A while ago I received a note in the mail.
It was not signed.
Had no return address.
I ran across it yesterday looking through some old files.
Here are a few lines from the letter:
"I began going to church for the first time in my life just a few months ago. I wasn't raised to believe in any higher power. (She then explained that to support her husband, she began to attend)
So, I gave in and finally went to church. It wasn't at all what I expected...To my surprise, I'm learning a lot about me. I wanted to tell you that last Sunday's sermon really meant a lot. Even though I couldn't (wouldn't) come forward to the altar, to ask for prayer and to give myself to God, I do believe it will happen someday, I'm just not sure how to do that. It's very hard to let go of control of one's life, but I'm sure I will be able to soon."
A couple Sundays later, during the service, I read a couple lines from the note aloud, still not knowing who wrote it.
I shared that Jesus was aware of all the challenges that the writer was sorting through,
and that he was available to move forward whenever she was.
When the service was over, there were several who wished to talk, which is kind of typical.
But I can still remember a couple standing about fifteen feet away; she was wiping her eyes
with some Kleenex, and something inside me let me know that a divine moment was
coming my way.
After finishing my conversation with the others she walked over, and very sheepishly
said, "I wrote that letter you read."
I said to her that somehow I knew it was her a few moments earlier, while they were standing a few feet away.
Her and her husband shared their story with me.
It was only a bit after that she opened her heart for the Christ...to be her Christ.
AND it was only a little while later, she was diagnosed with a cancer.
It was aggressive.
And she left this place quickly....but without fear...and very little regret...because she had been made new in heart and in her mind there was great peace.
Coming back to her note for a moment.
There were two lines that were my favorites. First, was in reference to church:
"It wasn't at all what I expected."
Oh, how I want that for those who come to our places of worship, or simply meet us as his ambassador that we would surprise them.
Surprise them with joy.
Surprise them with grace.
Surprise them with hope.
Surprise them with belonging...into our hearts, into our homes...into our family.
The second was:
"It's very hard to let go of control of one's life."
Wow.
That's a mouthful. At so many levels this is a big truth.
Thinking back, I can verify that it became her truth.
In those remaining months,
she had left here,
she wrestled through it and found life in it,
in the letting go.
We miss you, our sister.
But in your letter and in your life, you remain a reminder to just how real
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