World Changer 3

Well, I may have run out of “Betty’s” (the two women who I wrote about in the past two weeks) but I’m not void of women who have helped shape who I am today. I’d like to introduce you to Janet.

I met Janet when we moved our family from Saginaw to our current home, some 70 miles south, going from being a city dweller to embracing the unknowns of rural living. One aspect of our move was me leaving the workforce of 40 hours a week to that of full time mom to our two small children at the time. A huge part of my adjustment to being home full time–AND not knowing anyone in our new community–was finding ways to connect with other people, especially women. After we got our home settled, the unpacking of boxes, registering our daughter for school, etc. we made a natural decision to attend the church in town that was the same denomination as what we had attended in Saginaw. Janet was the church’s organist. Me, being a vocalist, relied upon her for piano accompaniment when I began singing during worship services. I liked her immediately and the feeling was mutual. During one of our early getting to know each other conversations I remember Janet saying to me “Susan, you’re a little spitfire. How about you come to a Bible study that I attend on Wednesdays?” She gave me the lowdown on how the group was formed, who taught, and direction’s to Norma’s home, a beautiful older woman who opened up her home every Wednesday to this great group of women from all church backgrounds and ages to learn from Jean, the pastor who taught straight from the Bible, no notes or agenda. Our time together always ended with prayer and over the weeks and few years that I was part of the group, the box that I kept God in kept being needed to be replaced with a larger one. But, back to Janet.

Janet was older than me too. Her children were grown and she was a grandmother. Though she loved all her family, in particular she spoke about Mikey the most because of a heart defect he was born with, one she was sure God could and would heal because of Who He was to her and what was written in scripture about His power and ability to heal. Most every week we got a short report on how Mikey was doing. She always had a twinkle in her eyes and a constant smile on her face as she told us how  he was doing.

But Janet was more to me than being someone who recognized a fire inside me or the need for friends. She became a mentor without realizing it. During one particular time in our marriage my husband lost his full time employment and was receiving unemployment benefits. I remember standing in the church parking lot chatting with Janet after church and telling her “we won’t be able to tithe with Jim losing his job.” She didn’t waste any time. “Susan!” she said, kind of admonishing me with a chuckle hidden behind her big smile. “It’s not the amount, it’s the percentage! You can still give 10% of whatever you’re bringing in as income”. I had to admit to her I had forgotten or truthfully never thought of our giving in that manner. I was tied to the amount. Janet continued my parking lot mentoring lesson by encouraging me to remember that God would provide, He would see us through to the end of the unemployment period, and that blessings would come. She was right because He did all of that and more.

I think Janet was able to bring an increase to my knowledge and understanding of God’s many principles because she was no stranger to hardship. She and her husband had Mikey to be concerned about, and during other conversations I learned how her husband lost his entire business and had to start over, the term we use when everything is lost financially. Jim and I actually got to know Mack, too, and much like Janet, he was soft spoken but firmly rooted in a faith that matched hers. Together, this quiet unassuming couple shined Christ unlike people I’ve ever known, then or now, years later.

Our kids are grown now. We’ve since left the church where I met Janet. The Wednesday Bible study slowly faded into becoming non-existent and I lost track of Janet. What I haven’t lost is my ability to see her face. See her smile. See that twinkle in her eyes. Hear her voice telling me or a group how much she loved Jesus and what He was capable of accomplishing. 

I’m thankful I met Janet, that she saw me and my hidden potential, made me a friend but more importantly, helped mold my faith into something that keeps needing a bigger box, as if I really could fit God in one….thank you Janet, for helping me see and learn there ain’t no box that big.

My last entry under World Changers (Oct. 12) featured Betty, a woman I met years ago while living in Saginaw. If you haven’t read about her, I highly recommend that you go back to that post and enjoy the experience. Today, I’d like to talk about another Betty that I met, around the same years living and working during my banking career. “This” Betty was one I met at a business women’s networking group; she was older than me, and a beautiful black woman. I only mention her skin color describing her because back in the 70s and 80s, we women were still getting accustomed to meeting, working, and socializing with women that weren’t white, although Saginaw certainly was a melting pot for MANY ethnic groups struggling and learning community life…no different than other cities large and small across our nation. Back to Betty…

As I said, we met at a business lunch meeting. She was full of life, confident, and her presence was certainly notable in the room where we were seated in chairs. In the meeting where I first met her, I remember being drawn to her immediately. Perhaps it was her wide toothed smile, her perfectly coiffed hair, and poise whether she was standing or sitting. I certainly was captivated by everything she had to say that day, yet surprisingly right now I cannot recall where she was employed or what her position was that qualified her to attend the business networking group that I was fortunate to be part of as an administrative assistant for NBD Bank in the 80s. Besides her character, what I remember above all is that at the end of the meeting the chairperson asked Betty to sing. It was very impromptu but I had no way of knowing that. In my curiosity, I looked around the room. Hmmm, I thought, I don’t see a piano. I don’t see Betty getting out a “boombox” to drop in an accompaniment tape (my standard accessory as a soloist back in those days). No, having nothing at her disposal to aid in her solo moment, Betty merely stood off to one side of the room and began to sing “Amazing Grace”, acapella and a rendition fitting to her personality…bold….on pitch…full of crescendos and adding freedom to the notes. We could have heard a pin drop when she finished. Well, I thought to myself. I HAVE to talk to Betty before returning to my office. I HAD a burning question for her. “Betty!” I exclaimed. “How did you muster the courage to sing today with no piano!”

She smiled her big smile and laughed, but it wasn’t the kind of laughter to rebuke or make me feel ashamed for my question. It was the jovial kind of laughter leading to her answer…”Well, I love the Lord Jesus and whenever I get a chance to talk or sing about Him, no matter where I am, I just do it”. 

And there you have it. Betty didn’t need a piano which would have been my first crutch as a soloist. She didn’t need a boombox either, my second crutch. No, she only needed her two strong feet to stand on while belting out what is probably one of the most well known songs to have been written, “Amazing Grace”, which pretty much sums up the message of the Gospel in all its verses.

As you can see, I’ve not forgotten Betty. I learned important lessons from her that have carried into my life since sitting in a meeting room with her, a place where I was able to see and witness removing obstacles from an opportunity to share the Good News which is salvation by the grace of Jesus Christ. Fast forward to the 90s and I have had the privilege of singing our national anthem at our high school’s basketball games…acapella…and at graduations for our students who attended alternative education programs..with my boombox….and a Christmas party for school administrators…boombox in hand and songs that spoke of Jesus Christ. 

Thank you, Betty, for being an example to a younger woman to stand with confidence and sing about our shared relationship with our savior. I’m pretty sure you’ve arrived in Heaven by now based on your age at the time in the 80s. I’m quite confident you are singing every day now, however that looks in eternity. And I’m willing to wager you aren’t near a piano…or a boombox….

I’m participating in a group Bible reading devotional with some dear friends from my church family. Currently, we are working our way through the book of Genesis, chapter by chapter. This week we’ve been reading about Abraham who is probably one of the most famous people written about in the Old Testament. Anyone familiar with his life story knows that God asked him to sacrifice his son Issac which he was obedient in carrying out only to experience that his faithfulness resulted in taking his son off the altar of wood and being provided a ram in his son’s stead. As much as that part of Abraham’s life contributes to his story, every time I re-read about him I discover new “takeaways”. Today, when reading how Abraham negotiated with the Hittite people for a burial place for his wife Sarah, I noted a simple sentence that described Abraham as being a “prince among us”–the Hittes, the native people to the very place he’d been living when Sarah died. Prior to this exchange there is yet another reminder from God that Abraham will be responsible for many nations on earth to be blessed. One man = promises, blessings, obedience, favor from God and man. Reflecting on these descriptions made me ask this question,  Is Abraham a world changer? Sounds like it to me. 

How does the idea of one person and a good reputation wrapped in the promises of God and obedience affect me? How can I be influenced by this description of a man who was not perfect, yet still seeking to live a righteous life? Can my life be one that brings change to a world that is vast and full of chaos? These are not easy questions. I don’t have quick answers. What I do have to fall back on  is examples of people that crossed the path of my life and effected change for me….

Meet Betty. I met her years ago at a Teen Challenge ministry event. The details of how and why I was briefly involved with this wonderful organization are now faint images in my mind, but something Betty said will never leave me. Betty told me about working with some of the boys who were living in the ministry’s house and how she loved to encourage each one. Doing so came easy for her, except for one boy. She was sad as she told me “no matter how hard I tried to think of something to say to him, the words just never came. I couldn’t think of anything to say to him. Instead, one night as he was sitting at a table, I tapped him on the shoulder as I walked past him and I quietly said ‘I love you’….and kept on going. We didn’t engage in any conversation that night or any others and over time he left the home and life carried on.” Until her phone rang years later.

“Betty”? Asked a male voice.

“Yes.”

“I don’t know if you remember me. My name is John (not his real name)”

“Oh, yes, I do”,  admittedly laughing after a long pause to dig deep to recall with certainty that she truly remembered him.

“I just wanted to call and thank you for being so kind to me when I lived at Teen Challenge.”

Betty listened. She was embarrassed, she told me. She didn’t recall doing anything for this boy who was now a grown man.

“You told me you loved me, and that changed my life. I want you to know that I’m doing good. I’m married, I have kids and I’m a minister.”

As Betty told me this story, I remember getting God chills. She was elated that in her weakness, God used three simple words to change someone’s life. Hearing Betty tell me this story about a troubled young man finding his way to a better life fueled me then and continues to feed my desire to be the same kind of encouragement for women and men that cross my path.

I think Betty is a world changer. She was one woman working with teens who had fallen into  traps offered by a sinful world whether it be drugs, alcohol, abuse…and because of a heart filled and spurred on by a loving Heavenly Father, she gained favor and ability to share Him with others. 

I want to be more like Betty and less like the world in terms of success or worldly reputation. I want to see the “Johns” and “Janes” in my community that merely need to hear “I love you”, with or without a gentle touch on the shoulder. I don’t care if my efforts produce a phone call years later to tell me if my actions succeeded or not. If God wants to bless me that way, then so be it. If He doesn’t, I’ll rest assured that as I continue to love, to encourage, to initiate life changing words no matter the person, my rewards will come from Him in due time.

Will you join me in being a world changer? If one person adds another person, adds another person…..the results will be amazing and out of this world!

Favorite Encounters

I don’t work full or part time any longer. I left a part time position in 2012 and find at my current age it’s great to be home. Although not idle by any means, I fill my weekly calendar with volunteer work at my church during the work week and weekends. I care for grandchildren when needed, perform routine chores such as housework and errands outside the home, cook meals, clean up our house, all the “things” it takes to run a household whether working for income or not. Because I no longer “work” getting out and about whether it’s church or shopping keeps me connected to people and gives me opportunities for conversations which leads me to today’s topic–Favorite Encounters.

I need to give you some background information about me. Up until I was about 15 I was awkwardly shy. Most of my social life centered around family, church, and school.Though I was comfortable with family and close friends, I didn’t talk a lot with people I didn’t know. The awkwardness began to fade about my sophomore year in high school and as years passed I gained confidence as I graduated, attended business college and landed my first full time employment position. Fast forward from my 20s to my current age of 67, take a peek into those years and you’ll find many times I experienced some pretty neat encounters with complete strangers. Some were by no effort on my part, others were on purpose or encouraged by how I have learned to listen to someone and their choice of words when conversing with me. I love striking up conversations with complete strangers regardless of gender, age, ethnicity. I have found people are people wherever I go. So, I’d like to tell you about Beata. I met her last Friday during a trip to a beautiful market we seldom visit because it’s a good 45 minutes or so from our home.

My husband and I were having a “day date Friday” and after finishing our meal (which was delicious by the way!) we drove to this market where I intended to purchase a variety of apples to make sauce, one of my favorite fall activities. I filled my small cart with the apples and other produce selections and made my way to the coffee aisle in search of my husband. Along the way I found an area of the market I did not know existed–oodles of flavored vinegars and olives oils! I circled the shelves of the luscious containers looking at all the varieties and that’s when I saw a small woman about my age filling a bottle with an oil. Now, mind you, my motive in speaking with her was merely to glean information from her since I’m a newbie to all this “fill your bottle/cork it/label it” kind of stuff so to jumpstart my curiosity I said politely “So, excuse me–what’s your favorite oil?” That’s all it took! That one question turned into a wonderful conversation and soon I shared with her that this “market” reminded me of one we had visited on our trip to Israel. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I want to go there someday!” She asked me my name and I hers. “Susan”….”Beata”…and I inquired as to the origin of her name. “Deutsch,” she told me. Hmmmm, I quickly told her I am German, too. I asked her the meaning of her name. “Blessed” was her response along with her own question, “Susan, can I pray for you?” And pray she did, right next to the flavored olive oils, no one else around to eavesdrop, as if that would have bothered us. Clearly, she was as comfortable as I was in the midst of how God can create an atmosphere that exudes His presence accompanied by brief, polite conversation.  In turn, I asked if I could pray for her and she accepted. As we ended with our “amens” she continued to instruct me on the benefits of using the olive oils when preparing healthy meals.

I love divine appointments which is how I describe grocery store conversations that introduce me to a brother or sister in Christ that I may never see again even though a moment in time created a faith marker or memory in my mind. I have had many such encounters and I actually think I’ll write about more of them over the next few weeks. For now, I’m still smiling as I think of Beata, a kind small German woman who came to America at the age of two, who told me she became a naturalized citizen, and above all else, entered into a relationship with Christ that bridges her and me from our time here on earth to eternity. It may be trite to say “I may never see her again here on earth, but in Heaven I will”…..I’m not sure how God has it worked out in Heaven for all of us when we arrive. Will I meet up with Beata again?  I know she, me, and everyone else who loves and has a relationship with Jesus will be there with lots of room and plenty of time for conversations that won’t be surrounded by “things” such as olive oil containers…

 I think I’ll begin making a list of questions I can ask in order to start more interesting conversations…and give fair warning that IF you meet up with me in a store, I WILL start talking to you, especially if I need to learn something new…think you may need a kind word or a prayer spoken over you…