KNOW BUDDIES

Image by Kup Kup Land via Flickr I might have never met her or ever heard her story. She did not run in the same circles I did. I probably would never have had the opportunity or even the reason to know her. She became a friend because an act of God brought us together when He laid on my heart her story over and over until it became clear that I needed to support her regardless of whether I knew her or not. I was a woman with children as well. She had my heart from the day I heard her story. Verna White is a Know Buddy I am proud and humbled to have her in my life, knowing God arranged it to be so.

  It's been just about 4 years since our paths crossed in rather unconventional ways. A small group I belonged to at the time decided to commit to helping out Verna after we heard her story on the news. We began by sending cards and donations to a fund set up to help Verna recover and get her life back together and Verna surprised me one day with a phone call asking if she could visit our small group...she visited and she stayed...and became a sweet friend of all of us.

Verna was not recovering from an illness but from a horrific crime that nearly cost her her life as she tried to protect her daughter. I can still remember how anxious we were the day she was planning to show up to meet our group. We worried that we would not know what to say, what to ask, what not to ask. We wondered if she would think we were a bunch of zealots or worse, just some privileged women and although everyone in our group had her own story, none was quite like Verna's.

But when she arrived, it was as comfortable as if we were long time friends. Conversation flowed freely and we shared transparently with one another. We laughed, we hugged, we responded in a way people who have come to an understanding through God often do; with a complete reassurance that we were meant to be friends.

Has God ever arranged a friendship that you might never have dreamed of and blessed it with His presence?  How many people in your life were brought to you by divine intervention? How many do you miss connecting with because it seems like you may have nothing in common? 
 Image via Wikipedia
Verna will always be a treasure I was given to know. Her story is as amazing as she is and what is more incredible is that I had the privilege to tell it.

You can read more about Verna and her unbelievable story at ONE MORE SERVING


Don't pass up the opportunity to have an amazing Know Buddy in your life because you thought you had nothing in common. When God brings people together you have more than enough in common.