Okay, this story actually began several months ago when I received a letter...a letter I
assumed was for me. I proceeded to open the card and began reading quickly to find this was not intended for me. Whoever sent this was obviously extremely close to the girl this card was intended for and she was battling some serious health concerns. Well, I felt terrible for opening someone's mail and so I decided to google the return sender's name and address to see if I could find a phone number to call this woman and let her know that she had the incorrect address, but that since I accidentally opened the card, I would be more than happy to stick it in a new envelope, stamp it and mail it. Well, I get her answering machine so I decide to leave a message. Several weeks go by, I haven't heard anything, I decide to tape the envelope back up and write on the front "Return to Sender". I'm thinking I just need to get it back to Birmingham, MI where it came from. Well wouldn't you know within the next day or so Susie (the sender) calls me and leaves me this long lovely message (I like to leave long messages too, so I knew instantly we'd be good friends!). We connect finally over the phone and Susie and I begin this wonderful friendship. She is the dearest woman who shares her love of Jesus so openly, and just loves everyone she meets! I feel like I've known Susie all my life :)
Well, we continue to talk and text over the summer...in Sept, Ted and I receive an invite to her 60th birthday party (thrown by her husband and two daughters and their husbands at the Birmingham Country Club-which is about an hour or so from Ann Arbor). Keep in mind, we've never met her. It's 100 of her closest family and friends and here she has decided to invite us! So imagine Ted's sweet face as I ask him if he'll join me on Oct 28th and go meet Susie and all her friends and family. The event was a sit down dinner followed by speaker and Christian author Jennifer Beckham (who they saw on tv and flew to MI to speak at this birthday event for Susie). Folks, this was one of THE coolest things, and it was the LORD! Completely! How he used a letter to bring us to Susie. Susie said she'd been praying about doing something like this for several years. She wanted nothing more than to share her faith with everyone she was closest too. I can't even describe to you the evening, but it was a huge blessing for Ted and I both. I guess one thing we took away is that Faith is Risk taking, and I'm so thankful that Susie took a risk on us and I guess we on her. Here is a picture of my newest friend :)