Yesterday was one of those days that you pray will come along - and when it does it just sort of throws you for a loop.

So my friend "M" has been back in town, from London, for a little while (actually she flew back to London today so time has been a little too rushed!). We first met a few years ago doing makeup together. All my makeup friends know that I'm a Christian and are usually pretty happy talking to me and asking questions about it from time to time. But when "M" called and said she wanted to catch up over a coffee and chat - well let's just say that I didn't expected it to be quite so directed.

Long story short - M was in London for the bombings last year, and was supposed to be on one of the buses, but wasn't because she had just quite her job the day before. Since then she said she's been thinking about 'spiritual' things - why should she not have died or escaped that situation. M came back to Sydney for a break and met up with an old friend of hers (who I have also met before) - named N (ok - I know the initials are a little annoying but keep trying to follow, it's important for me to protect their privacy). After a late night of talking they realised that they have a lot in common, a lot of hard life experiences that have meant that they feel a 'spiritual connection' to each other. In their own way they love each other and their connection meant that they decided to get married. It's important to know at this time that when I met N, he was actively pursuing a gay lifestyle.

Their marriage is a sexless 'spiritual' one (as well as now legal). In M's words they are on a spiritual journey together. Which is why she wanted to speak to me and ask questions. She has felt the presence of evil in her life and so is on a quest to find the truth.

I sat and listened for a while, all the time praying for God's wisdom to know how to answer her questions and try and point her in the way of The Truth. After a basic gospel presentation I told her that I believe that (along with our own rebellion) evil (Satan) wants to pull us away from God and confuse our questions. We talked for ages and somehow I started talking about CS Lewis' book "The Screwtape Letters" (for those who haven't read it it's fictional piece written from the perspective of a snr devil to a jnr devil trying to tempt a Christian away from following Jesus - it's brilliant, go and get it if you haven't already read it). M was really interested in it and said she's track it down to read. After some more chatting, and more questioning I asked her if she'd be interested in going to a Christian bookshop then to go and get some books for her to read. Expecting that she's say know, I was stunned when she looked at me and said, "Really, you'd have time to take me?" (you better believe I was going to make time!)

We left Koorong with a bible, Screwtape Letters, A Case for Faith, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, essays debating the claims of Darwin vs Lewis and a couple of others. It was great. She kept on walking around saying that she never imagined that there could be so many books written about it, and wondered at how, unlike many other 'religions' Christianity is free to be questioned, challenged and investigated - that I/we could follow a God who is big enough to be questioned...

For those of you reading who are praying people can I please ask you to join me in praying for her - praying that God and His Holy Spirit will help her in her search for the Truth. That she wont be swayed by other human arguments but by His Word. Actually, maybe that's a good prayer for the rest of us too.