So, in faith and much prayer, I had her driver pick me up and take me to her house.
Talking About Vampires and Other Spiritual Things
As soon as I entered her home, Mable began making us a snack in the kitchen. As I was helping her cut up some vegetables, she said, “You know, I’m not getting any younger. I’ve been thinking a lot about what will happen when I die. Will I go to heaven? Will there be enough room in heaven for everyone?”
I listened as she listed all of these questions she’d been pondering. I was amazed that she was the one bringing up spiritual issues, not me!
She then said, as if it were a side thought, “Huh. I never asked you what you do for a living!”
I had wondered if this question would ever come up. I was thankful that in the past year I had become a certified life coach. I explained, “I’m currently a life coach, but I would also like to be an author and speaker one day. Do you know what a life coach is?”
“Yes, I do. But in my opinion, the reason people hire a life coach is because the churches and mosques are not doing their jobs.”
I couldn’t have agreed with her more! I then explained how when I coach people, I use principles found in the Bible because there is practical advice there that can really guide our lives.
Mable then began to share more of her story. Her first husband (with whom she had her daughter) was Jewish. She asked, “What is the difference between Christians and Jews?”
I saw this as an opportunity to explain a little about Jesus.
“Really, the difference between Christians, Jews and even Muslims is their understanding of who Jesus was. Christians believe He was the Messiah that the Jews were waiting for. The Jews weren’t convinced. They thought a Messiah would free them from physical oppression from the Romans, rather than spiritual oppression from sin. Muslims see Jesus as a prophet, which He was. However, He was the only perfect prophet, and that’s significant. He was the only prophet who could adequately die in our place for our sins.”
She looked at me, pondered what I had said, and then asked, “Weren’t all of the prophets perfect?”
I smiled and said, “Nope! You know the prophet David, whom we call King David? Well, he committed adultery and then killed someone. Yet, he confessed his sin, still wanting to walk with God. He was a good man, but not perfect.”
Intently listening, Mable replied, “Oh! I didn’t know that. No one’s ever explained this to me.”
She then asked what I wanted to write about or speak on in the future. I told her that I wanted to write a book called The Vampire Who Changed My Life.
She looked at me, very intrigued, and said, “Really? Do tell! I love horror stories!”
I laughed a little and said, “Well, I don’t know if it’s really a horror story . . . but it certainly has a good ending!”
The next half hour I proceeded to tell her the story of Christy the vampire. I made sure to clearly share the gospel. I explained how Jesus was relevant even to a woman who thought she was a vampire.
Mable hung on my every word.
At the end of the story, she looked at me with big eyes and said, “I have never heard of someone’s life changing like that! That was incredible! Holly, I believe God has great purpose for you in this world.”
I once again had to laugh inside at how our God works. Who would have thought 13 years after Christy the vampire became a follower of Jesus, I would be able to share her story with a Muslim in the Middle East so that she could hear the gospel. Sometimes God’s strategies just make me smile and laugh.
As we stood by her wall of windows, looking out at the city lights, I said, “Mable, there’s one thing I believe God does with me. He enables people to trust me who usually have a hard time trusting people. Christy had a very hard time trusting anyone. And you admitted the other day that you, too, have no real friends. You haven’t even been able to tell your husband that you were pregnant or had a miscarriage, yet you trusted me. I was a stranger who popped into your life for just three short weeks as a student in your class. You had no reason to trust me. No reason to share with me your life, your pain. No reason to invite me to your house, or to the billionaire’s house, for that matter. But you did! I believe that God enables people to trust me so that I can share Jesus with them.”
Mable listened and nodded.
I continued, “I truly believe you were the reason I came to the Middle East this summer. God wanted to unite us in the midst of this time of tragedy in your life so that I could befriend you and tell you about Jesus.”
Just then the door opened, and Shady walked in. Perfect timing. God’s timing, which as always, is perfect.
