An Email from a Stranger

For most of my life, I have written notes and letters to strangers. I cannot even begin to tell you when or why it started. I wrote about one of the stories in 2005 and posted it on the Internet. I called it, "Letter to a Stranger."

As a result of that posting, I have been the recipient of TWO emails from complete strangers recently. The first was from a woman who shares my name on Facebook. She forwarded me an email that she mistakenly received from a gentleman in Saudi Arabia.

This was the text of her email to me and the message from the stranger:

Dear Michele,

I recieved fan mail meant for you (you and I share the same name) on Facebook. Best of luck with your writing!

Your reader wrote:

"Hello Ms. Michele,

I guess you are the one who wrote the wonderful, inspirational story "Letter to a Stranger," right? My heart was so touched and deeply moved for the most beautiful heart touching article I have ever read in my life. The story had a very positive impact on my life. It greatly warmed my heart and gently touched my soul. Your writing style is beautiful enough to fascinate the readers.

Best regards,
Hamza Balol
Saudi Arabia

If you are wondering what touched Mr. Balol so deeply, please allow me to explain it to you by sharing the original post:

"Letter To a Stranger"
by Michele Starkey

I stop every morning for coffee at our local Dunkin' Donuts. After doing this every day for almost five years, you begin to notice the same morning people and you develop a sort of "Hi - how are you?" conversation with them. One of the morning people is the man who manages the local car dealership. This particular morning, I noticed that he was not his chipper self. I provided the polite, "Hi, how are you?" only to be met with "Not so good. My friend has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He's not coping well."

I prayed about it all day long and that inner voice that has come to guide my path began to relentlessly urge me to do something. I wrote a letter to a stranger:

Dear Kevin,

I don't know you but it's important to tell you that I am praying for you. I met up with your friend, Bob, at Dunkin' Donuts this morning and he told me a little about your circumstance. I suffered and survived a brain hemorrhage in March of 1999. I was flown via helicopter to Westchester Medical Center and underwent 11 hours of brain surgery. A second surgery followed the next day to install a brain shunt in my head. It was a horrid time in my life. My mother began to tell people about my unfortunate event and they began to pray for me - many of the people were total strangers.

While I spent six long weeks in the neuro ICU ward, a miraculous thing began to happen. I started to be at peace with myself. Total peace. I can hardly explain it to you. I was never really a religious or spiritual person, but I began to feel God's healing presence with me. I was no longer afraid or angry at my situation. I surrendered to total acceptance and was prepared to accept whatever come what may.

As it turned out, I recovered - against all odds - and even opened a fitness franchise for women. This, in spite of the fact, that the doctors were so sure that I would have physical and mental deficits. Imagine that.

I don't know where you are in your walk with God, but I can tell you that no matter what you are facing, no matter how dire the situation may seem at the moment, you don't have to walk alone. The peace of God's presence can walk with you if you open your heart and allow Him to reveal himself to you.

I believe in the power of prayer. I am praying for total and absolute peace to overwhelm you. Ask God, He listens.

May the grace, mercy and peace of Jesus Christ enter your heart, your life and fill you with an abundance of calm to face any storm.

I will be praying for you just like so many kind-hearted strangers prayed for me. It's the least that I can do.

In His Love and mine,
Shelly

I dropped the letter off at the car dealership and asked the receptionist to give it to Bob. She told me that Bob wasn't in at the moment because he was at the hospital visiting a friend. I nodded, "I know. The letter is for his friend." When I walked back outside to my car, I noticed how particularly beautiful the sunset was. God must have been smiling. I know I was.

(Originally posted by Michele Starkey, copyright 2005)

Source: http://www.2theheart.com/march30_05