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….