A “Chance” Encounter/Prayer Request

There’s a story I’d like to share.  It’s about a woman who’s in the prime of her life.  She has a leadership role in the company she works for and seems to really like her job.  She has an adorable young son who seems to be the apple of her eye.  She’s beautiful and energetic and most kind.  And her kindness is sort of where this story all begins.  Once upon a time (as in a few months ago), there was a most talkative “older” woman who’s a rather pitiful shopper (because she really hates it) and who, out of sheer necessity, was on the hunt for school supplies.  And it was during this hunt that another woman, the woman this story is principally about, just happened to be working out of town in an office supply store.

The talkative woman, along with her 10-year old daughter, was getting rather flustered trying to find everything on the school list when this other woman kindly offered to help.  And help she certainly did–everything on the list was quickly taken care of.  And it was just then, as the smiles and “thank you” and “you’re welcome” were exchanged, that the woman being helped spontaneously said something like, “So, I went through blood cancer when my little girl was five and had a bone marrow transplant; now I write and speak about it.  In fact, one of the reasons I came in today was to pick up my cards.  Here’s one if you’re interested or know anyone who might be.”  And that was it–or so both women thought.

A few weeks later, around mid-October (the story began in July), the talker/pitiful shopper was at a different store in a return line.  As she finished up and started to walk away, again with her little girl, she saw a woman who seemed to be waiting for her.  At first, though she did recognize her, she couldn’t remember where she knew her from.  After all, she’d begun to speak to groups about a year and a half ago and had been introduced to many new people.  Thus, her first thought was that this woman was from one of the audiences.  She quickly realized she was wrong when the woman told her that she just happened to be passing through town again and was hoping she might be able to get another card.

The two women marveled together at the fact that their paths would cross again–two different places, two different points in time.  Then, just as the woman who had handed out her card began to wonder silently in her mind why this other woman would stick around waiting for her to finish just to get another card, she heard some words like, “So, not long after we met I went to the doctor to have a couple of things checked out and I found out that I actually have lymphoma.  I’m not sure what type yet.  I’ll know soon.”  The “talker” suddenly found herself speechless, a surprising state for her.  And when they parted ways that day, I’m confident they were filled with emotions too hard to capture with words.

Anyone who knows me well has probably already guessed that I’m the talker/pitiful shopper; and that other woman, well, she is now a brand new friend.  We don’t live close by one another, so I can’t exactly be by her side.  But, I can pray regularly for her as she goes through a very challenging season of life.  When I was in such a season, I remember feeling as if I was suspended in time while all of those around me were moving right along still doing their “thing.”  I was her same age when I first heard the words “blood cancer,” and my little girl was the exact same age her son is now.  My treatment began around Thanksgiving; and hers begins this week.  Yes, this really is a true story; and yes, it is uncanny–all of it.

We’re all so very connected down here.  And I’m thankful for that.  I’m thankful for her, my new friend.  I’m thankful our paths crossed, not once but twice.  I’m thankful that I’m a talker and a lousy shopper and that she’s so very kind and helpful and that I had a box full of cards that day when we first met.  I’m thankful that she has a lot of great friends close by her helping her through this and that she’s been given an awesome prognosis (curable!).  I’m thankful for the privilege of praying for her and her family as she moves forward this week and takes the next steps in the process of her total healing.  And I’m so very thankful that God, the author of what we call “coincidences,” hears every single one of our prayers.

While I’m not going to share my new friend’s name or any other details about her as this is her story to tell, I believe God knows her name all too well; and I’m hoping that any and all of my friends/readers will join me in praying for her over the next several months.  Her sick season should be over around the same time that the winter thaw is, and she can then “spring” into a brand new life.  Cancer is not the end of anything; I choose to view it instead as the beginning–the beginning of a new and even better life.