Angel on Earth

Have you ever met someone that you were just drawn to?  That's exactly what happened to me when I was at a homeless ministry in the park in Las Vegas last Wednesday.  I couldn't help but notice this lady who was helping because she has a larger than life personality.  Like seriously.....she has the most contagious laugh, she verbally confirmed everything the pastor was preaching, sometimes before he even said it and you just felt energized being around her. 

Allow me to introduce you to Cheryl....

As soon as the sermon was finished I stood right down and sat down beside her.  The pastor had mentioned she was battling an extremely rare form of cancer.  I introduced myself, asked her how long she had been going through chemo.  She quickly grabbed my hand and NEVER let go.  She explained to me she has a super rare cancer.  Her skin had literally fallen off her body over the last 3 years.  She now has to fly to Texas spend two weeks out of the month doing chemo.  She isn't always able to be up and walking around but she's having a good week.  We talked for a long while like we had known each other forever.  AND GUESS WHAT???  That's exactly what God wanted us to figure out.  I told Cheryl we were from Illinois, she nonchalantly said, "Oh we used to live in Bloomington!"   WHAT A SMALL WORLD!!!  Then I nonchalantly said, "I used to work for Dr. Henderson.  Cheryl's eyes got HUGE!  He was her obstetrician.  Come to find out I was probably one of her nurses during the time she had both of her son's.  We laughed and hugged and laughed and hugged. 

I just love how God connects us, especially when it is to someone as special as Cheryl.  I couldn't stop smiling the rest of the night.  And not just because of the irony of our past connection but because of how Cheryl made me feel.  She truly makes you feel like you are the most important person in the world.  She doesn't dwell on her sickness or her appearance.  Her smile and confidence and beauty on the inside makes her beautiful on the outside.  She literally SHINES God's light from every inch of her body.  She gives you hope. 

Will you please join me in praying for this dear lady?  She is going through an experimental treatment right now.   I want to pray for her time she has left here that she feels good enough to continue doing exactly what she is doing now.....making people feel what I can only imagine is how we will feel when we meet Jesus.

When we left each other on Wednesday I told her I hoped I would see her Sunday at church.  She said, "You will probably hear me before you see me!"  So when I walked up to the church this morning I hear this HUGE laugh.  "I hear Cheryl!"  I looked around and there she was. 

She was right!