I’m still amazed at my friendship with someone I have not yet met. How can someone become good friends with someone they’ve never met in person? There are times that I’ve asked if she’s really real. I know this sounds silly – especially because we text all the time – but can this type of person really exist?
Let me give you the back story. Ms. Paula and I met through a mutual friend. Ms. Paula was looking for authors to write for her group, and her good friend shared the flyer. I was interested because I was just starting to think that I needed to get myself out there more. I reached out to the email address, we ended up exchanging numbers that same day. I still had not even decided whether I wanted to write for the group. My ministry was young and I needed to be sure where I was joining forces.
After we had gotten comfortable with each other (less than 24 hours later), you know what Ms. Paula said to me? She said, ‘even if you choose not to write for my group, I will still help you.’ WHAT??? Who makes that kind of offer to someone they don’t even know? Ms. Paula does! And she has kept her word. She has held my hand as I walked through the publishing process. We have held each other’s hands as we’ve submitted our work to other places. She still sends me things she comes across that are looking for authors to see whether I’m interested or not.
I’ve asked her countless times, ‘are you real?’ She just laughs at me and says, ‘this is who I am.’
You see, when God gives you an assignment, He will send people that you can’t even begin to imagine. He will open doors that were once tightly shut. Your job (and mine) is to keep showing up and being faithful with what we’ve been asked to do and most importantly, do not despise small beginnings, as I now have discovered that’s where the training happens.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you send people so that we can minister to each other. Thank you for the friendships that you have sent that only you can conjure up. Thank you that there are genuine people who really look out for others, and ask for nothing in return – please help me to be that person as well.