Why I Know It Will Work Out
I was sitting with two of my white middle-aged friends at Zaxby’s. Laughing, chatting, eating.
When she came up . . .
She was a 20ish black lady. She asked if she could ask us a question.
Of course, we said.
It was about hair. She was in cosmetology school and was wondering about certain perms that white ladies use.
But was it really about hair?
No. It was much better than that.
This brave young woman was bridging a gap. Intentionally.
She said she’s always known about one kind of hair from just one kind of friends. She wanted now to branch out, to learn more about other people.
It made my heart soar.
This is why we’ll make it.
This I how I know it will all work out.
When God sends one person to approach another person not just despite their differences, but because of their differences, we’re going to be okay.
We had a lovely chat. We did talk about hair. But we also talked about her little boy, our “strong” laughs (she said), and about our prayers for her success in her upcoming career.
It may have looked like just one black woman and three white women at Zaxby’s.
But, oh, it was so much more than that.
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How has God sent encouragement to you lately? Please share in the comments.
I love this Lisa. You pegged it right when you said it wasn’t about hair. It was about life. I’m even more excited that you and your lady friends included her in your laughter and discussion. Shows who you three are.
Thanks, Bill. It was an unexpected time of encouragement that seemed small on the surface but was large underneath. Go, God.
These are exactly the moments that give us hope. Thank you for sharing that hope with us! (stopping by from Holley’s)
You’re welcome, Debby. I love these type of moments too! They can’t be predicted, but just allowed to unfold as God would have it.
I love that she broke social norms and struck up conversation. It’s a great reminder to me to always be friendly to others around me instead of being so focused on what I’m doing.
Exactly. She was more friendly than I would have been. 🙂 I tend to be too project-focused instead of people-focused. But I know her way is the better one. Thanks for stopping by, Valerie.
Hi Lisa,
I’m laughing at you being at Zaxby’s (I do love their little slices of Texas toast that come alongside a salad!) and what a delightful conversation you had! Encounters like yours do give us a fresh dose of hope and encouragement to keep connecting, keep reaching out and to keep moving forward trusting that things will work out!
I do love Zaxby’s toast, too, Valerie. Lots of butter. 🙂 Our encounter was definitely a shot in the arm to keep hoping and keep noticing the best in people.
This is beautiful, Lisa. Comments about hair are such good conversation starters, aren’t they? 🙂 It sounds like all of you were encouraged by that sweet encounter!
Yes, hair conversations are universal. 🙂 I wish I had her here now to work on my hair. ha. It was a sweet moment and maybe we’ll run into her again around town. Or at Zaxby’s! She was applying for a job there as well.
What a sweet encounter and a brave young woman!
She definitely showed a lot of courage to initiate a conversation with total strangers. There are many great young people stepping up behind us!
Happy Anniversary to you!????
Wow!
Love the quotes and this post too….what do you know…bridging gaps with hair. Lovely idea.
Blessings to you friend
Thanks, Ifeoma. It doesn’t seem like it’s been 8 years since I started blogging. It’s been so fun getting to meet people from around the world like you! Yes, hair continues to bridge gaps of all kinds. God is good.
What a wonderful, uplifting and hopeful vignette you’ve given us, Lisa!
Little moments in the day. But big meanings behind them. Thanks for reading, Andrew.
So thankful for glimpses of HOPE like this! I’m really glad you shared this story. How easy it would have been for the young woman to stay disconnected—to not step out of her comfort zone… and for you ladies to not invite her in. Kudos to all for bridging the too-deeply-dug chasm!
I appreciated her effort too. Especially with all the events this year, it meant even more to me. I continue to believe that most people do really want to come together and make things work out for the good. Thanks, Susan.
Lisa,
What a great story! And thanks for the 31 quotes of grace and CONGRATS on 8 years…Wow! And yes, it is always more than just hair 🙂
Thanks, Dolly. I don’t think I realized 8 years ago that I’d still be doing this. 🙂 And I keep changing my hair every year too. Always something to talk about. ha.
Oh, how deeply we need more people to bridge these gaps. I love hearing a beautiful story of brave women who see the outside and press forward to know the inside!
Well put, Becky. This young lady was a beautiful example of just that: seeing the outside but pressing forward to know the inside.
That’s awesome, Lisa. Those are the little things that give us hope. It’s great that she had the wisdom to ask about things on the outside that have zero bearing on the inside… which is all our Father really cares about anyway.
This young woman was definitely wise beyond her years. I wonder if it took her awhile to get up her courage or if she just felt moved and immediately acted on it. Whichever, I’m glad she was sensitive to the Spirit’s tug. It made all the difference to my day! And I hope I’ll have the courage to follow in her footsteps.
What a neat experience! May we all be intentional about focusing on learning about others and bridging that gap!
It was definitely a God-moment. We just never know how he’s going to pop in and use people around us to reveal himself to us!
Amen! I *love* this Lisa! and I loved seeing Simone Biles and Aly Raisman embracing each other, celebrating their amazing accomplishments last night in Rio. Their sweet, juxtaposed, faces will stay with me a long time. To me, they are a symbol of what this country CAN be – who we ARE as Americans. Those two sweet little girls gave me hope. (Eight years, WOW – good for you!)
That’s a great example, June. I find it interesting that America is one of the few countries in the Olympics that you can’t automatically tell just by looking which country is being represented. We have so many beautiful and different shades of people here. I love that!