Similarly unique

4:15 p.m. Today's project was to have my friend come over to dye our faded black clothes back to their original color. If that sounds like Dullsville, well, women gather to cook, sew, clean, shop and diet together, activities that are pretty pedestrian, all of the time. It's not the task, but the sisterly fellowship that matters.

That's how we roll!

Besides the fun of having Susan over, there was a practical aspect I'd considered: why run a full washtub of dye in my machine for the two pairs of pants Heidi and I were dyeing? So I posted an invite to all of my Facebook friends to come over if they'd like to, cranberry muffins thrown in at no charge.

We sat down to talk, to catch up on the past eight years since our family had switched from Harvest to Calvary Chapel Moreno Valley. We have both conquered cancer-- hallelujah--and have been through devastating trials. Between us, we have 9 adult children, but she has more grandkids, waah, waah!! That's one area where I need the Lord to work on my jealousy--other people's more numerous grandkids. "Be content with such things as you have." Hebrews 13:5b. Okay--I need to faithfully give the whole verse from the beginning: "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have." Enough said, Lord! If I want to please You in everything, I need to wait on Your timing for the desires of my heart!!

My favorite memory of Susan took place at the Harvest Women's Bible study one Tuesday morning. Leaders would meet for 30 minutes before the women arrived to pray for one another and the minstry, and to go over any difficult questions in the lesson we'd just completed. That morning I made two mistakes: sitting next to my chum Susan; and wearing slip-on flats. Somehow she managed to knock my shoe off my foot and kick it into the center of the room as 20+ ladies looked on with muffled amusement! Of course, Sue was at her angelic best as I waited for an opportune, unobtrusive time to retrieve my shoe from the midst of the circle. Poor Jan Vance, trying to keep an orderly spiritual tone to her meeting with a couple of clowns in the room!

Now in our fifties, Susan and I have had parallel growth in our Christian walks, having studied the Word of God diligently, on our own and corporately, and know what our ministry callings are. She is a counselor, coming alongside the needy and hurting, even having completed chaplaincy training; I am a teacher and writer of Bible studies and devotional articles. (Those ministries can overlap, however, depending on the need of the person God brings our way).

Romans 12: 6-8 in the New Living Translation puts it thus: "In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously.If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

I am grateful and praise God for the wisdom, growth, and graciousness Susan exemplifies under very trying circumstances. There is a treasure trove of life lessons she shared in just being herself, telling her story. Susan visited today not to refresh my clothes, but to refresh my spirit!