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Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways. Proverbs 3:31
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Angel Co-Op Newsletter These are times when we need inspiration-- real Chicken-Soup-Soul- searching times! There are 'wars and rumours of wars' and no shortages of plagues and natural disasters. As women reaching out to bring others into the warmth and the light, we need to know that our reaching out is effective. Sometimes we don't feel like settling for "you-planted-a-seed"-- it seems too nebulous for our human faith faculties. But, dear sisters, that is faith. I want to share a lovely story of faith answered by Leslie N. Pollard (a man--eek!) who currently serves as vice president for diversity at Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center. Leslie very graciously and quickly answered 'yes' to my request to reprint a portion of his original article that appeared in the March 2003 Adventist Review. Blessings to you as you read this: TOUCHED BY A WOMAN Who of us has not been touched by a woman who has first been touched by Christ? We owe a profound debt to the caring women who have touched our lives. Allow me to share a story about one. I know her only as Sister Valentine, a frail elderly woman I first met in 1968 (back in the Bible Belt South, “brother” and “sister” were titles of respect and endearment.) I had attended evangelistic meetings in New Orleans as a young boy. I filled out a card, and she visited our family—not just once, but repeatedly. I wish I could say that we were happy about her visits. We were not. In fact, sometimes we didn’t answer the door because, as we would whisper to each other, “that Bible lady is here again.” But she’d show up again the next day. Of course, we finally let Sister Valentine in. She studied with us the teachings of the Bible and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. At the end of the evangelistic series, with the permission of my mother, I was baptized. Sister Valentine died a few years after the meetings concluded. Sometimes when I sit in quiet reflection, I think about her encouraging smile, her weathered but pleasant face, and her gentle touch. When I get to heaven, one of the first persons I want to see after seeing Jesus is Sister Valentine. She knew me only as a preteen; now I’m a man. I want to introduce her to my wife, my children, and the thousands of others for whom God has used my public ministry to introduce them to the gospel. I want to say, “Sister Valentine, thank you for faithfully visiting our home. Please meet all of the people who were touched by God after you touched me.” Why not find a woman who has blessed you and say “Thank you” ?
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