A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of having lunch with two lovely ladies, both new friends, whom God used to remind me that it is darn near impossible for us to find ourselves in a place that God cannot use for good. Both of my new friends are accomplished artists, and one of them is actually in the “Afterwords” of my sick season memoir. She and I first met at an art fair on the exact day of my first transplant anniversary; and, when she heard my story, she gave me a small painting that has been near and dear to my heart ever since that first born again (again) birthday; it’s a small piece of sky that reads, “God said ‘Let there be light…'” Genesis 1:3.
For a year or so after I became well and the memoir was published, I made several attempts to try to find this woman to give her a copy of it and to tell her how very much her giving me her painting had affected me. I could never seem to catch her in the art studio where her paintings were, so one day I just stopped trying; and I sort of forgot about her, except for those random moments when I would look at the painting and remember her kindness. So, I had only seen her the one time, nearly five years ago.
Well, just a few months ago I was at my favorite local spot, the tea room, and a new server was taking care of me; and by the end of the meal that day, this new server and I had exchanged our stories. Both of us are cancer survivors (though she is young enough to be my daughter). And she also “just happens” to be the daughter of the very best friend of the woman who painted that most beautiful piece of sky. I don’t even remember at this point how all of this came up in our conversation. All I remember is how we marveled at the fact that our paths did indeed cross in such a way that I was led straight to her mom’s best friend, the artist who had so profoundly touched me. Talk about mysterious ways huh?!
A few days later, the mother of the young woman I had met came to my house and picked up a copy of my memoir to give to her friend on her very own birthday, her friend who had no idea I had written a book (much less a book that she’s in). And that’s how it all came together. After several weeks of trying to meet for lunch, we finally did–and it was both wonderful and enlightening as I found out the backdrop of the story from the two artists’ perspective. Almost sheepishly, they told me they had not even wanted to be there that day at the art fair, as it was cold and rainy and people weren’t buying anything; but, they had felt obligated to commit to having a booth. So, they had found themselves where they didn’t want to be–and God had had a plan to use their presence there so very powerfully. I just love that they shared that part of the story with me, because now I can see God’s hand in our initial meeting in an even bigger way; I had so needed him that day–and he showed up in and through them.
It’s funny how that happens, how we end up in a place where it seems we really have no desire to be. Some of us might say our whole life feels that way right now–like we’re out of place, like nothing’s quite right, like there’s some other place we want to be but we just can’t figure out where and how to get there. I’m so very thankful that God used my new friends once again to teach me, or re-teach me perhaps, a most valuable lesson. God can use us for much good no matter where we find ourselves, if only we allow him to do so. When the world seems to us to be cold and rainy and fruitless, there’s just no telling what God is up to; I’ve found that it’s often just then that the sweetest, most tangible glimpses of God’s truest nature do indeed occur.
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