Evinda Lepins

Words to Live By

Mark 5:36

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Happy day to you! Tis the season and now more than ever, we need to be reminded of His truths in the Book that has all the questions and answers in this dance of life. Talk about a book full of drama, mystery, wisdom, problem-solving, love stories, family dynamics and relationships, whew, no wonder it’s the number 1 best seller! Grab your coffee and let’s get back to the story that brought this month’s WOW to life. Remember to look at the verse and carry it with you as we go.
As we turned the corner and started walking toward the exit, another instructor who had someone walking sort of behind her walked purposefully toward us and asked us if we had Triple A. My friend looked at me and shook her head and I responded immediately.
“Yes, I do.” The instructor went on to introduce us to the girl beside her – whose name will remain anonymous – and explained that she had locked her keys in her car and she needed help to get them out. As she was explaining this, the girl’s phone rang and she stepped back to answer it. The instructor-- we’ll call her Linda for the sake of her privacy – lowered her voice and came a little closer to my girlfriend and me.
“She’s really having a hard time and is in desperate need of encouragement.”
I had one of those oops moments where I spilled out what I was thinking: “I should give her one of my books, like A Cup of Encouragement.”
Linda’s eyes lit up and about that time, the girl returned. Linda put her arm around me and introduced me:”This is our inspirational author so we found the right person to help you.” She went on to say a few more really nice things which totally surprised me because, first, I never knew this person read any of my stuff, and second, the way she was complimenting me didn’t line up with what I thought she thought of me! See, things are never as they seem. Anyway, let’s keep going.
I groaned, inwardly of course, and wished I could have melted into the floor because I didn’t want to blow this obvious divine appointment. It’s not important for her to know that I write books, for goodness' sake. The girl brought me out of my desired meltdown and she had the sweetest smile on her face as she responded to the introduction by Linda. “Really, you write women’s encouragement?”
I nodded my head yes and then looked at my friend and back at Linda and the girl. I didn’t want to leave my girlfriend hanging for our breakfast plans, but I wasn’t about to pass this appointment up and I was pretty convinced she understood that. By now I just knew this was why I was at the gym at 7:30 instead of in my writing chair! I looked back at my girlfriend. “I’m going to run and get my card so we can get the tow guy out here. Did you want to wait, go home and check on the dog and meet me back here or would you rather I meet you at the restaurant? “
“I’ll run home real quick and check on her and meet you back here. It’s probably going to be at least a half hour, so we can just leave from here.”
“Perfect, I’ll go and get my card so we can call and get this party started!”
The quiet girl spoke up: “Are you sure? I don’t want to interfere with your plans?” And before I could answer her, she asked another question: “Is this going to cost you anything? I don’t want to be a bother.”
I looked her straight in the eye and said “My husband pays for this year after year and I don’t think I’ve used it more than once. Don’t you even worry about it; it’s taken care of.”
Her eyes filled up and I could just tell that she had reached her limit in life; she was tired, heavy-laden and incredibly sad, but oh, so beautifully fragile, like a bird without wings . . . oh, em gee; that was me all those years ago. Was this to be a "You will comfort others with the comfort you've been given" kind of appointment?
As I began to walk away to go get my card, a thought turned me around. I came back to squeeze her shoulder and reminded her that this was no accident and that something good would come from it!
Join me tomorrow for more of this story that brought our WOW to life!
Evinda