Radical Womanhood

'Religion Is the Problem'

I've never wanted to turn into one of those Christians who can't access the shared vocabulary of mainstream culture, a believer whose conversations are laced with Christianese. But oh how hard it is to avoid being steeped in cliches! Last week, as I traveled to Maine and back, I had the immense privilege of explaining the gospel and presenting my conversion testimony numerous times. And each time, I struggled to find a shared reference point and to purge myself of church words.

It started with the airport driver. He was Tunisian and a lapsed Islamic/Christian practitioner. That sounds confusing, but he was raised in both faiths because his father was Muslim and his mother was Catholic. On our way to the airport, we discussed religion. He said that it doesn't matter what religion you are, because all religions lead to God. And religion is at the root of our problems, anyway. All the major wars were because of religion. So that's why he is not religious. I acknowledged his thinking but then was able to offer my viewpoint that all of our wars are because of our sin and that's why we all need a Savior who can rescue us from the penalty for and consequences of sin. We had a respectful exchange and I learned much about Tunisia, but that conversation set the tone for the week.

Over the next several days, I was able to talk about the gospel with a Dutch man, a French woman, and two Americans--all non-religious people. I was also able to talk a little bit about faith with a lapsed Hindu from India. Then at the airport on the way home, I was picked up by yet another Tunisian driver, an active Muslim, and we had the same conversation. What fascinated me was how nearly identical these conversations were. On one hand, I was grateful to meet these folks and learn from them. They were all uniformly gracious and even genuinely interested, to a point. On the other hand, I couldn't help but notice that they faithfully repeated similar ideas. It seems that the "prince of this age" has been spreading the same propaganda: all religions lead to God so it doesn't matter which one you choose; religion itself leads to war and is responsible for all wars; and you can be spiritual in your own way as you define it.

So it's interesting to be in a conversation where I and my beliefs are seen to be the reason for so much trouble in this world, whereas I see myself as an object of mercy before a holy and just God. Sometimes our perspectives never seemed to find common ground. A few people objected to Christians evangelizing others. Why couldn't religion just be a private matter? Well, some belief systems structurally can't adapt to that view. With one man, I tried to explain why Christians are commissioned to spread what we know to be the good news of mercy and salvation. It's intellectually dishonest to call oneself a Christian and not talk about it. Our very belief system is predicated upon making sure others know about Christ's gift of forgiveness and salvation. A second man challenged that benevolent description, saying that Christians always have an ulterior motive when talking to others, whether it's the overt, arm-twisting hard-core form of evangelism or the "deceptive" slow-boil of friendship evangelism (his descriptions).

This age is blind to the realities of sin and hell. If you don't acknowledge them, then a Savior doesn't seem to be a big deal. No wonder people yawn at the idea of salvation. If Christianity is marketed as a parody of current culture ("I heart Jesus" or "Got Jesus?"), then there's nothing unique about our claims. Christianity can be seen as a kind of annoying hobby, and always a late adopter at that. Or if Christianity is sold as a self-help system ("your best life ever"), then anyone who is content with their own life has no incentive to check out the Christianized version.

But in a post-modern age still in love with narrative, we have our conversion stories to tell. This was what people seemed willing to hear and consider on this trip. But if it's billed as a "look at all I have now" prosperity story, or a "woe was me with all my unfulfilled emotional needs" story, I would think we squander a precious opportunity to talk about sin and the unmerited and powerful grace of God. The point of our narrative should not be how much better our lives are with Christ (as true as that is!)--but rather how we became aware of our sinful state and our need to be rescued from it. Other people need to understand that sin is real, it's objective, and it's thoroughly corrupting. The good news of Christ's redemption won't make any sense if the problem of sin is not presented and examined.

I read an article today in Forbes that said GodTube is the single fastest-growing site on the Web. I applaud GodTube's goals to promote faith and to filter out profane or sexual references. Certainly I had no qualms about poking around on GodTube, unlike YouTube. But one quick glance at the current list of most-viewed videos on there reveals a mix of current culture parodies (Christian versions of the Mac vs. PC ad campaigns, for example), music videos, and comedy bits. Where is the power of video to talk about the Divine Rescue?

That's why I am grateful that my church posted the conversion story of Tom and Michelle Herbert. It's a simple video presentation--two people about to get baptized in an unglamorous baptismal font--but the narrative is powerful. For anyone who has given up hope that a loved one in the clutches of addiction can be set free, this testimony will revive your hope and faith. This is Christ's triumph over crack cocaine and homelessness. When the Herberts were baptized, the congregation rose for a thunderous standing ovation. We weren't applauding them, but the power of God to resurrect sinners to life everlasting!

Gospel Eyes

If the Lord is gracious and grants a long life, most women will have a season of bearing and rearing children followed by a season nearly as long investing in others in a more diffuse way. I understand that transition can be disorienting for some women. But being an empty-nester doesn't need to feel empty if you look at life with "gospel eyes." There are young women in the church who need encouragement and mentoring--and there are unbelievers everywhere else in life who need to hear the gospel. The Great Commission continues!

That's why I was particulary encouraged to read Rondi Lauterbach's musings on her husband's blog, Gospel Driven Life. Here's an excerpt:

What keeps me from seeking the lost? At least half the time the answer is that I don’t even see them. I often don’t see the person in front of me as lost. I barely even see him as a person. I may see him as an interruption or an obstacle or a means to my ends for the day. I may see him as a “sinner” and label the sin without a second thought. I may even see him as my evangelism project. But person?

“Gospel eyes” is the expression my husband has coined to encapsulate the way we need to see people for the sake of the gospel mission. I find that so helpful. As I read the gospels, I am amazed at how Jesus saw people who would have been invisible to me. The widow of Nain would have been lost to me in the crowd of noisy mourners. My eye probably would have been drawn to the corpse of her son or distracted by the wailing women. The hemorrhaging woman would have completely escaped my attention in the rush to help the synagogue official’s son. Even Pilate, during his interrogation at the trial, would have been invisible to me in my fear of what he was about to do. Jesus, perfectly in tune with the Father, saw each of these in their created dignity and tragic fallenness. Because he saw them, he didn’t miss the opportunity to seek them.

No matter what season of life you are in today, there are plenty of people standing near you who need to be seen through "gospel eyes"! I trust Rondi's perspective will be a blessing to you.

Odds Are We Are Unique

I'm going to make a radical departure from the prior discussions of cooking, cleaning, and home-ownership today. Instead, I'm going to recommend an article from the March 2006 Christianity Today magazine about astronomy and math.

Hey, don't click away just yet!

I'm quite serious. And you need to know that this is the recommendation of a seriously math-impaired person. I do words. I do colors. I do perception and theory. I do not do math. And I am not impressive at science. But lately I've found myself reading books about the history of scientific development--Simon Winchester's fascinating Krakatoa and Dava Sobel's Longitude. These books put scientific exploration and development in the context of the political, cultural, and even religious history of the day and provide the perspective and continuity I need to enjoy and keep reading. Not to mention providing the education I didn't receive/retain as a child.

This is why I'm recommending this article. Even the math-impaired can benefit from the discussion of how theoretical mathematics points away from the popular assumption that there are plenty of habitable planets in this universe and toward the existence of God. As this article states:

Today, numbers from astronomy, biology, and theoretical mathematics point to a rational mind behind the universe. To be sure, they do not point to the personal God of the Bible as such. Yet they are not inimical to the biblical God, either. The apostle John prepared the way for this conclusion when he used the word for logic, reason, and rationality—logos—to describe Christ at the beginning of his Gospel: "In the beginning was the logos, and the logos was with God, and the logos was God." When we think logically, which is the goal of mathematics, we are led to think of God.

If you have non-Christian friends who are interested in science, this article could start an interesting conversation. But I think you will also find it bolsters your faith and expands your knowledge base. To read the rest, visit Christianity Today's website for "God by the Numbers."

Evangelism Encouragement

We can all have the attention spans of gnats at times, and unfortunately that's even true in the middle of a church service. There are numerous reasons for that (self-centered sins, worldly distractions, anxieties, etc.), but I'm immensely grateful for those moments when the Holy Spirit grabs me and says, "Pay attention! This is GREAT teaching." Such a moment happened for me this past weekend. My singles pastor, Eric Simmons, was giving the third and final message in a series titled "Invest and Invite." I was locked on throughout the entire sermon as he encouraged us to grow in our practice of evangelism. I also appreciated his own candid stories about battling selfishness or fear of man when evangelistic opportunities presented themselves.

During the sermon, Eric also recommended a book titled Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman. I immediately trekked to our church bookstore to get it. I've added it to the list of recommended books on this blog, too.

To listen for yourself, visit Covenant Life's website and download the October 30th message. I guarantee it's worth your time!

A Cash-Register Witness

It seems God is calling me to be a cash-register witness.

Having said that, I have to admit that I prefer to shop online because the service is generally more knowledgeable and friendly than the majority of retail stores. The search engine can always find the item I'm looking for and it knows when something is on sale or not. The online shopping carts move along as fast as I can process their commands. So when I do venture into a brick-and-mortar store, I'm nearly always tested. Will I return kindness for surliness? Will I return patience for incompetence? Will I be gracious to a fellow human being who may not be a native speaker (in the D.C. area, at least), who probably didn't receive much training, and who has been the brunt of others' anger and impatience for the previous six hours? Over the last few years, I've felt the Holy Spirit's check when I've been tempted to be unkind to retail clerks. And though I've not always responded obediently, He has been faithful to remind me in each instance.

Earlier this year, as I was waiting on my purchase to be rung up, I felt the Lord was highlighting the clerk to me. I don't mean with a physical spotlight. I mean that sensation of being impressed to look and really notice another person. The thought came to mind that this woman had been wondering if God was real. I sensed the Holy Spirit wanted me to share this impression with her and give her a invitation to my church. As she slowly rang up the items, I felt a nervous adrenaline surge as I contemplated how silly I would look. But no one was waiting in line behind me and thus I had no excuse to dismiss this prompting. When she handed me my receipt, I smiled and told her I had the impression she had been wondering if God was real. I assured her He was and that He was mindful of her, and offered her an invitation to an outreach event at my church where she could learn more. She was hard to read. She didn't smile or frown. She mumbled thanks and turned away. I thought I detected a jolt of surprise in her eyes, but I didn't linger to ask further questions. Exhaling, I headed for the door.

As I loaded my packages in my car, I realized I'd left my sunglasses in the store. It was now after closing time, so I had to walk back to the store and bang on the door. Great. Crazy Church Lady, Part Two. She came to the door with a smile and handed me my glasses. I made a joke about it and left. It wasn't a gospel presentation at all, but I hoped I had planted a small seed and that the Lord would give the growth in the future.

Fast forward to this week and I'm in the same store again. Much to my dismay, that clerk is not there. And this time I'm returning clothes. It's a vexing process because the tags don't seem to be matching the receipt. Then the clerk announces that two pairs of pants aren't on the receipt. She insists that I must have purchased those items separately, but I knew I hadn't. Eventually it becomes clear to both of us that the previous clerk hadn't rung them up before putting them in the bag.

"Are you sure you just don't want to keep them?" she asked. "That's what most people would do."

"Well, no. I didn't pay for them. And even if I had, I still would want to return them," I replied.

"I can't believe it. There aren't many people who would be so honest. You're a good person," she stated.

"Well, thanks for your kind comments," I said, wincing as I felt the proverbial poke in the ribs from the Holy Spirit. I cleared my throat and started again. "But really it's what the Lord Jesus Christ would want me to do. I want to reflect well on Him because of His mercy to me."

"Yeah, well, like I said, most people would keep the free stuff," she reiterated as I dug around in my purse looking for a church invitation. Nothing. Rats. That's what I get for switching purses at the last minute.

"God is looking out for you; this is just a small expression of His care for you," I said with a smile as the next woman began loading her purchases on the counter in front of me--her cue that I needed to move on. In gratitude, the clerk gave me a special discount coupon for my next purchase.

Tonight, another test. I needed shoes for an event this weekend and didn't have much time to shop. I entered the store praying, asking the Lord to help me. I'm serious. Some shoe fashions just aren't compatible with women "of a certain age," as the French say--the medical bills for tortured feet and lower backs aren't worth it anymore. I'm not ready for orthopedic shoes, but I'm getting too old (too smart?) to think it doesn't matter what I'm doing to my body when I'm walking around cantilevered at odd angles on squished toes. And God was faithful to answer my prayer. I spotted the perfect boots within five minutes.

With my gift certificate in hand, I stood in line with my selection waiting for my turn. The clerk seemed distracted but I didn't think much of it until I checked my receipt on the way out the door. Even with the gift certificate, $12 seemed too low for a pair of boots and several pairs of cashmere socks. Sure enough, the boots weren't on the receipt. It's an epidemic! For a split second, I was tempted to walk on out that door. It wasn't my fault the boots were free. But the Hound of Heaven would have nothing of it. Back I went. There was a long line at the register. Of course.

"I'm sorry," I said to the clerk. "But it appears that you neglected to ring up my boots."

Everyone in line was staring at me. So was the clerk. She didn't react immediately. "Do you think you could fix that for me?" I asked.

"Honey, that is something else," said the customer at the head of the line. "You did good."

"Thank you, but it's what the Lord Jesus Christ would want me to do. I want to honor Him, especially because of all He has done for me, " I said, the words coming much easier with the increased practice of late . . .

'Beyond the Gates of Splendor'

A documentary that has been making the rounds in church circles is now available to consumers--Beyond the Gates of Splendor. It tells the famous story of the five missionaries who went to Ecuador in the '50s to evangelize the Auca/Waodani tribe and were murdered, a story made popular to many through Elisabeth Elliot's account in Through the Gates of Splendor. I bought the DVD and watched it last night. Since I have spent many years in video and film production, I know how difficult it is to make a creative documentary about a topic without a lot of archival footage. This production company did a good job with the production values.

When the documentary ended, however, I felt unsatisfied. The gospel had been gutted from the story. It wasn't even clear that the Waodani had become Christians or had established churches of their own. An airplane of their own, yes. But pastors or elders? Not so much. Puzzled, I got online and looked for reviews that would help me understand this editorial choice. Christianity Today ran a review earlier this month that only lightly touched on this concern. So I kept digging around. A CT April interview with producer Mart Green revealed this to be intentional:

Q: Beyond the Gates isn't real in your face with Jesus and the gospel. Was that intentional?

Green: Very intentional. The world doesn't want to hear that kind of stuff, but I think when you tell the story just as it happened, it works. We didn't tell the Waodoni not to say things. We didn't tell them what to say. We just said, "Tell the story."

I respectfully disagree with Mr. Green. I don't think it works. I think it is a puzzling account. You don't have to be coy to avoid being "in your face." There is a wide middle ground where the facts of the gospel's influence on this tribe could have been explained without being pompous or didactic. Green would like churches to show this documentary and then attend the theatrical release of the feature film, End of the Spear, as an outreach. But by avoiding the topic all together, it leaves nothing for the believer to talk about with the unbeliever. The Christian has to fill in all kinds of the back story for the non-Christian, who could simply respond, "Oh, yeah? The movie didn't make any mention of all that. Are you sure you've got that right?" The motivation for such a drastic change among this tribe is only implied, which is a weakness in any production. Motives are important for a compelling story, and as such this documentary falls flat.

I hope the feature film is more confident in God and doesn't shy away from the gospel, but as it comes from the same production group I'm not betting on it. For those who know the backstory from Elisabeth Elliot's perspective, this is an interesting documentary as it is told through another participant's perspective--Steve Saint, the son of Nate Saint who was one of the five murdered missionaries. For that reason, it is definitely worth watching. It is also obviously a labor of love and so I commend all those who financed and worked on it. They could have been doing many other things with their talents and treasure and this was a worthwhile investment. I can also recommend it to others because, as my pastors have taught me to evaluate my entertainment choices, I could thank God for this movie when it was over. But I'm able to do so because I know His part in this account. I'm not sure what or who unbelievers will want to credit when it's over, which is the only--and major--weak link in this production.

Standing Up for the Persecuted: The Difference One Single Woman Makes

Friday morning I rushed into a staff meeting with a myriad mundane concerns occupying my thoughts, most of them centered on myself--what I needed to do, what meetings I had to attend, what deadlines I was facing. I left the same meeting 90 minutes later awestruck, tear-streaked and seriously adjusted in my perspective. For on that morning, our staff at Sovereign Grace Ministries heard from one of the groups we supported through our tsunami disaster relief fund. This group works in Indonesia and the man who leads this particular organization gave a compelling hour-long talk about the persecution Christians are experiencing in Islamic Indonesia--events that span the last seven years and in many ways were the warning signs of 9/11 and the London subway bombings. Though the situation is very grim, this man also gave a glorious testimony of how the Lord responds to the prayers of His people and how the church is not defeated in the face of such a determined enemy.

Sovereign Grace is a church-planting ministry with a growing international family of churches, but we don't yet have any churches in Indonesia. The reason we knew of this organization was because of a fruitful single woman who is a member of one of our churches. Ann Buwalda is the founder and director of Jubilee Campaign USA. As described on their website, this group promotes the human rights and religious liberty of ethnic and religious minorities in countries which imprison, terrorize, or otherwise oppress them. They advocate the release of prisoners of conscience and the change of laws as necessary to affect these purposes. Jubilee also advocates against the exploitation of children with particular attention to the sex industry in Asia.

Ann founded Jubilee Campaign USA more than ten years ago to lobby Congress on behalf of those suffering religious persecution and human rights violations. She actively travels overseas to promote religious tolerance, handles certain cases involving religious asylum seekers, and promotes and supports (financially) children's rights internationally.

I had heard her name for many years, but never had the pleasure of meeting her until Friday. I was able to grab about a half-hour with her after the meeting to ask further questions, offer a few meager ways to help, and encourage her. I was amazed by what the Lord has accomplished through Ann. We are almost the same age, but the way she has invested her life has literally touched thousands of others around the world. I'm sure if she read this, she would protest that evaluation and point to the team she works with as the ones who've made that possible. In one sense that no doubt is true--and it is all of grace either way. But in another, it's also the result of her faithful response to her Lord's claim on her life. She told us in this meeting that though she would like to be married, she is completely fulfilled in serving the Lord this way.

Since that meeting, I've been pondering a few things. One, how serious the opposition toward Christianity truly is, both in this nation where Christianity is being forced out of the mainstream culture and marginalized as politically incorrect, and in other nations where believers are facing imprisonment and death for their faith. I wonder if there is another tsunami headed from Indonesia toward our shores that is far more devastating than a wall of water. I wonder which events we will look back upon and belatedly comprehend their significance, just like those near the Indian Ocean did last December: "Wow, the ocean has receded...I wonder why?" Two, there are a lot of single Christians who want to know just what we are supposed to be doing with our lives. What if the Lord wants to make a similar claim on us? Would we see the Lord's redemptive purposes in our singleness and accept His call to advance the gospel in such a sacrificial way?

I am seriously provoked by these ideas. And I would be the first to confess that I simply want to get married, make a comfortable home for a wonderful man, and enjoy a peaceful life full of God's abundant blessings. But in light of the current circumstances, would I then be guilty of the charge found in Ezekiel 16:49? It reads, "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." Just to be clear, I'm not saying that getting married to a wonderful man and enjoying a peaceful life full of God's blessings is bad. But if that's all I think about or pray about, am I "arrogant, overfed and unconcerned"?

I would appeal to my fellow "singletons" to visit Jubilee's website and read over the items there, including the list of prisoners of conscience. Then pray for Ann, her Jubilee Campaign colleagues, and these brothers and sisters in prison. I mean, really pray. There are Christians alive today in Indonesia because when an urgent plea was emailed during a violent assault against their village, people around the globe interceded and our God, who is rich in mercy and abounding in steadfast love, stayed the hand of evil. We may never completely understand the complexities of prayer this side of heaven, but in some senses it is both the least and the most we can do. (In particular, please pray for three Christian women who are on trial in Indonesia for allegedly converting Muslim children to Christianity. As the Jubilee Campaign reports, a guilty verdict in this case could have serious ramifications in a country that has already seen a great deal of inter-religious violence in recent years. Over the past seven years, more than 10,000 people have died, 40,000 houses and 1000 churches have been destroyed and 700,000 people have been forced to flee their villages.)

And if the Lord leads us to do more, then hallelujah. Most certainly it is a far better investment of our time, thoughts, energy, and finances than the vast majority of our singles activities, if we are to be honest.

Evangelizing Women

I'm currently working on a new message topic--one that explores the impact of feminist thinking on women in the church. It's a weighty and sobering topic, especially for a former feminist like myself. While I've been doing this, I've been pondering why I have this impression that women are increasingly harder to reach with the gospel. A new book by Thom Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door, unfortunately confirms some of my thinking. Here's an excerpt from a review by Dr. Albert Mohler:

The Unchurched Next Door represents a massive research project based in a national survey. From the onset, Rainer was determined to force Christians to look at the unchurched all around them. "Most of the unchurched are your neighbors, your coworkers whom you know well, and even your family members," he explains. "That is why we call them 'the unchurched next door.' They have much in common with us. Many of them have your moral values. Most are not antichurch or antireligion. They are very much like you--except that they are lost without Christ."

After interviewing thousands of unchurched Americans, the Rainer research team looked for patterns in the profiles. Based on the results, Rainer suggested five different levels of responsiveness to the gospel. "U1" identifies unchurched Americans who are highly receptive to hearing and believing the good news. They know something about Christianity, and have a positive attitude toward the church. "U2" individuals are receptive to the gospel and willing to hear a message from the church. Those categorized as "U3" are identified as neutral, "with no clear signs of being interested, yet perhaps open to discussion." The "U4" group demonstrates resistance to the gospel but no antagonism. The most unresponsive group in the population is identified as "U5" The most secular Americans are "highly antagonistic and even hostile to the gospel."

Given the contours of post-Christian America, many believers would assume that the U5 category would include a large number of our fellow citizens. That assumption is not sustained by the facts. Rainer's research indicates that the U5 category fits only about five percent of the American population. Most unchurched Americans are grouped in the central three categories. Those already friendly to the church, the U1s, comprise eleven percent of the population, serving as something of a bookend to the U5s.

The majority of the unchurched fit the middle categories, with 27% listed as U2, 36% as U3, and 21% as U4. As Rainer summarizes, "Most of the unchurched are not antichurch or anti-Christian." By and large, they have had little contact with Christianity, and are not highly motivated when it comes to issues of faith and belief.

In reviewing the research, Rainer and his team came to some surprising conclusions. First of all, most Americans have never been invited to church--never. Yet, 82% indicated that they would be at least "somewhat likely" to attend church if invited. As Rainer comments, "Only twenty-one percent of active church goers invite anyone to church in the course of a year. But only two percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church." He concludes: "Perhaps the evangelistic apathy so evident in so many of our churches can be explained by a simple laziness on the part of church members in inviting others to church."

One of the most devastating insights drawn from the research is the fact that most unchurched Americans feel themselves safe from the evangelistic reach of believing Christians. They do not sense that Christians are seeking actively to share the gospel with them, and many nonbelievers are actually wondering what makes Christians so reticent to talk about their faith. Furthermore, most of the unchurched indicate that their Christian friends have little actual influence on their lives.

The withdrawal of men from participation in many churches has led a good many researchers to believe that men are most highly resistant to the gospel. This is also born out by a great deal of experience in local churches. Nevertheless, Rainer's research indicates that most men are grouped in the middle categories, and show relatively low levels of interest in the gospel--either positive or negative. Indeed, this research indicates that unchurched Americans classified in U5--the most antagonistic category--are more likely to be women. As a matter of fact, women tended to predominate in both U1 and U5, perhaps indicating that women are more likely to place a high value on the issue of faith, and thus tend to be more passionately Christian or secular.

Unsurprisingly, Rainer also discovered that the U5s tend to be more highly educated, more wealthy, and more condescending toward the Bible than other Americans. This group is marked by an anti-supernatural bias combined with a secular lifestyle. One woman interviewed for the project said simply, "I have no need for the Bible. The Bible was written for very simple people. It was written to give moral and ethical guidance to uneducated people".

While it's sobering to read that more women than men are antagonistic to the gospel, it's more sobering in my opinion to read that so many unbelievers, men and women, have never been invited to church. It makes me evaluate how faithful I've been.

You can read more on Al Mohler's commentary.

Cancer Is No Hindrance to Outreach

I went with my friend, Madonna (no, not that one), to the hospital today. What's amazing about this trip is that she is recovering from major cancer surgery. The procedure was Tuesday and she was released Wednesday. On Thursday--her first full day at home--Madonna wanted to go back to the hospital. Her reason? She wanted to reach out to the other woman who was her hospital roommate, a survivor of brain cancer. So we headed to the hospital with roses and church invitations. As we were getting ready to leave, we offered to pray for Madonna's new friend. The patient who replaced Madonna in the hospital bed heard this and eagerly invited herself for prayer, too. So there we stood, holding hands with two strangers, praying for God's mercy in a cramped hospital room. I am confident that the Holy Spirit was working in every one of us at that moment.

Madonna's selflessness is amazing. I've seen God's sanctifying work in her life through this trial of recurring cancer. But to look at her, you'd never know it's been a tough few years. Instead of turning inward and indulging self-pity, Madonna has learned to trust her Savior and continue to serve others. She's not perfect--and I'm not trying to write a gushing bio of a good friend. But she's commendable. And I want to emulate her in any future trials.