I heard an amazing story a few weeks ago while staying in a beautiful lodge in Colorado. It's an account of two women (through CBC's Women's Bible study ministry: Side by Side). Like many ladies joined on Thursday mornings who still don't know each other well, this group in Colorado was also made up of newly forming friendships and was, therefore, perhaps a little more touched by God's grace when we heard it. (Names and some details will be omitted to assure privacy.)
About a month ago a long time member of our church saw a woman sitting by herself at a table during the Girlfriend Breakfast before worship. The CBCer sat down with this gal, and they spoke generally for several minutes before God then directed the conversation to marriage. The woman, new to CBC, had lost her husband a year earlier to a sudden, devastating condition. And in the way ONLY our loving God can craft, our CBCer had ALSO lost her first husband... to the same destructive affliction!
Memories, sadness and understanding led to shared tears between the one who'd popped out on the other side of this difficult life changing event, to the other, hardly able to escape it's terrible pull.
I've since heard that this woman is so broken hearted that she has not returned to CBC. But I know God planted His sweet messenger of hope in her path, and I pray she will [one day] realize it was Christ's great love and tenderness for her that He arranged a meeting with a woman who could empathize. If, however, she finds a church home elsewhere, may it be that she looks back on that day KNOWING it was no coincidence. Let her be certain, Father, that You sent one as an example, who though changed, is living life in victory.
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Romans 8:39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalms 18:35 You give me Your shield of victory, and Your right hand sustains me; You stoop down to make me great.
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