People Crossing our Path

I like to think of everyone's life as a strand of thread that weaves through life sometimes crossing, overlapping, sometimes never touching another strand near by. God must be directing the weaving at least some of the time because there are too many "chance" encounters to chalk it up to luck. One of the most meaningful encounters of my life occured about 4 years ago. I went to middle school in Abilene, TX. My favorite subject was choir, my favorite teacher Mrs. Margarite Johnson. She was a black woman, soft spoken yet commanding all at once, and a good choir teacher. She once gave me a compliment I'll never forget. I was singing by myself for her and she remarked on the beautiful tone, pitch, quality of my voice. She always encouraged me, and I felt a bond with her. It was then my mind started to turn toward becomming a music teacher one day. My family moved in the 8th grade and life continued. I went to high school. I went to college. I got my music education degree. I taught a year in Dallas, and a year in California before ending up in The Colony, TX. My first year there I took my elementary choir to the Sandy Lake choir competition as the music teacher before me had done. My second year I did the same. Would you believe that there in the crowd of students and directors waiting for their scores I saw my beloved teacher from all those years ago? I ran over to her and before I could say a word she exclaimed, "Becky!" We sat and visited for a few precious moments. I filled her in on my current life, she informed me she was fighting cancer. We exchanged numbers on a slip of paper but never talked again after that day. She may be dead from cancer by now, or she may be retired, or maybe still teaching. I'll probably never run into her again. But now she knows. She knows she impacted my life. She knows I followed in her footsteps and that I admired her. I had the blessing of being remembered by her. I had the blessing of being able to pray for her fight with cancer. It was a mutual edification...a beautiful pattern weaved in that moment that can't be accounted for by coincidence.