produce, but to be in the presence of God. That's my primary purpose, is to fellowship with him and to step into all that he purposes for my life to accomplish, first and foremost, to put on display the love and the glory of God in this redemption story.

If that's the. Primary purpose for which he created man and woman to have fellowship with him. Then you kind of step back and say, okay, yes, pray about it. Yes, seek counsel. Those are really practical, wonderful things to do. But I think the part that we sometimes miss is, okay, as I pursue the next step and I make that phone call, I network and make that connection.

If I stay up late and write that extra email or do that extra work, [00:20:00] I think it's helpful to ask yourself. What's going on in my heart as I do these things? If the Lord takes this away from me and completely puts a roadblock and it can't go any further, how will I respond to that? Or, you know, you can identify an idol pretty easily if you think, well, does it cause me, do I have to sin to get what I want or is not getting it gonna cause me to sin?

Because if you start noticing like, wow, I'm really. If somebody else has something that I don't have and I'm comparing all the time, or I'm really upset that the timing for that person is better than my timing, so I'm gonna go and get what I want. Do you see at the root of that behavior is actually sinful and not trusting the Lord?

So I would be suspicious of, even if you're stepping out in boldness and you say, I'm stepping out on faith, but if you, it's. If it's laced with sinful attitude and sinful behaviors that ultimately reveal [00:21:00] idolatry, and what you treasure most is yourself. If you treasure, what you treasure most is your timing.

If your pride is getting welled up with the sense of like, I need to have the respect that I want, is all those things are at play. I would just really encourage you to take a step and, and be good about self-analysis because you don't wanna be away on the other side of it. Having secured a, this contract that you want secured the network and the friendships and the favor you want.

And then ask yourself, Ooh, is God pleased or did I manipulate a whole bunch of stuff to make this happen? And now how do I know whether he wants me to stay or not? And so take steps at a time. Being honest before the Lord. So pray about it, seek counsel, but also I think at every step ask what is my primary purpose in doing this?

Does this cause me to be a better steward of everything God's given me? Or am I actually, um, creating an [00:22:00] idol of things in my life? So for me personally, I'll just be anecdotal and say for me, um. I have a lot of drive, I have a lot of capacity. I can probably accomplish a lot of things a little bit faster and a little bit more directly than a lot of people I know.

So I'm high capacity, high functioning. I can get a lot of things done, but it doesn't mean that just because I can do something doesn't mean I should do something. And just because the opportunities in front of me doesn't mean it's God's best. So I have to assess. Does this actually call me into greater stewardship of the fundamental things that God's given me?

Loving and worshiping him, being a good wife, being available for my children? What are those things that God's called me to that are kind of bottom line, important things? Yeah. And then start putting, put those big rocks in first, like they say, you know, and all the other little rocks will fall in place.

Jac: I love that.

I'm so curious too, Ruth, have you found that like as you've gotten older, you have like more of a challenge when it comes to decision making? [00:23:00]

Ruth: Yes and no. I mean, yeah, that's a good question.

Jac: Like just equal, like let's say you have two equally like good options in front of you. Mm-hmm. Like both on or God, right?

Like neither sinful. Yeah. Yeah. Like I've just, I don't know. I feel like I've found that like the older I get, I feel like the more like decision paralysis, I kind of feel, because I feel like the weight of the decision is like the outcome is like on me, but I know it's not, but I just like, yeah. I don't have that mentality.

Ruth: Well, I would just say if your listenership is largely in your season of life, if they're in their thirties, this is coming out of a season where there was kind of only one way to get yourself wrapped around a mortgage, have build a family, get yourself established. Like the twenties are a time where there's not a, like you can try to like chase a bunch of things, but there's kind of like a.

You, you have a goal in mind, right? Like you're trying to get established,

Jac: right?

Ruth: I think your thirties are a time where there's a lot of right answers. There's a lot of directions. There's a lot of ways you can spend your days and you see the [00:24:00] next decade and you say to yourself, I don't wanna start then something, I could start now, but do I wanna spend my days doing this?

How? What are my priorities? Of course there's some decision fatigue because, or a decision paralysis, because I think now that you're more comfortable with who you are, there is a lot of discovery in, well, I only get 24 hours in a day just like everybody else. How do I wanna use that time? So I'd say now that I'm two decades ahead of you, I would say, um.

I think I have less paralysis now because I actually see it a little bit differently than where you're at because you are in the land of opportunity. You're going, wow, the next 20 years, I get to really determine what opportunities I wanna expose myself to. And I'm in a season where I say. I can see the end of the road where I'm not gonna be physically as capable.

I'm not gonna have children in my home. I may have [00:25:00] illnesses that will keep me from being able to do things. How do I want to end this race? Well, I know that sounds a little morbid and I'm, I'm like, your target audience is not in their end of life, and I'm not either. But I think we're always looking that one or two decades ahead and going, how do I, maybe you're in the season of how do I wanna build?

Well, and I'm in the season of. How do I want to steward well, so I end well. And, um, I think both are important and both come from the same heart of saying I gotta step back and know that my actions pay dividends, my actions will build to the life that I desire. And if I want the Lord to, um, I don't wanna run away in a.

Apart from God's will and um, if I want to be at the center of his will, then I need to recognize that I'm not as in control as I think I am. Yeah. It's not me just hustling and building life. It's me actually seeking him [00:26:00] and saying, how do I steward what you've already given me? Well, because everybody's been given something.

Every person who's listening, you can look right now, and I would even take five seconds and mentally landscape or may mentally take inventory of the landscape of your life. But everybody's given, given talents, resources, opportunities, people, giftings, and whatever it is that you've been given. That's for right now.

You're not guaranteed forever. What are you doing it with right now? Mm-hmm. And, um, that helps make some decisions.

Jac: I love that, Ruth. That's so good. I'm reading a really great book right now. I'm sure you've read it. It's called like How to Something's the Effect of Like, how To Live Life and Not Worry By Dale Carnegie.

Have you heard of that?

Ruth: I don't, I haven't read that. Ruth,

Jac: I haven't read. It's a great book. I definitely got the title wrong, but I started reading about a week ago. From the initial page, like I was captivated because he said like the key to also like not worry is to just live in day tight compartments, like when you wake up in the morning.

Each day is a new life and that prevents [00:27:00] you from ruminating on the past or focusing too much on the future and to always stay busy. So when you said like, you know, like your high output, like you do a lot. I'm the same way. But I find too that always like having something to work on and keeping my hands busy, um, also kind of helps like keep me grounded, right?

And just like making the next decision, like for that day at hand. Like you don't have to think of decisions 10 years from now, like, make a decision today. And that can, like, that helps to eliminate that decision fatigue. Um. I so often feel so another helpful tidbit. And Ruth, one other thing I did wanna get into with you.

So you wrote that, um, this book, or you said that this book was born out of your own battle with anxious thoughts and fears, and I'm so curious. What were some of the things that you did to help overcome that?

Ruth: I think having anxious thoughts is just what I'm. I have a propensity towards, I think same, everybody's made a little different, but I would say most women I meet would say, Hey, I struggle with [00:28:00] some version of overthinking, spiraling, um, analysis.

Um, whether that is fear, worry, full-blown anxiety, or kind of spinning in the middle of the night trying to fix a problem. Um. So I think early on I was aware that early on, as in early on in my Christian life, I was aware that so often I would be spinning with thoughts that just were not leading me back to trusting the Lord.

And if I looked at scripture, I would say, wow, you know, the Sabbath would be. Anxious and worried and scared of his enemy and fearful of what was gonna happen. And he told his soul what to do. He addressed himself. And so I've had a long history of this concept of preaching truth to yourself and teaching yourself how to repeat and rehearse sermons that are truly aligned with God's word back to yourself, the way the psalmist does, the way you see in scripture.

And so when I came to this [00:29:00] book, I really thought, you know, how do I. How do I look at, um, both that idea of preaching the true, like true messages to yourself, which I hope all my devotions are like that, that you would pick up any of 'em and be like, this is a true little truth reading that I can preach back to myself.

But, you know, when you think about anxious thoughts, you think about Jesus' teaching, um, on the Sermon on the Mount where he says, you know. Don't worry and don't fret. Look at the birds of the air and look at the flowers of the field. And when I was wrestling with some of the, those kinds of circumstances in my life, maybe not directly worrying about what I was gonna wear or what I was gonna eat or where I was gonna live, but worrying about all the other stuff of life and kind of being fearful that, you know, is, are my kids gonna be okay?

What if that friend doesn't understand where I'm coming from? What if I can't get this thing done, why do I feel so overwhelmed? All those thoughts. I oftentimes [00:30:00] took those walks, um, and thought about those things. Um, here in western Colorado where the wildflowers bloom in summer and with, um, seven guys that I was living with through these years of mothering.

Um. To spend time with him was to go on these hikes and walks. And I really saw these wildflowers and remembered Jesus' words. Consider how the wildflower grows. It doesn't toil or spin. And he's talking about spinning yarn and how even Solomon isn't dressed like one of these flowers. And if you look at wildflowers, you really are like, wow, okay.

God paid attention. Our des creator, God is a designer, he paid attention to every little detail. But I think what you realize is that. Um, whenever we're, you know, when, when, when Jesus addresses anxious thoughts and worries and fears and how's it, what, what ifs and how's it gonna turn out? He literally addressed it by saying, look at God, how God takes care of, look at how the father takes care of the birds and the flowers.

And his [00:31:00] point was pointing to as high as you can look, as low as you can look. Everything is in his domain. He takes care of it all. And so, um. I went on an expedition of learning how flowers and the very wild flowers that I was seeing reflected how God has made us to not worry and not be fearful and not be anxious in all circumstances of life.

Jac: I love that even, uh, as a young child, Ruth, like I had like major anxiety in the first grade especially, and I always remember my mom coming in at like 10 30 at night when I couldn't sleep. And she would just tell me this verse, you know, for God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

Mm-hmm. And I held onto those words so strongly, you know, since the first grade. And even today, when I get those anxious thoughts that enter my mind. I think similar to you, like I stop myself and I'll literally say out loud, like, I'll just start preaching truth to myself. Mm-hmm. Um, I'm a big Norman Vincent Peel fan, and I just have so many of you know, the words that he said in his, in his books.

Power of [00:32:00] Positive thinking, you know, affirmations, just reminding yourself of God's truth. And it's truly a sword. It's a weapon, right? That. I feel like we don't use as much as we should. Um, but all that to say too, Ruth, something you mentioned in your book that I wanted to, to call out because I think it was so beautiful you wrote that.

I don't know who said it first, but it's a true and memorable saying Today is a tomorrow you were so worried about yesterday. It's a reminder that our fear and worry about tomorrow doesn't prevent tomorrow's arrival. Our worry doesn't change God's care and protection over our tomorrow. It only robs us of peace today, and that I wanted to like print that out, like paste it to my wall because it's just a beautiful reminder that just that, you know, it doesn't prevent anything.

It just, it robs us of our, of our joy and peace for today.

Ruth: For sure. Yeah. I, I need that reminder every day as well too.

Jac: I feel like authors write books they need the most, right, Ruth?

Ruth: It's exactly true. I we're always called to write the very book that we need to be reading ourselves for sure.

Jac: Similar, uh, [00:33:00] application with my podcast.

The conversations I have are often the ones that I need to, to hear the most. But, um, going back to the topic of worry, so here's another question for you. Trusting God after, um, you know, things have happened in our lives that have derailed us. Right? We've had unexpected plot twist. I know you mentioned a story about your son.

Um, I think it was like a mountain biking accident or something that had happened. Um, my family experienced their fair share of, of hardship, especially in the past year. Um, all that to say, Ruth. What would you say to someone who has just really been through the wringer, right, and just thing after thing keeps happening and they're, they're really questioning like, God, you know, where are you?

Like, I don't see the good in this, and I've mentioned this before too, but I kind of use the analogy of like a, a game I used to play with my dad when I was younger. My sister and I called the trust game. We would stand at the top of our steps, Ruth and my dad would say, you know, do you trust me? And we would say, yes.

And then we'd jump from the top stair and he would always catch us. Right. [00:34:00] And I feel like, you know, sometimes with God it's like, you know, he lets, he permits something to happen, right? He's still sovereign, but he permits something to happen that. We don't want, and it's like jumping off that top step and then we fall flat on our face.

Mm-hmm. Right? And it's like, how do we get back up on that step and jump again knowing that he let us fall on our face? Like, what if we fall on our face again? Hmm. So from your standpoint, Ruth, like. How have you rebuilt that trust after like really hard things, you know, in life that you didn't expect and that just brought a significant amount of pain.

Ruth: I think just like any other relationship, if you had a relationship with your dad or a friend where you feel a little like, oh, I, I feel a little, like I'm sit over here in the corner feeling a little hurt and a little scared, and you may not know that I feel this way. The only way back to. Feeling like there's trust again, is actually to talk to that [00:35:00] person, to work through it with that person, to rebuild the trust, to actually know that that person is there for you, right?

Like we know that in kind of relationships, right? We know that you're not gonna. Feel like you trust each other by staying far, far away. But I think sometimes with God, we think, oh, I don't know. Like he just, I, you know, I don't know if he realizes that I'm just, I don't know if I can trust again, I'm scared or, but what comes to mind is first Peter five, um, I think it's six and seven.

I'm probably gonna butcher it, but humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. And in due time, he will raise you up casting your anxieties on him because he cares for you. And I think that the marvel of that reminder is that sometimes when we struggle with the pain that we walked through is that we kind of feel like we deserve so much better.

I mean, rightly so. Nobody's like, I [00:36:00] deserve to go through a really hard time, but I think we forget that God actually knows more than we do, and whatever hardships we're going through, that he actually is still near, still providing, still more than capable, still loving you in it, and I think. In the midst of some pain, sometimes we pull away and we forget to cast that anxiety on him, cast the fears, cast the sadness, and recognize that he cares for us.

And so I think as I'm hearing you ask that question, I would say anyone who's listening right now, and if you've been through a super hard time, or if you've been like, I cannot believe what we've walked through this tremendous trial, or this. Betrayal or these circumstances are so unfair, or I can't believe how much this person I love has had to suffer whatever it is you're going through.

First of all, I would just say I know on so many levels, every one of those scenarios I just mentioned, I've been through at some level, at some plate [00:37:00] time in life or at the same time. And, um. First of all, I would say, I'm so sorry that you are feeling that I, I wanna acknowledge that it's real pain. It's not like, here's the Bible and you're gonna not feel pain.

No, there's real pain, there's real sadness, there's real not sleeping at night, and there's really. A difficulty in coming to the Lord in prayer when you feel so sad and so distressed and you feel like your heart's broken. So I just wanna acknowledge that nothing I'm saying in terms of encouragement or how to press on is, is um, negating the fact that it hurts.

But I think when we look at God's word and we say, okay, Peter wrote that in the middle of persecution and pain and that. The truth is we can, looking at how the God's word has been brought to us through suffering and through pain and through [00:38:00] unfairness and through betrayal, and so many things that didn't seem like they would make sense for God's people, and yet we're instructed and encouraged.

To humble ourselves, to recognize that he cares for us to trust him enough to come to him, even if it's like limping along and saying, Lord, I'm just gonna lay this at your feet and say, I don't know what to make of this. I don't know what to make of these circumstances. I don't know how to feel here, but I know that I'm gonna gonna.

Could be consumed with worry if I, and stress and anxiety if I keep on trying to fix it myself. Let me remember and rehearse how you've cared for me, and I would go back and just start taking note of every single way God has cared for you. Journal about it. Think about all the ways he's provided that you probably don't even think him for.

Think about all the ways that you take for granted that you have these blessings in life, and then go back in God's word and remind yourself how he's been faithful. Time and time again, [00:39:00] whether people were faithful or not, whether others recognized it or not, or whether it seemed like it was the end of all things and yet God came through and in providing Christ, he made it possible for us to have the greatest impossible.

Situation turnaround that we could be near and we could draw near even in the midst of our suffering.

Jac: Yeah. That's so good. I actually have a journal, Ruth a, like a faithfulness journal of all the times that God came through. I love that.

Ruth: Yeah.

Jac: And like you said, I mean, it's so important to remember that.

And I think just as humans, right? Like we can't remember what we got for Christmas last year, right? So it's, it's so easy to forget all the times that God has come through in the past. I mean, I always need this reminder too, but like when something really like horrible happens, it doesn't negate all the other good things that God has done right.

And all the other times he came through. So kind of similar to like rehearsing scripture to yourself, rehearsing those acts of past faithfulness, I think also helps for

Ruth: sure.

Jac: Um, with that too, Ruth, I mean. How do you also prevent [00:40:00] like bitterness right from, from forming? Because that is also a very real emotion and I feel like too, anytime someone experiences a hardship, you know?

Mm-hmm. That like little kind of root of bitterness always kind of spurs up afterwards, especially when you look at people's lives around you. Right. Who are experiencing perhaps like the one thing that you wanted. Like what is, what is the best way, I guess, to kind of like squelch that. That root,

Ruth: I'm assuming you are saying bitterness towards God and not bitterness towards another person.

Yes. 'cause those are same, but different in that bitterness towards somebody else is a forgiveness issue. Right. It's something that where you really do need to work through the forgiveness piece of it. But I think when it's about like starting to fester at this kind of bitterness towards God and what he's allowed in your life, um.

I don't know how to say this better except to say everything is framed up differently when you start thinking about him as the creator and you as the created. [00:41:00] I just will start there and say, I think we have a problem in this, in the culture we live in, where we are super powerful. We have. Uh, devices and AI and anything that can make anything perfect, we can actually accomplish so much with a little touch of a button that I think sometimes we forget that we're not all powerful.

That you did not wake up this morning with breath because you were in control, that this world that you live in and that your, your children are healthy and happy and that you have food on the table and that you're not. Breathing in toxic air, that that actually is the grace of God holding all things together.

Philippians, um, not Philippians. Colossians one 17 says, he's before all things and in him all things hold together. That is the antidote for my bitterness. That when I'm tempted and I'm tempted often to be like, Hey, I deserve better. Like, I, I don't deserve that. Like, God, did [00:42:00] you not see, like I worked so hard, like, um, that at the end of the day you have to stop and say, well, I deserve.

Death for my not loving God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I deserve alienation because I don't choose the Lord. I choose my own way. I deserve so much worse because I sin in ways that displease the Lord all the time. Secret ways, public ways. I, I, I'm not. Always treasuring Christ. So the fact that I have the grace to try that I've been given the grace to try again, that I have the opportunity to pick up the pieces and remake my life tomorrow and try again and forgive and be forgiven.

It kind of helps take that little seed of bitterness away because. And, and maybe I'm, I'm, I'm trying not to step on toes here, but I guess I'm just [00:43:00] saying it's natural to feel bitter. It's natural to be like, I've worked so hard. I didn't deserve that. But I would encourage anyone listening to say and to say, um, when that little bit of a root starts.

Just rehearse and repeat how much God is in control and you're really not, and that you can absolutely believe that he is who he says he is. You may not see it right this minute. You may not know the full end to his promises, and you may not, it doesn't feel like victory right now, but you can trust him and but it begins with shifting your mindset to believing and knowing that.

You did not make your existence possible. God did. And that actually helps lower the temperature and cause you to go, okay, hold up. I'm gonna not raise my fist here and be bitter. I'm gonna say, okay, I'm gonna submit to what you have for my life. God.

Jac: Yeah. That's so good. We're going through Ecclesiastes, um, [00:44:00] at church.

Ruthie started going through it last week and it just reminded me too, like. When you have an eternal perspective, right? Mm-hmm. It really does change how you live through your struggles, right? And your challenges. Um, and all that to say too. Another thing I tell myself during trials is the fact that God redeems and restores, which you also mentioned in this book as well, and going back to scripture too.

Breaking out certain stories. I know with Joseph Wright, like he was without, um, or he didn't see his father for what, like 17 years. But then God gave him, yeah. And then God gave him 17 more years with his dad after they were, were reunited, you know? And like, that was just a beautiful reminder for me that during those 17 years where he thought he was missing out, like God actually restored that right.

In a way that he couldn't see. In that times, that was just a beautiful reminder. Um, one other thing, Ruth, I wanted to touch on, I know we're coming up on time, but you mentioned you are a very productive person. I, again, resonate with that. I feel like I always [00:45:00] have to be working right. I always have to be creating something to help other people, something meaningful, something to move the needle with that.

How can we realistically like cultivate an unhurried life while still being productive and responsible and stewarding the gifts that God gave us?

Ruth: You know, I think, I'm sure this is part of what you teach and share and how your message is too, that so much begins with the posture of the heart and your mindset.

Right? I mean, it we, we understand that in business coaching, we understand that in so many areas, but I. When we go about our lives, we are so prone to measure everything by how much we can produce. And then we measure those things. And I think Hurriedness really comes out of, um. We don't connect it with our mindset.

We don't connect it with like, wow, are we operating on a out of total scarcity? Are we so afraid that if we don't hurry [00:46:00] along, we're gonna miss out on everything? Because if you don't send, spend the time to identify that and realize, like your mindset is scarcity, or your mindset is, I'm not enough, or my, my mindset is that nobody loves me.

That's gonna drive a lot of your actions, right? And in Christ. It's not, girl, you're enough, you everything is, you're so enough. No, the in Christ, it's actually, no, I have lack and I'm probably not enough for my whole life, but in Christ, I've been given everything I need for life and godliness and yeah, maybe I'm not super, I'm not always loved the way I want to.

Because people are fallen and I'm not perfect and I struggle in relationships, but in Christ I can experience the fullness of love that doesn't depend on fickle relationships or other people. So you see how like if that mind shift. If that mindset shifts, then you realize like, now I can operate on, I am not [00:47:00] hurrying through life to try to satisfy the places I feel lack.

I can now take one step at a time and do what I'm supposed to do with what I already have. And so for me, um. That Unhurried life sounds really beautiful and sounds like, you know, I want this mug that says I am all about the unhurried life, or, or something really like, beautiful, that sounds like, Ooh, I'm so paced and I'm in Pilates for three hours, but the reality of my life is that it actually doesn't feel all that restful all the time.

It's a, it's a daily choice. It's a moment by moment choice to not be in a hurry. Because if I. In the As the Imago Day, if I am imaging, God, if I've been created to be a reflection of God's character, then moment by moment I say, well, what is God like? Well, he's never in a hurry. God's not in a hurry. He's, he's not terrified that if he doesn't get this in place right now, that the plan's gonna be all messed up.

No, [00:48:00] every, all of creation falls under his order. And so if I wanna image Christ, I can say. I'm gonna follow along, like I'm submitting to his timing. That is not something I wake up with. Yeah. I'm not like waking up like, oh, I'm so not in a hurry. I'm like freaking out first thing in the morning, and I have to reset that mindset.

I have to reorient my thoughts. I have to realign myself with. The truth of God's word, which is why it is important to not just have positive affirmations going in your mind, but to make sure that those positive affirmations come out of the truth of what God's word says about who he is and who we are in Christ.

Jac: Yeah, I'm sure you've read The Ruthless Illumination of Hurry by John Mark Goer.

Ruth: Yeah, I've read some of it. Yeah. Not whole

Jac: thing. Such a great book. One thing that he said that has always stuck with me, he's like, never in the Bible does it say Jesus ran. Right. Like, Jesus always walked, like if someone was dying or someone was dead, Jesus walked.

Right. He was never in a rush. Um, and that, like, I never, I [00:49:00] never realized that Right. Until he, he kind of called that out. But, um, I'm sure this also has looked so different for you in different seasons of life, Ruth, but like. What is a daily rhythm that helps you maintain that sense of unharness and I'm sure raising six boys, you know, from home that definitely looked different in your thirties and forties, but Totally.

I know. Like what, what is the contrast, I guess, between then for, let's say the woman who's listening who like is in a similar situation as you were, you know, in your thirties versus someone now who. You know, your boys are grown up, um, so to speak, and you don't have as much, they don't need you as much.

Right.

Ruth: EI mean, even now, I would say year to year it changes because I value rhythms more than I even did 10 years ago. And in my twenties, I probably could operate without a lot of rhythms. I could just fly by the seat of my pants and hope that things turned out well. But the older I get, the more I'm like, oh, you are.

Kind of the sum of your rhythms, like your rhythms are building. And that's definitely an exploration that's going on in my life day by day. Um, might [00:50:00] even be in a project that you find a little bit further on in days to come. But I've been working on this very topic for a while. But the reality is that in my younger years, I probably could operate on less sleep.

I could probably, um, tuck in my Bible reading, um. First thing in the morning at 5 45, because I was really like, I'm gonna be on a certain pace. And then there was a season where I had to tuck it in in the afternoons because that's the only time I had like mental power for a minute. And then I'm now back to a more systematic rhythm.

So it can change seasons by season, but I think it's important to kind of recognize that rhythms. Aren't there to, um, trap you and to make you somehow legalistically, feel like you're doing the right thing. And now God's pleased with you. By the same token, you kind of can't say like, Hey, the Lord is pleased with me.

I don't, it doesn't matter what I do. Um, so if I never read my [00:51:00] Bible, I'll get by. Because honestly, you won't know his heart if you never approach God's word. Right. And so, um. In my younger years, in my twenties and thirties as a young mama sometimes, um, I would refer to the Susanna Wesley picture where she would flip the apron over her head for some alone time and signal to her kids, Hey, I need some time with the Lord.

And she couldn't get that. Yeah, so she would flip this apron over her head and her kids. The story goes that the kids would know that she's like having prayer time. Yes. Well, now I don't necessarily have to do that, but now I know, Hey, I've gotta get outside every day. I have to walk out, get outside and cast my gaze on something that has nothing to do with my own hustle and my strength and my, my getting things done.

So that means that I spend some time in nature every day. Right. And, um, I'm newly in a, um. Pretty extensive weight training regimen because I'm in that season of life where I'm not gonna have bone density if I don't work on this. Right? And so that's something I [00:52:00] didn't really think about. In my twenties.

I felt super strong. I was lifting my children all the time. I was lifting groceries. But now I'm in a different season where that's not gonna happen unless I put. Um, it into the rhythms of my day, right? So I would just say on a most basic level, for anyone in any season, whether you're in your twenties, thirties, forties, or fifties, like me, um, no matter what, you do have to consider the fact that you are being shaped and formed no matter what your daily rhythms and your daily choices are shaping you.

So be cognizant of what you're choosing because little things over time will. Will shape who you become.

Jac: Yeah.

Ruth: For better or for worse. And that means that it's worth it to read your Bible in little chunks, even if you don't understand it, because over time it will shape who you become. It's also worth it for you to limit little things that you think are harmless, because over time those things, [00:53:00] even if they seem a little harmless, will

Jac: yeah.

Ruth: Impact you over time.

Jac: So true. One thought that comes to mind, Ruth, is consistency over perfection. Right? Absolutely. Especially when it comes to Bible reading. I feel like so many people, like myself included, sit out in the beginning of the year to be like, I'm gonna read the entire Bible in one year.

Mm-hmm. And if I skip a reading one day, right? It's like, oh no. Like the whole plan is off. But like, that's not true. Right. Just pick it up again the next day. I absolutely, I think, you know, striving for perfection, I feel like in any area of life is really, it's not healthy and it often backfires. So I kind of have a new philosophy of just consistency.

Right. Which I'm sure you agree with

Ruth: for sure. Absolutely.

Jac: Ruth, well, we are wrapping up on time. This conversation flew by. We covered so many wonderful things. Um, I'm so thankful for you and your work and this incredible book and all the other ones you have written, but if you could tell our listeners right now.

What is one thing that you would like them to take away from this book?

Ruth: I think the main thing that I. Would [00:54:00] love every listener to experience in their lives is to recognize that if you step outside, look at God's care and creation that he's pointing all the time to the fact that he's at work. Whether you praise him for it or not, whether you trust him for it or not, whether you seek him or not, he is actually.

Keeping all things going, all things are in motion because of him. And that flower you see blooming right there in the side of the road or in the cracks of the sidewalk. That little wildflower is there because God designed it to be resilient. Free and purposeful, and that it's not in a hurry to have a moment.

It shows up right on time and in all those ways, when Jesus says, consider how the wildflowers grow, that you can consider that and recognize that that's the very way that he wants you to live as well, to trust him, trust his care, [00:55:00] and to let all the things that that you're afraid of be things that you trust him for and not try to fix on your own.

Jac: I love that you would appreciate this too, Ruth, as a plant enthusiast, but the symbol for well and strong is an olive tree or an olive branch rather. And I chose that because as I'm sure you know, they're the most resilient plants out there, but. Resilience is essentially what I built this platform onto, and it's something I try to instill in, in followers as well, whether it's resilience against, you know, health challenge or some other area of life that they're struggling with.

But I love, um, the relation with the flowers and the analogies that you've used in your book and your work and your artwork. It's also beautiful, but. With all of that. Ruth, where can listeners find you? Where can they get a copy of your book? I'll certainly include the links to all of this in the share notes, but I'd love if you could just share as well.

Ruth: Yeah, thank you. Um, you can learn more about me and where I'm speaking next and on my books@ruthjoesimons.com. That is [00:56:00] our U-T-H-C-H-O-U-S-I-M-O-N-S. And by the same name. That's my handle on Instagram where I encourage through little glimpses into my life and through my work. And, um, my art brand is Grace Lace.

So if you're an art lover or a botanicals lover, um, and you need those reminders to help you look to Jesus, that's what my work is all about. So, um, I'd love to connect in any of those places.

Jac: Awesome. Well, I'll include the links to all of those in the show notes. And my last question for you, and this is always my favorite one to ask, and that is, what does being well and strong mean to you?

Ruth: Ooh, that's so good. Uh, being well and strong means that I am not blown and tossed, um, by everything that comes my way, but that I can, I'm anchored in Christ.

Jac: I love that. That's beautiful. Well, I'm excited to hear about your upcoming project, Ruth. We'll have to have another part two to discuss it. But yeah, thank you again for your time today.

Um, this certainly encouraged me and I know it's gonna encourage a lot of listeners as well. [00:57:00]

Ruth: Thanks for having me.

Jac: I hope you enjoyed this episode. If you would like to support the show, please subscribe, leave a rating and review and share it with others. Be sure to visit well and strong.com to access notes from the show and to stay current with new content.

I'm so grateful you joined me. Be well and be strong.

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Jacqueline Genova

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