“Nothing just so happens to us.”
Stepping out of her comfort zone. It was how I found Ursula, in the summer of 2013. The packed room, lined almost wall to wall with three rows of plastic tables and metal folding chairs was a far cry from the cozy living room she’d been teaching ladies Bible study in for decades. The room was small enough for Ursula to not need a microphone and large enough for me to squeeze into the back row with barely a view of the speaker. It had been one year since my family moved to Sugar Land and we’d started attending Sugar Land Bible Church.
When the ladies ministry had approached Ursula about speaking, her response to the invitation had shocked even her. It was as if the Lord Himself had manipulated her articulators. Instead of the usual tap of the tongue on the back of the teeth required to say no, her tongue gathered itself and went to her palette instead, before releasing and letting out the breathy word that would pave the way for our unlikely friendship. Yes.
The day of her talk the crowd was speckled with never before seen faces. Even in a church of less than 200 I had managed to never see her, much less meet her. My husband and I had secured our spots at the front right of the church. She and Phil, the man who drove her to and from church, always sat at the back left. By the time I made it from the front of the church to the sanctuary exit doors each Sunday Ursula was well on her way to the passenger seat in Phil’s car, ready to be whisked away. It was her routine. Routine is what she liked.
Talking to an unfamiliar crowd was not part of her routine. Hence, great consternation accompanied her as she prepared for her talk.
The level of her consternation matched the deepness of the valley life had me in at that moment. Her words brought me great comfort. Her talk, God is Able, reminded me just how big God is and how small my problems were in light of His sovereignty, mercy, and grace.
Deeply moved by her exhortation that day and unable to make it through the crowd, I decided I would write her a thank you card and mail it. I can’t imagine not having written that note. It is a miracle that with 3 young children at home the Lord gave me the grace to follow through with all the steps required to go from an idea to a mailed note. Making sure I had a note and envelope. The address. The words to express my gratitude. Sealing the envelope and keeping it safe from curious, little hands or milk spills on the table. Adding the postage. And finally, getting it to the mailbox.
She was so delighted to hear from a young mom. She wrote me back right away. That was the beginning of our friendship.
Writing has been a dream of mine since my oldest was a newborn. She is now 20 and attending a writing conservatory. Just one sign that God has a sense of humor.
Twenty years and millions of excuses later finds me here typing this to you, hoping that it will encourage you. The fact that you are reading this means that it’s never too late to start on the God-given desires in your heart.
God is able and I am so grateful to be called His child.