It was just a few days after a close loved one had passed. A member of the church went to the local department store to find something to wear for the upcoming service. She came out of a dressing room to check the fit in the three-way mirror. Just then, a woman also came in, about her age. She asked the woman if she would mind giving an opinion. “Certainly”, she said and asked what 'occasion' it was for. When the church member told her that she had just lost her father, the other woman said how sorry she was.
She then said she was also there to find a dress for a funeral. Returning the compassion she had shown her, the church member asked who had passed. The woman said that it was for her son, but that he had not died yet. He probably had only a few weeks to live. She was astonished at the calm in which she said it. This poor woman was going to lose her son and was preparing ahead of time! Her courage was simply amazing. Remembering a cross that was in her little purse, she asked her if she might give her something and presented the cross. The woman who she had never met before looked at it, then her, and broke down in tears. The sobbing was so much that a third women in a dressing room stuck her head out the door. She came out and with tears in her eyes, told both of us that she, too, had just lost her mother!
Here they were, 3 middle-aged women, each grieving over family losses, meeting in this ordinary space- a dressing room- at the same time. They actually said a brief prayer together. It stopped surprising the church member a long time ago how God places people in our path that are meant to be there, both for our comfort and for us to comfort others.
These stories of the cross are documented from true experiences related to a mission of First Church Congregational. We invite you to make your own experience through the simple act of sharing part of our faith through the cross. If you find a moment where they have made an impact on yourself or others, we invite you to share it with us anonymously. Please contact Josh Ferry for more information.
Comments