.....how you are going to affect someone.
For instance, back in the day (my days at Mars Hill College, aka "MHC"), I had the opportunity to meet many different folks from many different areas. It was all fun, especially the "jello-snorting" that we music majors were notorious for (that's another story all together!!), but sometimes I came across some really great people that would forever be etched in my mind. Such is the case with Michelle (great name, I know!). Michelle was an elementary ed. major who played in the band. She was great fun - probably one of the very first people that pop into my mind when I think of fun college days. With her, there was ALWAYS a laugh and her country-as-cornbread ways would steal your heart in a minute. Recently I reconnected with Michelle via Facebook. We exchanged emails, blogs, etc.... She, like me, is the mother to a beautiful son who grew in her heart rather than under it. She had the opportunity to read my post "My Favorite Necklace" from several weeks back. I was unbelievably pleased when she asked if she could incorporate it into her Wednesday night women's Bible study. See below for the scoop from a very sincere email I just received:
Michelle,
First of all, let me thank you for letting me borrow your blog. You have no idea how much God used you to uplift 22 women of our church tonight!We had a great turn-out and tonight was my night to do the "lesson".
I told them about us going to college together, and that I always felt you were full of The Holy Spirit and could see Jesus in you. I was raised right, but like a lot of people, I didn't act like I should have during my college years. Secretly, you were always one of the people I could look at and see Christ daily. I now want to thank you for never waivering and always seeming to show Christ to others by your daily example.
With that being said, and I really felt like I needed to tell you that, tonight was great.
I could barely read through your devotional without losing it. I read yours, word for word, and then added personal stories to it. By the time I finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
After reading and talking about the scripture and your blog, I then handed each lady a strip of paper and asked her to write down what her most prized "bead" was that her parents or grandparents had given her. As they wrote, I shared mine: "Laughing beats crying." No matter what trials we go through, my family was always good at finding humor in everything. My mammaw still says, "We might as well laugh--it sure does beat crying." One by one, each lady shared a little bit about her "bead" as I taped them all together to make a paper necklace. At the end, I told each person that they'll never look at a necklace the same way again. I also said that when they remember their beads every now and then, to ask God to give them the strength and wisdom to give their children beads that they too will remember as they're older.Thanks again Michelle! Isn't it awesome to see how God uses us to help others?
Here are a few pictures from tonight.
#1. Our group with our necklace, minus ME (takin' the picture!)
First of all, let me thank you for letting me borrow your blog. You have no idea how much God used you to uplift 22 women of our church tonight!We had a great turn-out and tonight was my night to do the "lesson".
I told them about us going to college together, and that I always felt you were full of The Holy Spirit and could see Jesus in you. I was raised right, but like a lot of people, I didn't act like I should have during my college years. Secretly, you were always one of the people I could look at and see Christ daily. I now want to thank you for never waivering and always seeming to show Christ to others by your daily example.
With that being said, and I really felt like I needed to tell you that, tonight was great.
I could barely read through your devotional without losing it. I read yours, word for word, and then added personal stories to it. By the time I finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
After reading and talking about the scripture and your blog, I then handed each lady a strip of paper and asked her to write down what her most prized "bead" was that her parents or grandparents had given her. As they wrote, I shared mine: "Laughing beats crying." No matter what trials we go through, my family was always good at finding humor in everything. My mammaw still says, "We might as well laugh--it sure does beat crying." One by one, each lady shared a little bit about her "bead" as I taped them all together to make a paper necklace. At the end, I told each person that they'll never look at a necklace the same way again. I also said that when they remember their beads every now and then, to ask God to give them the strength and wisdom to give their children beads that they too will remember as they're older.Thanks again Michelle! Isn't it awesome to see how God uses us to help others?
Here are a few pictures from tonight.
#1. Our group with our necklace, minus ME (takin' the picture!)
#2. Flashing the "I LOVE YOU" sign to thank God for you and your blog that so deeply touched us and to tell you that we love you!
(This is my favorite photo!!! Isn't it wonderful to have so many "long-saved (not LOST!) sisters that you will one day meet, person to person!?!?!?)
#3. Our "BEADS"
Thanks again Michelle! You ROCK!
Michelle H.
www.doublewidedreamer.blogspot.com
So, my point is that you never really know who is watching, who is listening, who God might just put in your path for "such a time as this", only to be blessed years later.
Thanks so much, Michelle, you have blessed me more than I can put into words. Sometimes those blessings are long in the making.
See below of a pic of me and my Daddy. Yeah, he is the one who helped string all those beads on my necklace and bless his heart, he's still working on it!
Check back in a few days for a glimpse of our Christmas celebrations. I've got a gazillion photos to share.....
1 comment:
What a wonderful story and I agree with the college Michelle. Michelle you have changed my life forever and I will always be grateful for the wonderful blessing you were to me during my high school days. You never looked at me with pity..only sisterly love and I will always be grateful for that. Your daddy is so precious....God is so good!!!
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