"Miss Dodie, will you be my friend?"

She grew up in church, but over the years for various reasons, she and most of her family had wondered away from their faith. Although she came to Coastal alone, she did not stay that way. She invited her friends. And they came, one after another - a close friend, a neighbor, a sister. That's right, her sister Tammy. Tammy had recently moved back to Charleston after being medically discharged from the Air Force with MS. When she came back to Charleston, she started coming to Coastal with Cindy. Tammy's health quickly deteriorated. She had a stroke and went into a coma.

Over the months ahead I met the rest of Cindy's family, brothers - Lee & Bobby, Dad - Murray, and Mom - Dodie. We frequently saw each other in the hospital. I would regularly go and see Tammy. I'd talk, pray, read scripture, and believe it or not, when it was just me and Tammy I would sing. You'd come out of a coma too if you heard me sing. Most of the time I would take my almost 3 year old daughter Lydia with me. Janet was teaching and Lydia stayed with me. She went everywhere I went.

I remember having many conversations with Cindy about her family and their spiritual journey. We were having a Friend Day at Coastal and I told Cindy she should invite her mom and dad to come. I remember Cindy saying that there was no way they would come, too much time had passed. They definitely wouldn't come to a church like ours. I told Cindy not to give up. We would pray and work on it together. I definitely felt like I had earned the right to share. I had built a relationship with them over many months seeing Tammy. But for whatever reason, I also felt like I needed something more - an "ace in the hole" so to speak.

And then it was as clear as anything I've ever felt led by God to do. Lydia would invite her! The Bible says to be gentle as a dove but wise as a serpent (I don't need to tell you who was who in our little plan). No mom could look into her eyes and say no (I know her dad couldn't). We practiced for days. The week before Friend Day I took Lydia to the card shop in South Windemere Shopping Center where Dodie worked. Dodie walked up to us and I told her that Lydia wanted to ask her something. She leaned down and Lydia said, "Miss Dodie, will you be my friend?" I explained that we were having a Friend Day and Lydia wanted her to come as her friend. She looked down at Lydia, looked up at me with that look - you know the look, "Ooohhh you're goooood." And then she looked back at Lydia and said, "Yes, I will be your friend."

She came to church on Friend Day. And she never stopped coming. Lives were forever changed by the only one who changes lives - Jesus. It was and is a miracle. Talk to Cindy. She'll tell you. I don't have the time or space here but ask Cindy about how those 7 words changed the trajectory of her entire family for generations to come.

Dodie died this morning. She had been battling cancer and it's many health related issues for 2 years. Cindy lost her mom. I lost a friend. But this one thing I know, Dodie was a friend of God and we will see her again! There are so many thoughts racing through my mind today. But this one thing is as clear today as it was 13 years ago, we are here to penetrate this culture with the good news of Jesus Christ. God called me to start a church that would reach out to people who don't know Him. Who are you inviting to church? Who will you make sure is in church on Easter Sunday - the greatest Friend Day of them all? Who are you praying for? Who are you building relationships with? Let's pull out all the stops. Join me in the adventure of a lifetime! There really is more to LIFE! Coastal - see you Sunday! Dodie - see you one day!