Push is coming to shove now…Christmas is just 2 weeks away and I have birthdays before and after and a 3-day trip. How will
\nI ever get ready?<\/p>\n
My neighbor had a lovely party Saturday night. Her house was beautifully decorated – as was the whole neighborhood. Yes, I did get my house somewhat decorated – my oldest daughter helped bring the smaller tree from the attic so it could go by the front door as well as 3 pretty red lanterns with “automatic” candles inside.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, we had 2 inches of snow so it was very Christmassy. The houses were all decorated – lights twinkling from every window. The “town” Christmas tree was all lit up and everything looked so festive. As I walked out the door, I could hear voices coming from every corner. And as we left, I could hear each one call “Merry Christmas!” Almost like in the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”.<\/p>\n
Then yesterday I was ordering Christmas gifts on-line but was frustrated with one website – it wasn’t doing what i thought it should so I called their 800 number. A very pleasant woman said rather than her take my order she would help me with the on-line order as that would give me better discounts and advantages. I was all for that!<\/p>\n
We chatted a bit and she indicated her husband was a minister. I told her I was ordained, too. <\/p>\n
When It came time to give my credit card information, I gave the name on the card: Ruth B. Graham. She took it down and then said, “You have a famous name”. I replied, “I have a famous father.” She didn’t comment. But she continued to ask for information. Shortly, she tentatively asked me, “Are you by any chance related to Billy Graham?” I told her he was my father. She was so pleased – she had been a counsellor in his Cleveland crusade years before. She loved him and my family. <\/p>\n
In our conversation she indicated she has two grown children who are “prodigals”. The church has not been kind to her husband – he is in a new church now – not as senior pastor – but the senior pastor is good and her husband enjoys working with him. The transition hasn’t been easy. <\/p>\n
As we wound up the order, I asked if I could pray for her. She agreed. I prayed for her two children and her husband. I told her to tell him not to get discouraged; God would honor his faithfulness to His Word.<\/p>\n
What an unexpected gift for both of us! I was just ordering from a stranger…an ordinary act – she was just taking orders from strangers who called in. An ordinary day. <\/p>\n
But we had a divine encounter! While we started as strangers we finished as sisters!<\/p>\n
Only Jesus can do that!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Push is coming to shove now…Christmas is just 2 weeks away and I have birthdays before and after and a 3-day trip. How will I ever get ready? My neighbor had a lovely party Saturday night. Her house was beautifully decorated – as was the whole neighborhood. Yes, I did get my house somewhat decorated…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,230,228,224,229,225,227],"class_list":["post-1083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-christmas","tag-gifts","tag-lights","tag-ordering-on-line","tag-party","tag-sisters","tag-snow"],"yoast_head":"\n