Encounters

I had a really neat encounter today that I don't want to forget.

I had been at the gym earlier in the morning. I was in sweaty gym clothes with a wet bandanna on my head. But we needed to get some groceries and it had been a week or so since I had been to Trader Joe's.  (I can't seem to find one store that has everything I like, so I alternate between TJ's, Jimbo's and Sprouts).  Anyway, I was there with my two year old sidekick, Jean-Marc. We were loaded up.  I had picked out 2 large pumpkins at the beginning, and then the rest of my groceries were piled up around them in the red Trader Joe's carts.

As I cruised up to the checkout stand, I noticed a friend of mine ahead of me pushing her elderly grandmother out the door in a wheelchair. She was just a bit too far away for me to yell out, so I just went ahead to the checkout.  I was glad when she came back for a grocery bag and I was able to say hi.  She was kind of rushed because of her grandmother, which I understood.  But she said she would be back because her grandmother would want to meet me.

I knew already from another encounter with this friend over the summer (that time it was in Target), that her grandmother was a breast cancer survivor.  I seem to recall her saying it was 40 years ago, although my memory could be faulty on that point.  

She brought her grandmother back in, and the lady took my hands and looked me squarely in the eyes and told me how she had been praying for me.  She told me how "life goes on" and that I was going to be okay.  I was blown away.  First of all, that this person who didn't know me at all had been praying for me.  I know that there are many out there who are, but to meet someone "in real life" who is was amazing.  She had been there and knew what I was going through. Not only that, but I can imagine how much more difficult treatment and side effects must have been when she was going through it.  She has to be one tough lady!  She asked me about my treatment, and I told her about having 4 rounds of chemo over with 2 to go.  She asked about my recovery from surgery and if I could move my arm much.  She remembered the broom stretching exercises and I brought up the "wall creep" ones and we chuckled about that.

This gracious lady was a sister in more ways than one.  Not only is she a breast cancer survivor, but she told me a couple times about how good our God was. I told her how He had been helping me through.  I definitely  know that she is a saint and that we are sisters in Christ as well as cancer experience.

I was glad I had so many groceries because we were able to have this conversation while the Trader Joe's guy was ringing me up.  As they left, my friend said how her grandmother had been talking about me recently and that it was good that they saw me.  I'm convinced it was a "God" thing, that she was sent to give me encouragement and blessing.

She certainly did just that.