living real in my living room

the most beautiful thing just happened.
i hope i can describe it right....

there's a woman of another faith that has
been coming to my door for years. she went
away for a bit, others came. she came back.
she's had some loss. we've become friends.
a true caring about each other has developed.

and yet...i've kept who i am quiet and done
the listening. she doesn't know what i believe.
i listen and gain what wisdom i can from what
she says.

at the same time, i do believe she's come to
know my heart. she's cried with me, we've
laughed together. there's been heart sharing.

she's been away for a bit. i've been looking
for her. had something for her....
there she was at my door today saying she's
been stayin' away as she's been in a funk
and didn't want to come in a funk. i hugged
her, told her i was in one too and we could
be in one together.

she sat on my couch and moved the stuffed dog
out of the way. i told her josh had given that
to me to hold when i missed him.

she told me about missing her husband who had
passed away.

'do you want to borrow my dog?' i asked her,
snuggling him up on her lap. she smiled. she
had her own she used.

and then it happened.

she told me that she had come to care
a lot for me and that she considered me a friend
and she asked me if i would meet with her on a
weekly basis for bible study.

wow.
what do i do with that?

and i can't believe it......but i did the right
thing. i was real.
i was so real it was awesome.

i told her i cared a lot back and that i saw she
believed her faith with every cell in her body.
i saw that and respected that. but it wasn't mine
and i was on a different path.

she pulled out her bible to show me the part about
there only being one path....

there was gentleness in the room. her love and caring
were so there. i really felt the love in her concern.

i told her that i understood that she was worried
for me for real. that she really truly cared and
wanted to help. and that this would have to be so
hard for her to hear me turn her down.

but that's all i could do.

i said 'it wouldn't be fair to you, and it wouldn't
be fair to me.'

and you know what?

she nodded and understood.

she agreed.

it was the coolest moment.

two women with totally different faiths caring
about each other and respecting each other.

it was awesome.

i've always wondered what would happen when
we got to this point.....

i thought i'd be uncomfortable being real and honest
and putting it out there.

but i felt right about it. i felt natural about it.
i felt gentle and loving about it.

it was so so so cool.

and she continues to teach me in ways she has no idea
she's teaching.....