A True Story: Susan and Saint Simons Island

Once upon a time (January 1998) in a town named Columbia, there lived a UMC pastor named Susan. The church where she served had had a VERY interesting year. They received their first woman senior pastor; they bought a $3m modern one floor huge former insurance building, and they had had a successful capital campaign. Susan's life had been eventful for some of the same reasons...but also for some very sad ones as well. She and her then-husband Philip realized that their marriage must end (though they still somehow, to this day, remain in many senses a family). They had decided this in September of 1997, but did not want to tell the church until the capital campaign, and the building move were over. And so they had planned that Philip would move out on February 1. Sad. But then a terribly unexpected horrible thing happened---Susan's older sister Ellen was found murdered in her home the same weekend that Susan and Philip were to tell their children about the separation (Martin Luther King weekend). A former handyman, high on cocaine, who was later sentenced to life in prison with no parole, wheedled his way into her home, stabbed her to death and took everything of any value in her home, stealing also her car. Life for all of Ellen's family has never been the same.

It was a very dark time. And the people at that church in Columbia kept asking their pastor what they could do to help. And, finally, she said, "You know, I could stand a week at the beach," and lo and behold, those good Community (the name of the church) folks sent her all expenses paid to Saint Simons Island Georgia---which is, as we Methodist folks know, an interesting historical stop along the way to the Wesleyan Revival.

Well, it was Valentine's Day 1998 when Susan arrived at the King and Prince Hotel (swanky, swanky--the church folks spared no expense) late in the afternoon. Early that evening, feeling a little sorry for herself and not knowing exactly what to do, she decided to take a book (a collection of Flannery O'Connor short stories) and go down to the lobby and sit and read. Why she did this, she isn't quite sure now. But, but, it proved to be a very momentous if serendipitous decision. As she sat down at a table near the bar (note: NEAR the bar), and opened her book, she heard a gaggle (5 or 6) women her age descend upon one of the tables in the bar---no men, all women, having a good time. Susan went back to her book; but within 5 minutes, 2 of the gaggle were standing at her table saying, "What in the world are you doing sitting here alone reading depressing short stories on Valentine's Day??? Come and play with us!!!" Those two women were Jane and Anne. And they have remained good friends ever sense. Both are school teachers--Jane an art teacher and Anne teaches fourth grade. They had a great time that night, and Susan can't describe over the last ten years how many other times she has had a great time with these women, and some of their friends. Like tonight, when Anne and Susan met for dinner (see picture--sorry about the quality, but the smiles are real). As Susan started coming down about twice a year, sometimes staying at a less expensive hotel, at others staying at Epworth By The Sea, sometimes getting a vacation rental house or apartment, she realized how much like "home" St Simons had come to feel. Her son Caleb has become an admirer of Jane's son Anthony and his girlfriend who sings with "Circle Takes the Square." She also performed the marriage of Jane's other son two years ago. And three years ago, Susan bought (well, she and National City Mortgage bought) a small condo in the center of the island for retirement...it is rented out on a year's lease.

And it all began when a couple of teachers, whose eyes were open to a woman they had never met who looked like she needed to have some fun. Wow...a story of evangelism, I guess, at its best. John and Charles might not have been very successful in their ventures here, but a couple of women, Jane, a non-practicing Jew, and Anne, the small Scottish woman in the picture who is strongly Presbyterian (surprise, surprise) made a real difference in this woman's life because they had the kindness and courage to reach out to...yes, me. Praise Jesus.