Letters to Ann

Dear Ann,

Approximately three years ago I was enjoying my coffee at Michele’s when a very unassuming lady came & sat next to me. We exchanged greetings & then somehow went on talking to each other.

She explained that she had been to a meeting where they do craft work in a suburb a little further over from me. She then decided she would catch a bus to Warners Bay, as the route to her home was better if she came to that destination rather than from where she had been.

I might have that mixed up a bit, but in any case she knew of the patisserie & I assume decided the coffee was good! We had a nice little chat & I also assumed when she left to catch her bus that I probably would never see her again.

Over a year later she came into the cafe again while I was there. I was not altogether sure that it was her until she came & sat next to me. I said “I know you don’t I?” She smiled & nodded in the affirmative, so we got chatting again just about things in general, nothing personal. I was very much warming towards this lady & I think she also felt very friendly towards me too.

I ascertained along the way that she was indeed a very committed Christian who had a great faith as she would mention the fact that the Lord told her to do this or that as she travelled along life’s path.

It was at this second meeting that I mentioned my interest in Emma, the little girl suffering from cancer, & that I was trying to get a prayer group going for her asking if she would like to participate. I think I have mentioned to you the fact that she simply said at this point “Why don’t we say a prayer for Emma right now?”
I am not used to saying my prayers in coffee shops, but there we were with heads bowed & this nice lady saying a beautiful & simple prayer for Emma. It somehow seemed seemed quite natural doing that together on the spot.

So we parted yet again & all I knew about her really was that she had a good old fashioned biblical name of Sarah & that she lived almost right into the heart of Newcastle city, which takes quite a time travelling on a bus to go & do craft work to where she goes plus a bus trip to my neck of the woods. However, this seems to be her pattern & I like it when we run into each other.

Then one night I was laying in bed thinking how I would like to tell Sarah what happened for Emma & Disney on Ice as it’s such a lovely & quite amazing story. However, I had no idea what her surname was or her telephone number so had absolutely no way of getting in touch with her.

So I phoned straight to heaven & as I said my prayers I asked that the good Lord would send her to Micheles patisserie again soon. I hadn’t seen Sarah for several months.

Four days later & I was at Micheles celebrating a friend’s birthday when I looked up & saw Sara standing at our table. I received such a lovely surprise at seeing her there that I jumped up & was quite emotional. We gave each other a great meaningful hug.

I think my amazement at seeing her in front of me was because Sarah was a long way from my mind at that moment & I wasn’t expecting my prayer to be answered so soon. I suppose I had in my mind that somehow she would walk in when I was on my own.

Ursula, Jean, Dawn & Sarah in Micheles Patisserie.

However, as the saying goes, “God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.” While this was not a wonder or in any way mysterious I think I was just so elated that my simple prayer had been important enough to be answered so soon. It didn’t take me long to understand why it was so.

I introduced Sarah to my friends, Ursula & Jean, who were at the table with me & explained we were just celebrating Ursula’s birthday. When Sarah sat & we all settled down again, Ursula continued to unwrap her gifts & I then heard the story of how Sarah came to be there.

Without going into details, I ascertained that Sarah had plans to catch another bus from where she had been but she told me the Lord said He wanted her to catch a bus to Warner’s Bay as she was wanted there.

Sarah says these things frequently when I am with her & makes it sound like it is so natural that the Lord speaks to her. I had to ask the question “Sarah is it an actual voice that you hear or is it some inner sense or something like that?”

From my own experience in life I do have an inner voice that I don’t hear directing me lots of times. It’s more of an inner sense. However, it is something that I have learnt from experience to take notice of as it is always right.

Sarah simply replied that no, it is a definite voice,  so(oh ye if little faith) I have to really believe it. Only once in my life did I actually hear a real voice in my head, which I told you about. When it happened I got such a shock that it reduced me to tears. My shock was evident to the person I was with at the time.

I therefore understand that some people do actually hear voices. I must say that Sarah talks about the Lord speaking to her as if it’s an every day happening & is very matter-of-fact about it.

The scriptures says that the Lord spoke to people on earth – Moses & Noah & many others – so I guess He can still make Himself heard in two thousand & seventeen.

Sara did tell me that as a younger person she told a group about the Lord speaking to her & someone said “Well, He doesn’t talk to me” to which Sarah replied in a matter of fact manner ‘Maybe you are not listening.” I expect that could be true.

I made sure as soon as Sarah sat down & I had told her about Emma that we exchanged surnames & phone numbers. Apparently the reason she had been directed to Warners Bay was two fold as it wasn’t long before Sarah & Ursula were doing some serious talking.

Apparently Ursula was carrying a heavy load about her granddaughter & was wanting some advice. I have no idea what it was about until later when Sarah rang me to let me know she arrived home safely. That phone call was only sponsored by the fact that I was getting so concerned when Sarah waa talking with Ursula so deeply that I prompted her, afraid that she would miss her bus when I had no need, she was already in the best of hands.

I have a lot to learn!

Love you. Dawn X O X O