This is her story from my perspective. Maybe one day she will be telling it herself. This is a story about Gray.
I met Gray a few years ago in a town called Mankato. She was loud, energetic, and seemingly full of life. It seemed like she genuinely loved and cared for people. It didn’t take long for Gray to latch onto me. We worked together for three years. I would come into work, and she would call me her little pearl. I was shy and quiet, and it would always make me smile. During the three-year period that we worked together, I became a follower of Christ. Gray immediately pointed out that there was something different about me – maybe I seemed happier, maybe I was coming out of my shell; nonetheless, she noticed.
It was coming down to the last semester we were supposed to work together. We were driving back to the office in Mankato when I found out that Gray didn’t believe in God. She grew up in a different place than I did; where people are told there is no God. I found out a lot about her that day… her twin sister had died from brain cancer after their family had exhausted their resources, and she wondered why it was her sister and not her. She said she tried but couldn’t believe in God after her sister died. Even though that was the case, she told me she would go to church to support her husband if he wanted to go, but he doesn’t. She also said that when her children grow up, if they want to believe, then she will support them. But she can’t believe.
Gray, yes you can.
I don’t know why God took your sister, but I know it has made you stronger. Maybe one day you will have the opportunity to help someone who is going through what you had to go through. I told you, God is working everything together.
Immediately after I found out Gray did not believe in God, I ran home because my mind was going in a thousand directions and I knew if I stayed at the office that my emotions were about to get the best of me. I got to my room and fell to my knees and just started bawling my eyes out. All this time I had spent with Gray and I thought she was a believer because of the way she lived her life. I tried to pray for her through my tears and through my mind racing and all I could say was God please help me, God please help her. I couldn’t believe that after all this time, I missed it. And now I was about to leave and possibly never see her again. The thought of this made me cry even harder. I was on the floor in my room alone begging God to send someone to her because I was leaving…
I felt so lost.
How did I miss it?
…………………………………………………………………………….…
God answered my prayer.
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I got to work another year in Mankato.
Oh boy.
I agreed to work another year just to be with Gray.
I wanted so badly to see her come to know and accept Christ.
My love for her soul had become deep, and I couldn’t stand the thought of her perishing. I know God’s love is deeper than my love because God is love.
Now comes the part… well… I’m here. What do I do?
I tried to say things and initiate conversations. I would read my bible during my breaks. I’ve never done this before; I don’t know what to do.
This really tested my patience (so did a lot of other things this year), but it helped me grow.
Most of my time was spent in prayer. That God would open up an opportunity for me to speak His name, that He would open her eyes, that He would draw her to Him, that she would believe.
I felt like I did a lot of praying, but not too much else.
My last year was coming to an end and I felt like I hadn’t done much… man, where does time go?
Work was busy, and we didn’t get to talk much the last semester.
For Christmas, she got me a necklace with a pearl because she said she thinks they are classy.
God put it on my heart to give her a Bible.
Okay God.
I bought her a Bible.
It sat in my room for months. I would pray that Gray would read it because she likes to read.
When do I give it to her God? The last week.
I prayed that God would give me the words He wanted me to write in her Bible. They eventually came. I had to be patient about that too.
I prayed that when I gave her the Bible, God would take me away and let it be completely Him who was talking to her through me.
The last full week comes…
I was nervous.
I gave it to her at lunch… on Friday.
I don’t remember exactly the words that came out of my mouth, but they were something like: I know you may not believe, but there is a God, and He loves you. Everything you have been through is for a reason, and He is working everything together for your good, and I know that you will see your sister again.
She was crying. She gave me a hug and told me how much it meant to her. She said she was going to show her husband.
That same day we were having an end of the year picnic. She had to run some errands in town and pick up her kids. She asked me if I wanted to go with her.
Of course, I would love to.
After the picnic was over, her oldest son had a t-ball game. He asked his mom if I was coming to watch. She told him to ask me, so he did.
I told him if he really wanted me to come, then I would.
I ended up going to his t-ball game with the fam – Gray, her husband, and her two little boys.
After the game we went out to eat.
Her son said he was going to miss me even though that was the only day I had been with him. Gray said she was going to miss me too. It was so sweet.
It was a simple day, but it was so beautiful. I thanked God for how everything turned out and kept praying that they would see God through me.
My drive home was so very exciting as I reflected on the day I had with Gray. Giving her the Bible went way better than I could have imagined. The next week was a short one and we were having lunch Wednesday.
Wednesday comes and goes so fast. Gray got me one the most thoughtful gifts I have ever gotten. She called me her daughter. The only thing I could think was, “Yes, we are in the same family. That means she is part of God’s family.” She told me she put her Bible on the book shelf and that she would have it forever. I thought, “Yes, Lord, she will have Your Word for eternity.”
We had an awesome lunch.
Then it was time for us to part.
I didn’t want to leave.
She walked me out and gave me a hug.
I held back the tears until I left that parking lot.
As I traveled back to Fort Smith, I was leaving a huge chunk of my heart in Mankato. I might never see Gray again until we are in heaven. It was bitter sweet. God had been giving me confirmations that it was time to move on, and he didn’t give me another year with her like He had done before. On the drive home, the sun was shining yet it was raining. God’s kind of funny because my tears were pouring but I was radiant. I had a long time to reflect on the past four years I spent with Gray. She used to be a stranger to me, now she calls me daughter.
Looking back, it may not seem like I have done much. I haven’t really. But God has. And all that time when I didn’t know what to do, when I was impatient, when praying was all that I could do, that is exactly what was necessary.
I pray that one day Gray will look back on her life and see how God was working through it from the beginning, even before she believed in Him. There is no doubt in my mind that she will become a follower of Christ and so will her family.
So, that’s her story from my perspective. And God is good… marking the fourth year with Gray…
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them… This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. 1 Timothy 2:1-6
