Tag: faith-stories

As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. – 1 John 2:24

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23

Advent is an invitation for each of us to begin again. What will we be starting again? On what do we need to have a re-do ? We begin our Christian year with Advent, which symbolizes the expectant waiting of the nativity of Christ at Christmas and also the return of Christ at the second coming of Christ. We are celebrating love, hope, joy, and peace.

Most of us have had a tremendous number of new beginnings. When we are born we are mostly helpless beings who depend on the goodness of our parents to feed and clothe and take care of our needs. We had a new beginning when we no longer got Mother’s milk but started eating solid food. Another new beginning in our world was when we started being able to move around and explore our surroundings. After a while our world got bigger when we started walking and running. There was a new beginning when we had to go to daycare or to school. For some this was a traumatic beginning and for others it was a delightful exercise in being independent.

As adults we had the beginning of a new marriage and having to live with someone who was not like our previous family members. We had to learn to combine traditions for holidays and find our new traditions. Do we celebrate Christmas on Dec. 24 or Dec. 25 or is it that the only time we can really have a Christmas celebration is on Thanksgiving Day when everyone can come? We had to learn that our own parents were not going to bail us out anymore when we used up all of our money. We had to make our money last and learn not to spend what we did not have. If we had not done so previously, we had to have the new beginning of being an adult. Adulting is hard!!

Then another new beginning was when we found that sleep was indeed a precious commodity when we had that baby who did not know daylight from dark and had to be taken care of 24 hours a day. While the baby was having new beginnings, we were learning that things had to be planned, and baby sitters were not available on a moment’s notice. No more last-minute trips to the movies or the beach.

As the years passed we had new beginnings when that baby started to school, graduated from school, and went away to join the military or go to college for more new beginnings. By now some of us were beginning to think about retiring from a lifetime of working outside the home. What am I going to do all day long? I have always worked. 

Then comes the beginning of becoming a caregiver for an aging parent or a child who has returned home with disabilities. I do not know how to take care of anyone. I am not trained for any of this. How can I begin again?

By now we might think that there can be no new beginnings because we have experienced them all. Then comes the new beginning of looking forward to seeing your mate again in heaven. This beginning can be a truly awful experience or it can be so joyful because your mate is with God and is no longer in pain.

How many beginnings have we had in our lives? In reality each new day is a beginning. We can put away our past and know that our sins are forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. God is the King of second chances and new beginnings if we accept that gift that was given so long ago. There is no limit to new beginnings and as long as we live with the faith that we have heard from the beginning and know that each new day is a gift of a new beginning, we will have many new adventures with the Lord who made each day new. Great is HIS Faithfulness.

Morning by morning new mercies I see.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endures.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
As He has been, He forever wilt be.

Excerpts from Great is Thy Faithfulness
Hymn by Thomas O. Chisolm

Lord help me to look at each new beginning with hope, and give me peace in each new adventure with you. AMEN

Daphne G. Grady

In the summer of 2020, when my mother was sick, I prayed every day for God to heal her. I prayed, my family prayed, and people from church prayed but in the end, she still passed away. After her death, I found myself wondering if part of it was my fault. I remembered the verses in the Bible of Jesus performing miracles and healing the sick or bringing the dead back to life, and all they needed to do was to have faith. So I blamed myself for not having enough faith. I blamed myself for thinking “What if she dies?” “What if she never recovers?” I blamed myself for letting those thoughts slip in, and by doing that, ruining her healing. But the thing is, I really believed she was going to get better. So then I asked myself “What’s the point of having faith if in the end she still died?” “What is faith? Why does it matter?” and “If we are never guaranteed an outcome, what is the point of believing so strongly and letting ourselves be so vulnerable?” 

So what is faith? Is faith even real? We usually use our senses as proof that something is real. We believe something exists because we can see, smell, hear, taste, or touch it. But faith is not something evident to our senses – not always, anyway. There are accounts of more tangible encounters with the Holy Spirit in scripture and in testimonies of people’s personal experiences. The Pentecost story is such a scripture. John Wesley’s “strange warming” of his heart during a worship revival is an example of personal testimony to the ways in which humans can, at times, experience God in a more physical way. For most of us, though, faith is something to practice without seeing, hearing, tasting, or touching.

Because of that, faith can sometimes feel senseless and unreasonable. Having faith feels like believing in a fairytale that promises everything will work out exactly how we want it to. However, life is not perfect, we experience hardships, and things don’t always end up how we plan. This does not discredit faith. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The chapter goes on to name different ways our ancestors had faith. From Noah and the ark to Abraham offering Isaac up as a sacrifice, these people believed in God even when it was tough. They left their homes and families, gave up their worldly possessions, and allowed themselves to be ridiculed by others all because they had an “assurance of things hoped for.” They had faith in the future and believed good things would come.

I know we have all been told this, but I am saying it again: God has a plan for our lives. And all those people believed in his plan. Later in Hebrews 11 it says “They all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.” These people all understood that God’s plan is much bigger than us. They knew his love for us does not stop at the bounds of our time on Earth, but instead extends to all eternity. Because of this, even in their suffering, all these people in the Bible continued to put their faith in God. They let themselves be vulnerable in faith because they knew he is all-knowing and wants what is best for us. Christ calls us to follow in their steps and walk with him.

However, faith is not an easy thing to have. It is extremely difficult to put our trust in God, especially when it feels like nothing is going right in our lives. But with constant connection and devotion to God, trusting in him becomes an easier thing to do. When we build a relationship with God, he becomes someone we can trust. He becomes the first entity we can turn to when things get hard. Sometimes it might be difficult to try to build a relationship with God. It might feel like our prayers are falling on deaf ears and there is no use in going to church. It may be easy for us to get wrapped up in our lives and forget that God is in charge. Because of this, God shows himself to us in many ways. Sometimes, we can experience God through our friends, family, and others in our lives. Whenever someone is still able to smile even in tough times. We see Him in the promise of a rainbow after a storm. And even in the simple moments in life when it feels like everything is just right. Those moments are when the Holy Spirit is moving. Not only that, God gives us people to keep us on track in our faith with Him. Those people could be our friends, family members, or mentors. You might have some of those in your life already. These people are part of our faith community and can help us grow in our faith.

Having a faith community to support us is important. That is evident by the Pentecost scripture. Acts chapter 2, verse 44 tells us that the people the disciples were able to minister to through Pentecost “lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.” Belonging to a faith community allows us to strengthen our faith together. When we get with other believers, we can share our stories of God’s work in our lives. With those, we can teach and motivate one another. 

While we can support one another through our faith communities, faith is not something that is passed from a parent, a pastor, or a friend. It is not inherited or gifted. Faith should be evidence of a person’s unique, personal relationship with God. It should be cultivated from personal hours spent reading our Bibles, and one-on-one conversations with God through prayer. Like Noah and Isaac, and others long dead, we each need to let ourselves be vulnerable in God’s hands. We will all have our personal trials and tribulations. Times in our lives where it’s a struggle to keep going. And while the people around us can help us get through those times, it is the personal relationship we have built with God that will ultimately carry us through.

So, when my mother died was there something wrong with my faith? Did I not have enough faith? Was I not open and vulnerable enough? I don’t think so. I think, like all humans, I am limited in my view of the world. Time exists mostly in the present and there is no way for me to determine my future. But God is all-seeing and all-knowing and he has good plans for our lives. I realize now that even after my mother’s death, I was still able to have faith.

Romans 8:28 tells us that “All things work together to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” I took that message to heart, and I had faith that life would be okay. Even now, I continue to have faith that life will be okay. Instead of dwelling on the loss, my family and I decided to turn our eyes to the positive side of things. Our mother was now in heaven! While it is true that she never got some of the achievements and celebrations she wanted here on earth, she got the one thing she spent her whole life fighting for. She got to join her Creator in heaven and that is a bigger gift than anything anyone here could have given her. 

God has good plans for our lives and, believe it or not, He didn’t create us for suffering. Jeremiah 29:11 even tells us: “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Trusting in God may seem hard but if you make sure to build a constant and consistent relationship with him, relying on Him becomes easier and easier. The more we practice our faith, the more natural it comes. One of the best ways to practice our faith is through prayer – just as the apostles engaged in spirit-filled prayer on the first Pentecost. Because of this, I’d like to close my message today with a time of prayer…

Listen to me when I complain, God! Protect my life from the enemy’s terror! (Psalm 64:1 – CEB)

My participation in church stretches back as far as my memory. The house where I grew up is on the same block as the small UMC in which I was raised. My parents modeled church leadership for me. It was a reality for the church to survive. Someone had to do the work so they did it. 

My dad’s parents were also key players in church leadership. My grandpa was the church council chair when the mortgage document was burned, and my grandma faithfully served as the board’s recording secretary and newsletter writer for decades as well as leading the adult Sunday school class.

Our tiny church was part of a two-point charge, and it remains so today. Our pastors lived in the parsonage at the bigger church. I remember weekly trips to get the bulletin done. I don’t know if my dad or mom was responsible for typing or copying or some combination. But I know every Saturday we’d have to drive to the pastor’s house and get something, come back to the church and make the copies.

The next town over was certainly bigger than ours, and it had a Dairy X, like a cafe and ice cream shop. If I reach back into my memory, I can still taste the soft serve swirled into a Styrofoam cup and hear the clink of the pool table balls on the Saturdays we got to stop there as a treat for accompanying Daddy on the errand.

As my grandparents aged, my parents took over as the board chair and recording secretary. For years my mom wrote the “Grace Notes” newsletter and brought it into the 21st century with an emailed version in addition to the print outs available during worship each Sunday. A small church requires everyone’s participation, and my parents’ roles were in leadership. They also were lay servants and leaders, occasionally preaching and always teaching.

I’ve been a member of several United Methodist Churches since I left my hometown, volunteering my communications skills in several, but I’ve never been as connected as I am at St. John’s. Part of that is longevity — other than my hometown church this is the congregation in which I’ve spent the most time. But of course St. John’s has become more than that. You are my family, helping us raise our daughters.

I want to be an instrument of God’s work, and I learned that desire and how to do that from my parents and grandparents. Using my talents at St. John’s evolved over the years. I started by inserting myself into website re-launching discussions with Pastor Juan. It was slow going with the web firm they had hired, but I had the skills to project manage (and light code) to get the finished site online. I’ve helped with two more complete redesigns of the website since, and think of myself as a “web servant.”

Pastor Juan also asked for my help doing sermon videos. I didn’t realize that his asking me to simply “push a button” would lead me to the work I’m doing now, editing worship videos during a pandemic when we can’t all worship together in person. As I work, I try to let worship flow through me — through my keyboard as I type the captions, through my mind as I ponder transitions and the best crops, through my heart as I sing again and again the songs of praise to get the lyrics aligned on screen. If I look at it like that, what a gift that I am able to be part of this work enabling others to experience the risen Savior from their homes.

In this weird, upside down time of COVID-19, my skills and availability as a part-time work-from-home mom with a supportive partner and co-parent have aligned with a church need for worship at home. Sometimes it feels like I was made for a time such as this.

Watch this space for news about when livestreaming will begin, hopefully in a few weeks.

Loving God, thank you for those role models and teachers who lead us to you in service and love. Make us more like Jesus in all that we do. Amen.

Mari Walker

A Letter to Our Children

Natalie Cooper serves as lead teacher for the Joyful Transformers Sunday school class (our 3rd through 5th graders), Children’s Sunday School Superintendent, and as Children’s Ministry Coordinator on Church Council. Each week she writes to the Joyful Transformers class, and here is an excerpt from her most recent letter, sent last week:

Last Sunday, we talked about Psalm 23. It is a wonderful Psalm written by David — it is only 6 verses, but it is so full of wonderful imagery and meaning — imagery, meaning the visual images that come to mind when you picture in your head what you are reading, and meaning, meaning the message and understanding of the text. 

Psalm 23 begins with the words “The Lord is my Shepherd,” so we watched a video on shepherding so that we can better understand what it means to be a shepherd; in that way, we can better understand our Loving God. I can tell you this — I learned that being a shepherd is very hard work! And we learned that a shepherd does the hard work of loving and caring for his flock always, simply because he loves his sheep so very much. We also watched a video story that is someone’s interpretation of what Psalm 23 means to them. It was a poetic story video with paper dolls, imagining what it must be like to be a sheep.  Another video included the voices of children reading Psalm 23 and sharing their interpretation of the text, interpretation meaning how these children understand these words written by David so long ago. So here’s the challenge I have for you: I challenge you to try, each and every morning before you even get out of bed, while your mind is still quiet, to softly read Psalm 23 aloud. Imagine it as you read it. Before we even start our day we should know that God is our great Shepherd, always loving us, protecting us, guiding us, encouraging us, walking with us, on happy days, and even in scary or unfamiliar moments. And we can trust that there is no joy, no pain, no emotion that we can feel that Jesus Himself has not felt. Jesus gets us. He understands us. He hears our gladness, our anger, our frustration, and wants to bring us to a place of comfort and peace with him always. He loves us fully forever and ever and ever. What a good, good Shepherd He is indeed! Thank you, God, that I am one of your sheep! 

If you forget to read Psalm 23 in the morning, you can still do it whenever you remember. Try to imagine being a sheep in the flock, lying in green pastures; beside cool waters… let the words take your mind on a picture journey. Then you will come to know again and again the perfect, sustaining love of Our Good Shepherd. If you practice this enough, one day you will be able to recite Psalm 23 from your heart. More importantly, you will live each day knowing your belovedness.

Dearest children, I pray that each of you are well and blessed. I pray for peace in your life. I pray that you never forget the perfect love of Our Heavenly Father evident by the sacrifice of Jesus, and that the Holy Spirit will surround you and embrace you. I love you more than there are stars in the sky. I love you more than there are living things in the oceans. I love you as God has made me to love you and call you my dear ones. You, YOU, my darling, are so special to me.

Natalie Cooper

Faith Stories: Spiritual PPE

I do not think anyone would disagree that the times we are living in right now are scary, frustrating, uncertain and, for many, very lonely.
Lonely is where I find myself and I know that I am not the only one who feels this way. In this writing, I pray this confession will remind me, and perhaps you as well, to continually rely on the Holy Spirit, who is our Advocate. I need this reminder during my struggle to keep a positive attitude, in my difficulty staying productive in whatever that may look like, finding a new or different purpose, connecting with others, trusting the solitude, and in times of dealing with the overwhelming quiet.

The battle that rages in me is very real. I began to realize that my attempts to overcome all these things could not be done through my strength alone. I found it was a losing battle. I have come to realize that my losses are in some ways self-inflicted due to my lack of preparedness, poor strategy, and a failure to rely on my personal protective equipment (PPE).

Here is my confession: I would be better prepared if I were to continually rely on the fact that I am never alone and never forsaken. Scripture is filled with so many passages that speak to this topic.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” Isaiah 41:10

A ton of bricks hit me when I realized I had absolutely no strategy for how to confront this new world of COVID-19. How was I to deal with the continual frustrations of staying at home, social distancing, the daily escalating death toll, and a pandemic that has become political? I was faced with not knowing if the end to all of this would ever come, and the BIG question of if my supply of toilet paper would last? Then I realized the strategy I needed was so simple I had simply been overlooking it. My head was full of ‘what ifs’, ‘now what’ and ‘the sky is falling’ that I had allowed these continual, negative thoughts to replace my active prayer time. Prayer is a simple act but it is also so very powerful. In prayer, my fear and anxiety are replaced with a sense of God’s peace and comfort. My strategy must be prayer that is both intentional and frequent.

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

While I have been wearing a mask when grocery shopping, I had failed to utilize my spiritual Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Besides my mask, I have the full armor of God available to me – I just need to remember to put it on daily.

“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and his powerful strength. Put on God’s armor so that you can make a stand against the tricks of the devil. We aren’t fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens. Therefore, pick up the full armor of God so that you can stand your ground on the evil day and after you have done everything possible to still stand. So stand with the belt of truth around your waist, justice as your breastplate, and put shoes on your feet so that you are ready to spread the good news of peace. Above all, carry the shield of faith so that you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. Offer prayers and petitions in the Spirit all the time. Stay alert by hanging in there and praying for all believers.” Ephesians 6:10-18.

I miss my St. John’s family so very much and I have come to realize (even more) how important you truly are to me. Until we can be together — really together — stay safe. I hold you in my prayers.

Shalom,    
Susan Johnston

Faith Stories: Red-eared sliders

How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond 
number – living things both large and small.
Psalm 104: 24-25

The red-eared slider turtles congregate on the mud bank, sunbathing in tranquil communion. From a distance, they could easily be mistaken for a group of World War I army helmets abandoned in the dirt. As I surreptitiously approach, hoping not to disturb the touchingly peaceful scene, their sensitive ears detect my slow steps rustling through the wildflower-filled grass, and in a sudden burst of energy, they all cascade into the safety of the murky canal.

On a recent day, rife with particularly disturbing news of our community’s struggle with the pandemic, I decided to visit “my” turtles. In that special place, I often experience a quick chuckle, a lifting of the spirit, and a renewal of gratitude for all of God’s creation. I carefully approached, breathing in the fresh breeze as I focused my eyes on the pod of ‘helmets’ on the bank. As expected, almost as a unit, the turtles slid down the bank into the water. Except one.

As I drew closer, the sole turtle held his ground, lifting his face toward the sun and allowing me to sit across the water from him to share several minutes of sacred quiet. In those moments I too wanted to lift my face to the light, to feel the peace and presence of Christ. I wanted to be like that turtle – to seek the light in spite of perceived danger.

This brief but precious encounter brought amazing reassurance and reminded me that we can feel God’s presence in any moment if we simply hold ourselves attentive and stand steadfast in our faith.

Prayer: Awesome God, how you bless us with your grace and love! Guide us as we navigate these difficult times and help us to be ever aware of your loving and caring presence. Amen.

Betty Schroeder

Faith Stories: Who Is The God You Know?

Recently, I have intentionally contemplated this question: Who is the God I know? As I pondered the revelations that came to mind, the ending song lyrics from the 1976 Paul McCartney and Wings song called “Silly Love Songs” repeats in my mind: How can I tell you about my loved one? How can I tell you about my loved one?

Just the thought of it takes my breath away. Are there enough words?  Do they carry such depth of meaning and greatness of truth to even begin to convey the big and wonderful ways I know our loving God?

Perhaps you might find the God you know in my reflections. Or maybe these reflections will prompt you to know God in new or forgotten ways.

The God I know is:

• my perfect, heavenly Father who will lovingly, eagerly pursue me all the days of my life, longing to be with me, his creation, and me with him
• my guide; my enlightenment and peace found in persecution, as I travel dark valleys or steep mountains; I know him as my assurance and am so grateful for the presence of Him when the path before me is unclear
• my power when I am weak; my self-discipline when I am ill-controlled; my focus when I am distracted
• the One that I see every day in those who love him, those who walk upon this earth in His service as his hands and feet to the broken world
• in the one with whom I worship and pray in this, His church, and delight in among the church universal
• the tie that binds me to you and you to me, my brothers and sisters in Christ  
• the One that feeds my family through the blessing of the Shepherd’s Market
• the One that sends the wisdom of his Holy Spirit, whether in teaching or in learning
• the provider, as in the mother by marriage that offers a home and a bed
• the loving, patient Father when I flee to those things that are outside of Him, as he waits the return of the prodigal, to embrace and forgive
• the voice of reason when I want to cry out
• the One that empowers me into servanthood 
• my courage in vulnerable moments
• the One who knows me thoroughly – knows my sins, my brokenness, my weaknesses – and loves me fully in spite of it all 
• the One who will never turn his back on me, never forsake me, even as the world brings rejection and heartbreak
• the One who says lift your head and know the good and perfect purpose I have planned for you
• the hope of a future with Him, healed, even as the world brings dis-ease and illness
• compels me to seek Him in prayer, to be willing to let this cup pass, should my longings of this life not align with His desire for me
• trustworthy and sure – never failing to hold me to account in my errors, to call me to correction, for my benefit and His glory
• the One who anticipates my heavenly reunion with him, having prepared a place for me not only in life everlasting, but in this, His kingdom on earth
• in the seeing, the hearing, the speaking, the living, the serving, the action…so that others will know Him, too

So, who is the God you know? How can you tell me about your loved one? I pray you have been experiencing and discovering God in new ways during this time apart, but together in spirit.

Natalie Cooper

Faith Stories: A Meditation on the Times

Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God
as long as I live.        
Psalm 146:1-2

We stand in a moment of history unprecedented.  We live in a time of dramatic uncertainty.  We are denied our customary busy-ness.  We know not when the frenetic normalcy of our daily life will resume.

For me, waking up to this new reality each day, contemplating the tsunami of illness and death that has overtaken our planet, I find that my awareness of the gifts of this life has been profoundly awakened.  How precious are our family members, our dear friends, our compassionate faith community!  How welcomed are the smiles of neighbors and the calls of friends across the country just checking in.  What gratitude and awe we hold for our medical workers and first responders and all those who stay on the job to make it possible for the rest of us to survive.

I find that now, more than ever, nature has befriended me in ways that bring me solace and comfort and hope.  I allow myself to lean fully into the little things of God’s creation that surround me and feel myself literally soaked with gratitude and praise for our wonderful maker.  The bright springtime sun helped me spot a tiny hummingbird’s nest in a river birch tree along the driveway.  A miraculous gift!  So many other little gifts:

            -the chattering of the fish crows in the treetops, a conversation in which I sometimes  feel invited to participate

            -the armies of frogs battling with their comical voices for preeminence in the dusk

            -the rattling call of a ‘Big Cranky’ otherwise known as a Great Blue Heron as he awkwardly lands on the pond

            -the twinkling stars, the beautiful moon, the wonderful constellations in the clear night sky

            -the muffled silence of a foggy dawn

            -squirrels and birds, unaware of the challenges of mankind, procuring all manner of sticks, leaves, moss and spider webs to happily build their nests of spring

            -the unexpected refreshing breeze softening the heat of a Louisiana afternoon

            -the sweet stillness of morning when prayers for healing and comfort seem to rise to heaven like feathers on a breeze

Now is a time to be still.  A time to be still and know.  A time for gratitude.

Blessings to all.

                                                                                                Betty Schroeder

Faith Stories: A Chance Encounter

A few weeks ago, I found myself on the opposite end of town in need of a few groceries, so I stopped in a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market since it was close by. When I walked in, I stood near the front of the store trying to orient myself to the unfamiliar layout, and as I did, I noticed an older man shuffling toward me, pushing a basket.

“Howyadoin?” I muttered without making eye contact, really not expecting a reply or wishing to engage.

“I’ve lost my wife,” he responded vacantly.

I raised myself on tiptoes to see if I could spot an elderly woman wandering through Wal-Mart, looking for her mate.

“She died last Friday,” the man continued.

With those words, my heart seared with pain, and the dams behind my eyes broke as I burst into tears under the pressure of my own present grief.

“I’m so sorry,” I said as I wiped my eyes, a bit embarrassed by my outburst. “I lost my dad this year.”

“My wife had hair cut like yours,” he went on, and then fished in his pocket for a wallet-sized photo of her.

“She’s lovely,” I said, and meant it.

We stood there for a moment, not knowing what else to say, and then I did something I’ve never done before. I leaned forward and asked, “May I give you a hug?”

The man nodded, and I leaned over and awkwardly, stiffly put my arms around him, held on for a moment, and then let go to shuffle out the store as I resumed my shopping errands.

I wish I could write about the great revelation I received while giving that hug, but unfortunately, there has not been one. I’ve been in that same Wal-Mart two or three times since, but I haven’t seen the gentleman again. I still don’t know if the meeting was an odd coincidence or a divine appointment; I don’t know if there was a great lesson to be learned that day, for so far, God has been silent. All I know is, for a few moments, my grief and his met one another as we shared a hug, and I walked away feeling what Wesley might have described as “strangely warmed.”

Heather Johnston Durham

A few years ago, I wrote a Faith Story called Reflections on a Life where I talked about the cliché “a smile goes a long way” and how a smile can bring joy even when we don’t realize it. I also mentioned the importance of telling someone when there is something you like about them, no matter how small or unimportant it may seem. I can’t say I practice this all the time, but a recent experience when I did this with a complete stranger reminded me to do it more often.

There I was, sitting in the Social Security Office waiting on my name to be called. Waiting and waiting! When you’ve waited long enough for your cell phone battery to say it’s time to shut off Words with Friends, the only thing to do is people watch. I was near the front door with a good view of everyone walking in. A “young-to-me” woman comes in by herself, rolling herself in on a wheelchair. Right away I noticed her smile! It struck me as so pleasant. Here is this woman, in a wheelchair, coming in to the Social Security Office to wait her turn. What could there be to smile about? But there it was. Striking! Beautiful! Noticeable! She checked in to get her number and then rolled around to my row. Since I was sitting on the end of the row, with ample room for a wheelchair next to me, she asked if she could sit next to me. I said, “Of course!” I told her how beautiful her smile was, and how I noticed it immediately when she came in. She thanked me and we chatted a few minutes about the process of waiting and being served at that office. 

Fortunately for her, her number was called and I wished her luck getting in and out quickly. After a short while, her business was concluded and she wheeled back over to me before leaving. She came to thank me for the smile compliment and told me I’d made her day. We hugged. It was a beautiful moment that touched me as much or more than her I am sure. I was about two hours into an eventual four hour wait. That moment provided joy that made the wait so much more bearable. And it provided more moments in the days to come as I remembered Bryan and the lesson of his smile, and as I pondered about connections. In fact, the phrase that kept coming to me was “divinely connected.” We are all divinely connected. This woman I encountered and connected with so beautifully looked different from me, lived under totally different circumstances physically, and who knows how many other differences. But a SMILE is all it took to connect us at a basic human level. And divine connection reaches all the way to heaven. I felt a connection to Bryan through the smile encounter that day too. God is good! He gives us chances to remember we are all His in this kingdom here on Earth and in Heaven. Let us remember and care for one another by connecting even in the smallest of ways like a smile.

Kathy King