Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)
Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love.
Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some
have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!
Hebrews 13:1-2 (MSG)
I am in the middle of an incredible blessing from God. It is a longish story, so please bear with me.
A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail from a college friend who lives in San Francisco. Her brother, who now lives in Florida, wrote about his former next-door neighbor when he lived in New Jersey. Her name is Pat. He wrote to ask my friend if she knew anyone who lived near the town that I live in. My friend passed the e-mail along to me and one other person. It spoke of of Pat who has a daughter who lives about two hours away from me who was coming to have back surgery in a hospital about 10 min. away from me So Jane passed the e-mail along to me. I spoke to my husband, and surprisingly, he agreed that pack could come and stay with us. It has to be a God thing because normally he would have agreed to this.
A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail from a college friend who lives in San Francisco. Her brother, who now lives in Florida, wrote about his former next-door neighbor when he lived in New Jersey. Her name is Pat. He wrote to ask my friend if she knew anyone who lived near the town that I live in. My friend passed the e-mail along to me and one other person. It spoke of of Pat who has a daughter who lives about two hours away from me who was coming to have back surgery in a hospital about 10 min. away from me So Jane passed the e-mail along to me. I spoke to my husband, and surprisingly, he agreed that pack could come and stay with us. It has to be a God thing because normally he would have agreed to this.
Pats daughter is paraplegic. She was injured in 2000 in a snowboarding accident. At the time she broke her back and severed her spinal cord. She lives independently and does very well, but during the last three or four years she started needing more adjusting of her back. So Pat was coming to California to be with her daughter during her time in rehab which miraculously it seems is located in my town. A very convenient situation for Pat.
As I waited for Pat's arrival a week ago I was a bit nervous. I was also a bit for out frazzled because the Sunday after she came began a two-day three-hour class. In addition we had to babysit for our granddaughter because her daddy was away and her mother works evenings. That was a three-day commitment. In addition I take a writing class on Tuesday afternoons and the Bible study on Thursdays. So basically I was wondering how I was going to deal with all that was on my plate as I live my life. I also wondered what she would be like and if everything would work out well.
As I waited for Pat's arrival a week ago I was a bit nervous. I was also a bit for out frazzled because the Sunday after she came began a two-day three-hour class. In addition we had to babysit for our granddaughter because her daddy was away and her mother works evenings. That was a three-day commitment. In addition I take a writing class on Tuesday afternoons and the Bible study on Thursdays. So basically I was wondering how I was going to deal with all that was on my plate as I live my life. I also wondered what she would be like and if everything would work out well.
From the moment that Pat walked through the door I felt comfortable. We sat in the living room and talked for an hour until her Eastern standard Time biological clock told her that she needed to get to bed. The next day Pat was off to the rehab after sharing a breakfast that was full of conversation. The second day she came to church with us, and took us out to lunch. Pat is Episcopalian, and our church is non-denominational. I quickly found out that that didn't matter. We are both daughters of of the King, and we are sisters in the Lord.
In the days that followed, which now number seven, we have shared so much about our lives and our beliefs. It has been amazing. She has come to a prayer group that I go to every Thursday. Pat is on the same page as we are. This is been eye-opening to me to find like thought. I don't know what I thought it would be like, but I certainly didn't expect our conversations for the most part to be God centered and spiritual. In addition to this I have found a friend for life.
I have a little book that professes to have wise words from witty women, and Pat had been looking at it. With tears in her eyes she read me one of the sayings. It's said...
In the days that followed, which now number seven, we have shared so much about our lives and our beliefs. It has been amazing. She has come to a prayer group that I go to every Thursday. Pat is on the same page as we are. This is been eye-opening to me to find like thought. I don't know what I thought it would be like, but I certainly didn't expect our conversations for the most part to be God centered and spiritual. In addition to this I have found a friend for life.
I have a little book that professes to have wise words from witty women, and Pat had been looking at it. With tears in her eyes she read me one of the sayings. It's said...
"God, who is love,
simply cannot help but shed blessing on blessing upon us.
We do not need to beg, for He simply cannot help it!"
Hannah Whiteall Smith
Pat pointed out to me that this is what has happened to us in our friendship that came unannounced and very powerfully. We both feel blessed to have been able to add each other into our lives. Today she showed me a magnet on my fridge that talks about Kindred Spirits. From across the nation through several emails God gave us to each other. We are blessed by the Lord. He simply could not help it. I dont know if Pat is an angel, but she is an angel to me.
Written by Corinne Mustafa
PS...6 hours later...Tonight my husband, Pat, and I went to a Mediterranean restaurant. The special draw for tonight was that there would be a belly dancer. At one point the dancer came over and invited Pat to dance. Pat got up and danced with her in rhythm...minus the belly wiggles. We were all clapping and laughing. She was great. Earlier she had told me that her Dad would have been out there dancing with the dancer. When Pat came back to the table she told me that she had danced for her father.
PS...6 hours later...Tonight my husband, Pat, and I went to a Mediterranean restaurant. The special draw for tonight was that there would be a belly dancer. At one point the dancer came over and invited Pat to dance. Pat got up and danced with her in rhythm...minus the belly wiggles. We were all clapping and laughing. She was great. Earlier she had told me that her Dad would have been out there dancing with the dancer. When Pat came back to the table she told me that she had danced for her father.
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