A Friendly Reconnection

Just thought enough to call an old friend in Colorado with whom I had been out of touch. I looked up her number on the Internet to get it, but now I have it in my address book. She will be turning 81 in six days and celebrating her birthday at a family reunion in Oregon. It was refreshing chatting with her.

I had been thinking about her anyway, probably over the past weeks. I wondered even if she was still alive. When I first looked online for her phone number, her name appeared in a couple obituaries. I thought, "oh no!" I felt so badly for missing another opportunity to speak with her. I wept. But then I was comforted. I looked again online and noticed she is still living. Her name appeared in obituaries as a survivor and not as the deceased. I was so relieved.

So, the phone rang until the machine picked it up. I began to leave a message until she picked up the phone. Wow! Was she surprised to hear form me, but so was I to hear her voice again!

Her name is Raebeca. I used to do sewing work for her. It was piecework but I enjoyed it. I found her ad in a Christian job directory back in the early 90s. We had kept a friendship all that time. She still does sewing and I think I would still be working for her on a contract basis if I was nearer to her. Anymore, manufacturing work is harder to find because of the massive outsourcing, but with the Internet, anything is still possible. In fact, she inspired me to consider selling my wares online which I am motivated to do now. She had asked me if I was doing the street selling thing as we talked about in another conversation. I told her I wasn't. So that is when she brought up about selling online. I told her about a client of mine who does that and is rather successful with it. In fact, I may consider selling on Craigslist, policy permitting.

What prompted me to call Raebeca today was that I had watched a TV episode of Andrew Wommack teaching on God's love in way that deeply ministered to me. It really touched me to the core when he emphasized how we need to receive God's love in order to give it, and that our motive for doing anything for God ought to be based on a love relationship with Him. I knew that but sort of drifted away from it. I needed the reminder and it was all fresh and new for me, like I could start all over without the condemnation for not having done it all right.

Where Raebeca comes into the picture is that she is a partner of Andrew Wommack Ministries International and has encouraged me to connect with his ministry. I have his book Spirit, Soul & Body which I have yet to finish reading, and quite frankly, I didn't care for his teaching. I used to think of him as kind of arrogant but today I felt utter humility and grace proceeding from him.

But today for the first time I was able to receive and came away encouraged and renewed. I called Raebeca to tell her about it and that I would be subscribing to his podcasts.

Andrew Wommack is such a humble man and really presents the word in a way that is so practical and authentic. I invite you to check out his ministry and material. He's not into making money as much as he is dedicated to getting his life-transforming material into the hands of believers who sincerely want to grow in Christ and be pleasing to God. While I was still living in Colorado, I wish I could have attended his conferences and visited his ministry.

As for my rekindled friendship with Raebeca, I believe the quality of our fellowship will be different from now on. I feel encouraged to be creative again.