Yours are the Eyes
Sharyl Stommes, Gift of Mary Missionary
Miranda! A woman who absolutely intimidated me at first, haha. I first noticed Miranda outside when I started as a missionary in 2024. She was normally out by her well used car with her man and dog. They were a young couple whose appearance was that of some heavy-duty drug use, and a posture that gave off the impression of “we don’t want to be bothered.”
At some point years ago, I worked up enough courage to walk down the sidewalk and get close enough to make eye contact with Miranda and ask if she’d like to come down to the day center. She gave a quick “nah I’m good” and immediately turned away and went back to chatting with her man. Strike one. Over the course of the next year, I would occasionally invite her down to the day center but she always said no. There was something about this woman, maybe it was the red hair and freckles, I don’t know, but I was so wanting to just talk to her. There was something so drawing about her!
Last winter, Miranda came down. I remember my eyes went wide when I saw her sitting down with a coffee and donut. Now we regularly have some “rough” appearing women come in, and I am far from timid. But there was something about Miranda that just made me feel she was pretty “rough” and I was just ridiculous in her eyes, haha. I prayed “at last Lord! I just want to talk to her so badly. Help me strike a conversation.” I walked over, said hi with enthusiasm and for some reason, next thing I know, I am talking about this YouTube video of a twenty-year-old McDonalds cheeseburger that a woman saved in her closet and the cheeseburger didn’t rot or mold. Was this the Holy Spirit? Who knows, but God’s ways are mysterious. Nevertheless, she was so interested in the video, we chatted and laughed a bit, and then I got caught up in other things. And that was my first somewhat substantial interaction with Miranda.
The following day, I am standing down the hallway on bathroom duty and Miranda comes over and says “Hi I'm here with a friend I was telling her about that McDonalds YouTube video you showed me; can you show her?” I was shocked and elated. Thank you, Jesus, for the corrupt ways of McDonalds food, it gave way to another conversation with Miranda, haha...
She started coming in a little bit more frequently, and I quickly learned she was a patient, caring woman with a great sense of humor (usually subtly joking about the other women’s wild behavior’s sometimes haha). The next time she came in, I learned that Miranda was born in Pittsburgh, sadly abused by her uncle, and her dad’s drug and alcohol addiction led to Miranda’s addiction as a teenager. She shared how even when she was in jail for 18 months, she still used. (Eye opening about the jail system. There are ways and people find them. Miranda was a mother to three kids, one boy and two girls. She lost her infant boy to SIDS, and her twelve-year-old daughter to an asthma attack. Her oldest daughter is 17 years old but has no contact with Miranda. She also is unable to use her right arm (and is in chronic pain) because of a torn rotator cuff but refuses to get surgery done because she does not want to be exposed to pain meds again. “I have never talked about any of this,” she says. I do not understand how people carry burdens like this. I don’t. But God finds a way to encounter their hearts, and slowly and gently his Love brings consolation. Not always answers, but comfort. And he does that through us. “Yours are the eyes through which Christ looks with compassion on the world.” (St. Teresa of Avila). His heart is drawn to them through our own. I was so drawn to Miranda and thank you, Lord, for the McDonalds conversation that allowed your encounter of compassion to come from it. Please pray for us as we continue to discern how to best love and support Miranda!