Faith Conversations with Host Sarah Rose and Guest Becky Rybak

Sometimes faith looks like taking a giant step forward.

Sometimes it looks like simply opening your eyes in the morning, thanking God for another day, and choosing to keep going.

That is the kind of faith Becky Rybak lives.

Becky joined me for a Faith Conversation to share a powerful testimony of courage, family, perseverance, and an unwavering trust in Jesus. Diagnosed with ALS in 2016 and originally given two to five years to live, Becky has now spent nearly a decade choosing faith in circumstances that could have easily caused her to give up.

Today, ALS has taken away Becky's ability to speak and has changed nearly every aspect of her physical life. Yet during our conversation, Becky communicated with me through a computer she controls with her eyes.

Her body may have changed.

Her circumstances may have changed.

But Becky wants people to understand something important:

She is still here.

And so is God.

A Foundation of Faith

Faith has always been an important part of Becky's life.

She was baptized and raised Catholic, and she remembers how seriously her parents took their family's faith. Becky and her sister were gymnasts, and when the family traveled for gymnastics meets, her parents would search the hotel phone book to find local Mass times.

Today, Becky and her husband, Mike, are passing that foundation of faith on to their two sons.

Then, in 2016, everything changed.

Becky was diagnosed with ALS

Doctors gave her an expected two to five years and offered little hope for changing the progression of the disease.

But Becky made an important distinction early in her journey: She did not blame God.

She believes God is loving, kind, and compassionate. Rather than believing God caused her suffering, Becky has held tightly to the belief that He loves her and her family through it.

She told me:

“I have wanted to show my boys from the beginning to always trust in the Lord.”

That may be one of the greatest legacies a mother can give her children.

Not a life without difficulty.

Not a life where every prayer is answered exactly as expected.

But a life demonstrating what it means to trust God when circumstances don't make sense.

Bitter or Better

Becky shared a quote that has helped guide her over the past ten years: “You either get bitter or you can get better.”

Life gives us circumstances we never would have chosen.

We don't always control what happens to us.

But Becky believes we still have a choice in how we respond. ALS has taken much from her. Becky openly acknowledges the pain of feeling robbed of experiences with her husband and children. She doesn't pretend the disease isn't difficult.

Yet she has made the intentional choice not to allow those circumstances to determine the love, joy, and kindness she gives others. That doesn't mean every day is easy.

Becky said something during our conversation that I believe many people need to hear:

“Do your best daily. 

Keep moving, but it's okay not to be okay. 

Just keep breathing one day at a time.”

Faith doesn't mean pretending something doesn't hurt.

Sometimes faith means crying while still believing.

Sometimes faith means asking God for strength because you don't have enough of your own.

And sometimes faith simply means taking another breath and saying: Jesus, help me keep going.

“Keep Going”

As ALS progressed, Becky lost her ability to eat, talk, and swallow.

Those losses brought dark days and tears.

She has also lost friends to ALS.

Yet when Becky asks God for strength and help, there is a message she continues to hear: Keep going.

Those two words stayed with me throughout our conversation.

Keep going.

When you don't understand—keep going.

When life doesn't look the way you thought it would—keep going.

When you're tired—keep going.

When you have to ask someone else for help—keep going.

When your prayers haven't been answered the way you hoped—keep going.

Becky is doing exactly that.

And her perseverance is creating what she calls a “ripple effect.” When one person refuses to give up, someone else sees it.

Someone watching Becky may think: If Becky can keep believing, maybe I can keep believing. If Becky can choose joy today, maybe I can find something to be grateful for today. If Becky can keep going, maybe I can take one more step. 

Our testimonies aren't only about us. 

There are people attached to our purpose. Someone may need to hear what God brought you through so they can believe He can carry them through what they're facing.

“I Am Still in Here”

One of the most powerful parts of Becky's story is her desire for people to understand that although ALS has changed what they see on the outside, it hasn't changed who she is. “I am still in here.” 

The woman who loves Jesus is still there. 

The wife is still there. 

The mother is still there.

The friend is still there.

The woman with a sense of humor is still there.

The joyful, bubbly, people-loving Becky is still there.

The courageous woman God created is still there.

Technology allows Becky to communicate differently today, but her heart, personality, faith, and love remain.

As Becky beautifully explained: “Although it looks different, God remains the constant, the same loving God.” 

Our circumstances change.

Our bodies change.

Our relationships can change.

Our careers can change.

Our plans can change.

But God remains constant.

Another Day to Live for God

I asked Becky about her daily prayer.

Her answer was simple and powerful: “My first prayer in the morning is, thank God for another day to make it great for You.”

Think about that.

Before focusing on what has been taken away, Becky begins by thanking God for what she has been given: Another day.

Another opportunity to love her husband.

Another opportunity to love her boys.

Another opportunity to encourage someone.

Another opportunity to demonstrate faith.

Another opportunity to point someone toward Jesus.

What would change in our lives if we began each morning the same way?

Thank You, God, for another day. Help me make it great for You.

What Does Becky Want to Be Remembered For?

I asked Becky what she hopes people remember about her.

Her answer captures her beautifully: Her love for Christ. Her sense of humor through everything. The fact that she enjoyed life for all her days and loved her family and friends the best she could.

Later, I asked what she was most proud of.

Her answer was only two words: “My courage.”

And courage is exactly what I see in Becky.

Courage isn't the absence of hard days. 

Courage isn't pretending you aren't afraid.

Courage isn't having every answer.

Sometimes courage is waking up tomorrow and doing it again.

Sometimes courage is trusting Jesus through tears.

Sometimes courage is allowing someone else to help you.

Sometimes courage is choosing joy when bitterness would be easier.

And sometimes courage is using your eyes to type out your testimony because you still have something to tell the world about Jesus.

Don't Give Up on God

Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Becky what else she wanted people to know.

Her message was simple: “Just don't give up on God. He is kind, loving, and merciful to all of us.”

Becky doesn't say those words from a life untouched by suffering.

She says them from inside the struggle.

That's what makes them so powerful. She has experienced tremendous loss.

She has cried.

She has questioned.

She has needed strength.

Yet she still chooses Jesus.

She still believes God is good.

She still believes God loves her.

She still believes there is purpose in her life.

And she still has dreams.

Becky wants to see her boys graduate from high school.

And she would love to travel to Ireland, especially because of her family's Irish heritage.

So we pray.

We hope.

We believe.

And we keep going.

The Heroes Beside Her

Becky is also quick to remind people that her story isn't hers alone.

ALS, she said, takes a village.

Her husband, family, friends, caregivers, medical team, and others have walked this journey beside her.

When I asked if she wanted to say anything to them, Becky said: “Thanks for everything. And really, they are the true heroes.”

She especially expressed gratitude for her husband, Mike, who has remained beside her throughout the progression of the disease. “Thank you, God, for a spectacular man.”

What a beautiful picture of love.

Sometimes we look for God in miracles, but we can also see Him in the people who stay. In the caregiver who shows up again tomorrow.

In the spouse who remains faithful. 

In the family member who helps. 

In the friend who continues visiting. 

In the person who sits beside us when there is nothing they can do to fix the situation. 

God's love can become visible through the hands and feet of the people He places around us.

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

At one point Becky said: “It's not easy, this life. Keep our eyes on the end prize.”

For Becky, that prize is ultimately Heaven and eternity with God.

Her circumstances aren't the end of her story.

ALS isn't the end of her story.

This earthly life isn't the end of her story.

Jesus is

And perhaps that is the message Becky leaves with all of us.

Whatever you're facing today, don't give up.

You don't have to have tomorrow figured out.

You don't have to pretend today isn't difficult.

You don't have to be strong every moment.

Ask for help.

Let people love you.

Turn toward God.

Take another breath.

Take another step.

And keep going.

Because your story isn't finished.

Your circumstances may change, but God doesn't.

And somewhere, someone may be watching your faith and finding the courage to keep going too.

A Prayer for Becky and Others Facing ALS

Jesus, we lift Becky, her family, and every individual and family affected by ALS and other serious illnesses to You.

Give them strength on difficult days, comfort them in moments of fear, and surround them with people who will love, encourage, and care for them.

We pray for caregivers who faithfully serve and sacrifice. Strengthen them when they are tired and remind them that their love matters.

We pray for healing, breakthroughs, treatments, and cures. We pray for Becky's dreams—to watch her boys graduate and to experience Ireland with the people she loves.

Above all, remind every person walking through a difficult season that You have not abandoned them. Be their constant companion, their hope, their strength, and their light.

Help us all have the courage to keep going.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Faith Conversations with Sarah Rose shares the stories of ordinary people walking with an extraordinary God. These conversations are about planting seeds of faith, sharing testimony, and reminding one another that no matter what we face, Jesus remains faithful.

Keep going. Your testimony may become the encouragement someone else needs today.