From a Mother's Heartbreak
Patsy Ramsey's Trials, Tests & Triumphs
Editor’s Note: Shared with permission from the book, “Death of Innocence” by John & Patsy Ramsey (2000).
“One afternoon, I knew I was coming to the end of my rope. I had always thought that I was able to handle everything: my career, my checkbook, my daily schedule, my children, and my roles as daughter, mother, wife, volunteer, and friend. Now I knew that wasn’t true. Patsy Ramsey had no more places to turn. Everything was completely out of my control.
“At that moment, I remembered an idea, an admonition, I’d heard many, many times through the years. When I was a child in Sunday school, the teachers had talked about ‘complete surrender.’ The idea sounded wonderful and powerful, but I had never quite grasped how people reached the place in their lives where they truly turned everything over to God.
“Now, as I listened to the lawyers and saw John wrestle with decisions, I suddenly realized that there wasn’t one thing Patsy Ramsey could do to change any dimension of this problem. I didn’t have the ability to change the hardened minds of police officers. I couldn’t control what the media was saying about me. All I could do was be silent and hope the system worked. Yet even that had produced accusations of my being hard or aloof. The entire matter was out of my hands.
“Nothing was left for me to do but lay the entire matter of JonBenet’s death, the investigation, the attorneys and policemen, the media and the grand jury in the hands of Almighty God. Whatever he had in mind for John and me would be acceptable. As I prayed in a quiet and deeply personal way, I gave everything – all of it – over to him. I surrendered myself, John, and Burke [our son] once and for all to the Lord. The issue was now completely his, and the outcome would be his as well.”
Tune in next week for a third installment on the Ramsey life story: "Witness & Conviction: John Ramsey--A Father on Trial & Faith."
NOTE: On Wednesday, April 19, 2006 John & Patsy Ramsey will join Pastor Wayne Cordeiro on “Connecting Point Live” to share their hearts & their faith in God. Come be touched by this phenomenal story of courage & faith. They will also be our special guests at Easter Celebration.