Faith Sharing

When I was young, I spent a great deal of time sitting next to my Mamaw on a piano bench. She was a famous gospel pianist, and I was her "cute, but not so famous" sidekick. I can still hear the hallelujah's being raised at many gospel conventions while my precious Mamaw played beautiful, harmonious music on the piano. There were many rewards for being a cute, polite and well-behaved sidekick. Sometimes, that reward came in the form of donut holes purchased on the way back to Celina, Texas. I knew those were really supposed to be for the next morning. However, my sister and I had more fun giggling late at night with a mouthful of tomorrow's sugar. When I wasn't looking cute on a piano bench, I stood so well-behaved next to my Grandmama in church. It was in that space, at Irving North Christian Church, where I learned songs came from large books called hymnals. Hymnals had smaller words than I had ever seen, and my sweet Grandmama had a precious singing voice more off-key than I had ever heard. There were many rewards for holding that hymnal book and singing at the top of my lungs. Even if you held that book upside down, a trip to Crystal's Pizza was in your future. I'm not sure if the pizza, the sundae or the big movie screen was my favorite. I just knew it was a magical place. I recently had coffee with a dear friend of mine who is traversing through a very difficult season. In the midst of our conversation, she said, "I feel like God is speaking through you." In that tender moment, God reminded me, once again, of the blessed opportunity we have to share our faith with others. Our love, support and compassion for one another is a building block of faith woven into life's tapestry on this temporal earth. Oh how I loved those chocolate donut holes, pizza and sundaes on a Sunday. However, what I have grown to love even more are the countless ways my Mamaw and Grandmama shared their faith with me. Next month, I will be commissioned as a Stephen Minister. A Stephen Minister is a lay person with over 50 hours of training in providing high quality, distinctively Christian care. Stephen Ministers reach out with God's love to people who are hurting-congregation members and non-members alike. As this commissioning approaches, I continue to look over my shoulder and smile. It is a smile of love and peace. That smile honors 2 grandmothers who shared their faith with me and planted the seed for me to now share my faith with others. Thanks be to God.