Mayra Ramirez sees God at work in even the simplest things—a broken arm.
Ramirez, a freshman accounting major from Belize, broke her arm in September from tripping on concrete.
“Back in Belize I’ve been so wild,” Ramirez said, recalling the times when she hiked mountains and even flew out of a vehicle once during an accident, all without breaking a bone.
Nonetheless, Ramirez finds purpose in the injury, saying it has reignited her commitment to God.
“Back in Belize, I had such a close relationship with God,” Ramirez said. In Belize, Ramirez followed the example of Daniel and set aside three times each day to pray that God would guide her heart and her words. She went on “dates” with God, spending an hour at the park or at the seashore in prayer. Every day she read several chapters of the Bible and went to church in the evenings. She also enjoyed writing poems, songs and letters to God before bed.
“Since I came here I forgot about my prayer routine; I forgot about all that,” said Ramirez, explaining that when she first arrived at John Brown University, she was so excited and busy that she didn’t make time for God anymore. “When I broke my hand, it was like I needed to slow down because I was going too fast,” she added.
Ramirez said the injury has caused her to realize that she can move at a slower pace and make time for God in the midst of a busy college schedule.
While Ramirez has seen miracles in her life and hoped for a miraculous recovery after a friend prayed for her
arm, she is not upset that God didn’t choose to heal her instantaneously.
“I thank God for that, because if he had given me a quick healing, I probably would not have learned,” Ramirez said.
She said she has become more faithful in praying and growing her relationship with God since the accident.
Ramirez’s broken arm has not only strengthened her own faith, but her patient response and overall character
has also encouraged those around her.
“How often do you see someone that quick and that ready to praise God for something that seems so bad?” said Liz Meyer, Ramirez’s resident assistant in Hutch. “That’s the kind of person she is.”
“I’ve gone with her to all her doctor appointments about her cast,” said Ron Johnson, director of the Walton
International Scholarship Program. “Every time she’s been such a cheerful person to be around.”
“She really is making a strong impact on the other Waltons by her life,” said Johnson.
Senior Maria Arguello is a fellow Walton scholar and counts Mayra as one of her best friends.
“She’s like a hidden surprise,” Arguello said. “You won’t notice much about her unless you take the time to sit with her and talk and get to know her, and then you learn a lot.”
Speaking of Mayra’s faith, Arguello said, “I think it’s one of the strongest relationships with God I have ever witnessed, honestly. She’s very very devoted, and I think that’s super refreshing to witness.”