A Monday Morning Visitor

I finally finished my caned chair. It has an unusual binder because I was too impatient to wait for my husband to drill out the holes before I started the caning process. Now the holes are are too packed with cane to tie on a regular binder. My solution was to find a fabric alternative and sew it on with thick thread. Now it is ready to be donated to the Silent Auction at church.

This weekend I sent out my email list of school books. I've had two responses and also took a bag to church. One response came by way of a phone call this morning. "You don't know me," said the voice on the other end... She told me her mother would be passing my way and could pick up the books this morning. During the course of our conversation she mentioned that she had grown up in Webster but now lived on the opposite side of Rochester. I gave her directions to my house and asked her name. She told me her mother's name... Marie Richards. Now I must say, I have this strange and uncanny way of recalling names and faces from my past and "Marie Richards" rang a bell. "Wait a minute," I said, "I know who you are." I told her my maiden name but she didn't think it was familiar. No surprise to me, I hadn't actually known the daughter. I knew WHO she was, but we were both rather quiet and shy and she was two years older than me. Her mother, on the other hand, was one of those loud, effervescent, friendly individuals, one who everyone tends to notice. They went to a church in my hometown, one where my parents had friends and often visited. Marie led the Missionettes group at her church and also ministered to a family of children who ended up in foster care in our home. When I was in third grade, Marie was my best friend's step-father's step mother (figure that out...). I find it amazing how the world is full of people who are bound to each other by tiny threads of familiarity. I enjoyed my short visit with Marie who is eighty years old and claims to "never get tired". We talked of our connections, she gave me several hugs and the boys helped her by carrying the books out to her car. Today I am thankful for late morning visitor who shines the love of Jesus and is not ashamed.