Time Marches On....

In July I attended my 40th Year Walnut Grove Junior High Class Reunion.  Back in the dinosaur days, we went to 1st (Romper Room was our Kindergarten) - 9th grade in the same school.  In 10th grade, we were split in half....one group went to Buchhorn High School and the other group went to Hazel Green High School.  I am writing all of this to let you know why having a Junior High Reunion was special.  This was our first.

It was so exciting seeing everyone.  I was surprised to learn of some of their health problems and disabilities.  It was sad to learn that seven of our classmates had passed away.  All and all, after everyone got over the initial shock of the physical change in everyone.....we soon realized that we were still basicly the same people.

Not one person in that school cafeteria could BELIEVE that 40 years had actually passed us by.  It seems as if yesterday we were marching down those halls.  However....time does march on.  God only placed us on this earth a very short time.  We are not promised another tomorrow....or even a moment as far as that goes.  My classmates and I all looked at each other as we were hugging goodbye and making promises to not wait another 40 years......and it was sad.  Realisticly, the next time we meet, all of us probably will not be there.

In the mist of all of the fun, laughter, sharing, etc., I met the wife of a former classmate.  We wound up eating across from them at lunch.  She was a shy lady, but kept following me around.  Before we left, she came up, began crying and asked if she could have my address and phone number.  She said....."I have needed someone to talk to for a long time and I just feel a connection with you.  I want what you have....I want that inner peace."

I would love to tell you that I sat down and lead her to the Lord right then and there.....but that is not what happened.  During the day, she shared that she was a Christian but that they did not go to church.  We live three hours apart.  We have since written "snail mail" several times to each other and the conversations are getting deeper and more personal.  She is hurting but really seems to be opening up and is even making plans to drive the three house to spend some time with me in person.

I am sharing this to seek our your prayers.  Pray for guidance for me and pray for God to somehow use me to reach out to this lady that is hurting.  Pray that God will heal her hurt.  I am not sure why she reached out to me, and not sure how I can help....but so far, just "being there" seems to help her.
Time marches on.......and sometimes we get so caught up in our every day tasks that we do not realize that there are hurting folks all around us.  My prayers are that we ALL keep our EYES and HEARTS open to others.