Thank You Thursday

Today I continue my series of thanking women who have had an impact on my life and who have in one way or another influenced me to become the woman I am today. I'll be honest with this one - I'm not sure I remember her name correctly. But, our brief time together left it's imprint on my life.

Thank you Christy

I was in my twenties and on AOL (Who remembers the sweet sound of "You've Got Mail"). I aspired to be a better woman and was seeking out opportunities to meet other like-minded women who would challenge me and encourage me.

I met Christy on AOL and found that we had a lot in common. Our chats online proved to be a great encouragement to me. I had many questions and she gracefully had answers.

She was part of a group that sounded like it would be a great support to me. One where I could make friends and be encouraged to grow as a young woman. Christy was delighted to tell me more about it.

We agreed to meet for lunch one day. After lunch we would head over to my apartment and talk further. This would serve as my interview to join her group. If all went well, I would be in and on my way to becoming the better woman I longed to be.

I waited eagerly for our lunch date to arrive. I got to the restaurant a little early and waited for Christy to arrive. And I waited. And waited.

She finally arrived - almost an hour late. This was long before I had a cell phone and she had no way to reach me and let me know that something had come up at work and she would be late.

We did have a nice chat over lunch. By the time it was time to head over to my apartment, my lunch hour was long over and I declined. We never got to the interview. I never joined her group.

In my impatience, I had written her and her group off. My impatience held me back from a lot of things in that season of my life. It's sad to say that I may have missed a lot of blessings because I couldn't wait for them.

In the years since, I have become much more patient. If only it had happened so much more quickly ;-)

So for reminding me of how patience is a virtue and how much I need it in my life, I say thank you Christy.