GOOD-BYE MY KITCHEN TABLE FRIEND -- Lottie Thurman March 16, 1936 - May 20, 2017

Good friends are precious gifts from God.  As I grow older, so does my gratitude for those closest to me. And as I say good-bye to this dear one with whom I have shared so much, again I am aware –

That intimacy takes time and effort.  At times sweat and tears.

Sometimes those efforts and blessings are accomplished over years.  Other times, God plants people in our path, allowing the Holy Spirit to do not only a “fast work” but,

A “deep work.”

In my life – Lottie Thurman fell in the latter camp.

I only knew her for 7 years.  We accomplished much in those 7.  We prayed together on Wednesdays as a general rule, but prayer time for us was an adventure.  We could count on it!!

And, it was always done at Lottie’s large solid oak table. Chattering began as soon as I crossed over the threshold of her front door, often dashing to her bathroom to relieve my “aging bladder.”  Didn’t distract our line of sharing the week’s events one whit – I cracked the bathroom door and we talked and chuckled even as I sat on the throne.  Nothing was outside the purview of discussion.  Obama vs. Bush, war versus peace, barbecue versus well – no discussion

.

 Our Wednesdays started with talking about our week, our general condition, what we were cooking, how smoothly life was going (or not), the garbage man out front, the neighbor renovating the house across her street, the new woman who moved in next to me, and where were we going for lunch?

 We hung out on the front porch in the summer, cackling and howling with laughter, often, -- just because.  Because it was a joy to be together.  Often in restaurants people would approach us and ask if we were related to one another – another woman came up after an event we had attended and said, “You two are having so much fun, have you known each other all of your lives?” Once when we were waiting in a doctor’s office, a woman also waiting beside us said, “You act like best-friend sisters!” Lottie, of course did not miss a beat, “We are sisters!!  Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ!”

 For those who don’t know.  Lottie Thurman was a black woman, born in Marks, Mississippi to sharecroppers, who married a military man,  birthed four boys, was widowed, and went on to become a registered nurse, and also earned several other degrees enabling her to serve as a school nurse for 27 years in Dayton, Ohio. In 2003 she came to Portland, OR, whereupon she immersed herself into life in the Pacific Northwest, which included in a big way, Life Change Church.

And for those who probably might know, I am a white woman, born in Chicago, Illinois, raised and educated in the Midwest until I came to Portland, OR in 1976. I am twice married, birthed one son, lost a stepson, and earned a degree in Journalism. Though writing always was a part of my life in some fashion, I never held a job for more than seven years, and began attending Life Change Church in 2009.

In short, we were from different cultures, had vastly varied experiences, and yet –

People viewed us as sisters.  I have my own view of why that was true.  Fun and everyday life we shared; but prayer truly was the bond.

Lottie enjoyed life.  But in everything, with everything, and through everything, God stood strong in the center.  She was an intercessor at the very core of who she was.  And as a fellow intercessor, I enjoyed partnering with her, learning from her, and watching with her. 

As a fellow intercessor, I would be truly remiss if I did not speak about my joy of interceding with Lottie, and her joy as being an intercessor!  As with any intimate relationship, conversation and connection is key.  And so it is with prayer.  Lottie knew how to connect, how to listen, with God and with other people.

And,

They knew it.  Part and parcel of who she was, a light shining on a hill, people came to her to depend, and partake, of her light through who she was, and how she prayed.  I was no different, and as we partnered in prayer, God was faithful to us as a team, and as sisters, one to another.  We learned much about love – we went to the mat with those things we felt strongly about—mostly culture and politics, and when neither of us backed down, we took a deep breath, walked about the house, and sat back down to either work through the matter at hand, or to agree to disagree.

 

But prayer always followed.  Always. 

And God always answered.  Always.

Good-bye my friend.  Good-bye.  I will revel in seeing you on the other side.