Thursday, December 18, 2008

Michelle

I met a lady today ~ a clerk at a Christian bookstore ~ named Michelle. She was helping me find a book for a woman who has separated from her husband. At that time I did not tell her it was because of the destruction pornography had brought to the family. It seemed she knew many of the books first hand ~ for she kept saying "I’ve read this one and it is good" and "I’ve read that one and it really spoke to me." At first I didn’t notice her tear streaked cheeks and blood shot eyes. She told me ~ "I’ve found these books to be personally helpful. We all go through hard times, don’t we?" It was then that I told her how my friend’s life was forever altered because of her husband’s addiction. And Michelle quietly said, "I know."

As she walked with me up to the cash register, this total stranger told me how she had just received another phone call from her husband of twenty years and had broken down in the stock room of the store. She then said, "What is he thinking? It’s Christmas." At that moment my heart ached for yet another woman who is struggling this season as her husband has faltered under the temptation. I looked at her name tag and said "Michelle? My middle name is Michelle so I am going to remember your name." Total strangers ~ we embraced across the counter and promised to pray for each other. The whole thing just kind of broke my heart.

She is my sister in the Lord and the bond that formed in such a short time was heart warming and pitifully sad all at the same time. But it has encouraged me that we Christians must remain steadfast, we must stand firm. We must reach out to a hurting people ~ men and women ~ it is our call. There are SO MANY folk that are hurting ~ and may we not get so caught up in our own lives that we don’t notice.

5 Thoughts On The Matter:

TO BECOME said...

What a very sad post. I know that it happens often in our world.Satan is out to destroy marriages and families. We must be steadfast,we must stand firm as you said. We have to be available to those who need us especially to our brothers and sisters in Christ it happens to us also. The only way that people can get past such hurt is to totally give it over to the Lord and forgive, forgive . A much needed post Cathryn. connie from Texas

Sorry I had to post anon. because your sign in would not work for me.

Cindy said...

Cathryn,

I pray that we will never become so comfortable that we forget the plight of the less fortunate. I pray that the Lord will break our hearts and keep us mindful of others' situations.

Cindy

Marsha said...

There are many breaking hearts at Christmas time. They were breaking before and just because it's Christmas, it hasn't stopped. May we be ever mindful that that is why He came. To save us from our sins, to bring about a type of healing that only He can bring. He came to heal the brokenhearted, to give a future and a hope. But he's reliant upon us to be the stretcher bearers. The ones willing to carrying them to the cross or the Throne of Grace. To stay and change the bandages when they need changing. To wipe the tears.
Thank you, Cathryn for being a shining example of a true stretcher bearer.
Blessings to you this evening.

~~Deby said...

Cathryn,
I too will remember YOUR Michelle, it will be easy...there are many Michelle's in my life...especially in blogland.
Oh ..I am amazed how the Lord brings people together, some of us to help shoulder the burden of others....to me this is Christianity in action....
I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands more of Michelles' out there.
Deby

Aliene said...

Michelle, Such a needy post~we must reach out to the needy and pray. Sometimes we get caught up in our own problems ~ we fail to recognize the person that may be sitting next to us may be hurting worse. We never know what people are going through. But I am thankful for friends through the blog that we can reach out to and ask for prayer.