Complete stranger:
Danger or God’s leading???
Danger or God’s leading???
When I was a child, my parents said we didn't need a dog.
Sometimes, however, if I got lucky, someone would drop a puppy off to fend for
itself, and it would wander to our neighborhood. I would quickly give the sweet little
innocent, flea infested puppy a bath, get an old used leash, and announce to my
family that I had found a stray, and couldn't we keep him???
That’s how I've lived my entire life. The first day of
school desegregation, I couldn't wait to invite my new friend that I had never
seen before to my house; that also
included boys I met at the beach, strangers that I met at the movies; God must
have really been watching out for me.
When I was getting my Master’s Degree, I had to take a class
in interpersonal relationships. We watched some scenarios where people were
sincere, and others were using people. I could never tell the difference, since
I always saw the good in people, and kept saying, “I see what you’re saying,
but couldn't you see that person was reaching out???”
Mark took a job transfer to the wonderful state of
California, and being adventurous, I was all for the move that we must make. I was eight months pregnant and with a
three year old; but felt sure God would deliver this second baby wherever we
moved. (I was wrong about that..but that’s a different blog!)
When Lauren was just a few months old, I took both the girls
to the one and only grocery store in the new area (so new that we still had no
phone service). I am always people watching, and noticed a young mother
shopping with her infant also. She asked me if I knew where she could find the
ice cream, and I told her. She had a quiet smile, a small voice, and she seemed
needy-I remembered thinking. As I thought about it, I thought that she should
have known she would find that in frozen food, but, whatever.
About two aisles later, there she was again, with a second
question and some small talk about babies. We ended up standing in the frozen
food aisle for a long time, just making small talk. We properly introduced
ourselves, where we lived, churches attended, ages of children, and who knows
what else. She indicated that she had just moved (hadn't we all in this
new area), and was lonely. Of course you know what I did. I invited her to my house
that afternoon!!!!! I didn't know her from Adam (or Eve), but I did. I remember thinking as I unloaded my groceries
that I may not have been very smart in doing so, but hadn't I felt I was
supposed to do that, reach out. I felt that God was nudging…or was that me just
bringing home strays again, seeing only the good??
Beth and her newborn came over, and the afternoon went
wonderfully. I can pretty much talk to the wall, so that was easy. Jess was
little mama babysitting our two little infants. I invited her family to dinner
on Friday night, and so a friendship began.
About a month after befriending Beth, we were at her home
for a play date when she told me she had a confession to make. After we got comfy, Beth related that her
life had been really sad lately, she had fallen in to a depression pit that she
could not get out, and had decided to take her life…
THAT was the day she loaded up her infant child and came to
the grocery store! …I cry again, just
thinking about her, and how God led me to act upon my intuition that day…
And as
I tell my girls all the time, Look for God’s gifts around you.
1 comment:
I also love these posts from your sweet momma!
I am still so grateful that your dad took a transfer to California. The impact and friendship with her has been such a treasure and I am so grateful that God brought us together. While I didn't meet her in a grocery store, the day our friendship started at church will always be one of the greatest highlights in my life! No matter how much time passed without contact, we picked up right where we left off, as if no time had passed. I love you dearly, Karen! (and your precious family) <3
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