Sixty-four years ago Sue and I were in the same Sunday School class at Prayer House Tabernacle on Baseline Road.  Her grandparents were among the founders of a new church that started with a real sawdust carpet and folding chairs.  What fun for two four-year-olds.  We had a bell that was manually rung on Sunday mornings by her grandfather who pulled a rope hanging in the vestibule.  Sometimes       he let one of us kids pull the rope to ring it.  It was a time of fun and of learning about God and making friends.  The Green family attended the church too but we were not that interested because they didn’t have any girls to play with.

Sue spent Sundays at my house when possible…until her family moved to another state.  What a great reunion we had when she returned.  As we did through the years, we picked up right where we left off.  She told me how her wonderful and caring mother protected her and her brother from an angry step-father by putting them on a bus with notes pinned to their shirts saying “please help my children.  They are going to my parent’s home in Little Rock.”  I’m glad I was there to listen to her scary story.

Through the years, we grew and went our own ways only to reconnect after years, talking for hours to catch up.  Sue had better clothes than I did and I had no expensive toys or money to go anywhere but Sue didn’t care.  She liked me for who I was.  We would sit outside in the shade and giggle about nothing.  One day my mom canned green beans and had quarts jars stored under beds and everywhere.  Sue made stepping stones of them, not knowing she was breaking the seals.  We ate green beans for a week I’m sure, but my mom didn’t get mad.  I just had to learn to tell Sue what we could do and not do and that was a “not do.”

When Sue got married she wanted me in her wedding but I didn’t have money for a dress.  Her wonderful mom solved that problem for us and I was able to wear a dress like the other girls.  When I married, Sue gave me a shower.  Then along came a beautiful baby girl for Sue and before long I had my own. When I babysat with Judy, she enjoyed having the other kids to play with. We shared garden vegetables and Danny shared peppers he grew and even taught me how to cook them. Danny is a good cook. 

I went back to college and then worked while Sue managed apartment complexes and made costumes for Judy’s riding competitions.  She could do about anything.  Over the years we laughed at her for having had so many jobs that at one job interview they asked what kind of experience she had and she said, “What kind do you need?” 

Over the years we often parted ways and then reconnected as though no time had passed.  One day Danny and Sue knocked on my door, delirious with joy.  Talking at the same time, they told me how God had saved their lives in a terrible wreck, healed Sue of cancer, and had called them to service for Him.  They didn’t yet know how or where but they were ready.

Little did we know growing up that Sue had multiple sclerosis and I had systemic lupus.   I believe we were put together to help and encourage each other over the years.  But Sue was almost always positive about her illness.  Only once did I hear her question God about her situation and even then, she turned it into a blessing for thousands.   

“I can’t work for God stuck out here in the hills of Shirley, Arkansas with MS,” she said. We cried and I tried to encourage her.  “Well,” I said, “God expects us all to help others and sometimes we are all expected to be on the receiving end, otherwise, people wanting to help others would have no one to help. Needing and accepting help completes God’s plan.”

“And,” I added, “there is always prayer.  It is one thing we can always do and we forget the importance of it.”   

“Yes,” Sue answered. “Granny used to pray for hours and we knew we had better not interrupt her.  Granny and your mom were true prayer warriors.”

The next time I heard from Sue, she and Danny had established a non-denominational prayer line.  She had gone to all the local churches and invited participation.  Before long, missionaries and individuals from all over the world were calling in prayer requests to them, often in the middle of the night due to the different time zones.  Requests were forwarded by phone and email to prayer groups and volunteer warriors.  Sue had turned her negative situation into a positive one that helped thousands. 

Sue was the perfect friend.  A true friend is one who loves you for no other reason than because you are you.  I’ll never have another friend like Sue.