Encounter with a Stranger

I have really enjoyed reading the blogs of friends and family lately, and have wondered about joining the group! An encounter with a stranger on a plane sealed my decision! Let me share the story with you....

Matthew died. His death was sudden and tragic. I travelled to be with my sister-in-law and her family for the memorial service for her brother. I had not flown in a while, and as I waited for my flight, I realized I was assigned to a middle seat. I wasn't very excited at first, but I had my MP3 player, and imagined myself resting between two strangers listening to music. Those of you who know me probably realize that would never happen! :-)

In the window seat was a lovely young woman reading a book about exceptional children education. Having a son who is EC, we struck up a nice conversation. She was studying for her master's but was currently a 5th grade teacher in Asheville, NC. I politely excused myself so she could continue her studying and reading. The woman to my left was separated from her husband, son and daughter by the aisle. She had overheard our EC discussion, and mentioned her daughter was dislexic. The conversation quickly revealed she and I shared a faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The time raced by. Our journeys over the last two years were very similar. We both had struggled with similar issues and depression. She was such an encouragement to me and thanked me for sharing comfort with her as well. We have each other's email, and look forward to continuing our conversation. I whispered a thank you to the Lord for sending her my way! I recorded in my journal, "Talking with her was a comfort - someone else raised in a Christian home - walking a road of doubt and confusion and even of self-discovery. Who are we in Christ?! We shared details of a journey that lead to brokenness and even beyond." God molds us in our brokenness. That is a picture of where I am - in the waiting to move from brokenness to beyond.