but God...

but God...

These were words spoken by a sweet friend and mentor of mine time and again! She had, like me, suffered through tremendous heartache and pain to achieve complete peace and resolve in Christ.

Her journey was one of broken roads and unexpected detours, but God (there it is) led her safe to the other side. What awaited her there was healing and restoration. The kind of wholeness only God can accomplish.

She told me that she envisioned the devil shaking his head in disgust when he saw Opal’s feet hit the floor every morning, knowing she was a mighty warrior for Christ!

Her influence in this community and abroad was undeniable and I sat at her feet soaking up every bit of “mothering” she was dishing out that day. Our stories were similar and I knew that God had led me to this sweet soul for very specific purposes. A few years have passed since I saw her last, but I thought of her words of wisdom often.

Just recently, I ran into her at a local restaurant and so many emotions washed over me. We both choked back tears as we talked of our time together and after countless hugs from me and the kids, she was gone.

This interaction has caused me to think a great deal about the people God places on our path. My resolve is striving every day to interact with people in a meaningful way. To make a forever impact on someone might take years of friendship, or it might just be a single word spoken in passing.

All I know is this… there was a time in my life when I felt defeated, abandoned and all alone- completely down for the count. BUT only our God knew exactly who he needed to send to remind me of who I was. “Mama O” as most called her would be the perfect match. This is how our heavenly father uses a 90 year old woman who is finishing her race to breathe new life into mine. He’s that good and HE loves us that much!!!