Sister Sister

I have been called a lot of things in my life - some of them good and some of them I’d like to forget. But recently I got to speak at the Second Missionary Baptist Church of Columbia, MO and they called me something I’ve been waiting my entire life to be called. Sister. They called me Sister Robin May. And I loved it.

To be fair, lots of people have called me sister - as in, “hey sister” or they have referred to me as their sister in Christ. But for Sister (with a capital S) to be put in front of my name - and in print - was all new for me and very exciting.

While I’ve been doing speaking engagements for a few years now, this was my first opportunity to speak to a primarily black audience. When Phyllis, the event organizer, called and left a voicemail asking me to speak, I didn’t immediately recognize her name. But just before she hung up, she reminded me that she had been one of the nurses who gave my son his blood transfusions during his cancer treatment. “Oh, that Phyllis!” I thought as I remembered her warm smile and compassionate care. Without hesitation, I called her back and said YES!

See here’s the deal for me. There were so many people helping Matthew fight leukemia. So many people that kept him alive - literally. And Phyllis was one of them. I was beyond honored that she would ask me to speak at her church. This was an opportunity for me to give back to her in a small way, while also sharing what God has done in our lives with the people of her congregation.

The event was a few weeks before Christmas and was designed to help those who were grieving during the holidays. I had never heard of an event like this one but I loved it because the holidays can be such an emotional time for so many. They called it a healing ceremony, which I found ironic since it was Matt’s illness that originally connected me to them.

We ate. We played some games. We laughed and I spoke of God’s eternal, unchanging goodness even during days when life feels anything but good. Together we thanked God for making all things new and for using every tear and heartache to transform us and the world around us. I left that beautiful old brick building on the corner with my heart full - thankful for this church that had a heart to acknowledge how the brokenness of this world makes even great things, like Christmas, difficult.

If you’re planning an event and need a speaker, I’d love to be a part of your special event. My website is currently under construction so until it’s up and going (complete with speaking clips and details), please email RobinMayMinistries@gmail.com. It would be my honor to speak at your event, even if you don’t call me Sister Robin May.