By Patti Jo Bach Once when I served on a team in Europe, I was concerned about one of the pilgrims. She put on a stern, sullen face from the moment she walked in. During the first day and a half, she kept to herself and chose not to participate. But after many of the speakers had shared testimonies of how they had overcome difficulties, she gradually started to relax and become more open. I was relieved when I heard her laughing at the skits and saw her join in the worship. In chapel, she shared her insights about the truths given from God’s Word, and she shed tears when details of Christ’s sacrifice were explained. The hammering to the cross of burdens and names of those people we chose to forgive in our lives was deeply felt, and she hammered with all her might. Then when the servant team washed the pilgrims’ feet, including hers, she wept. We all listened intently when she came to the microphone at closing service to tell what the three days meant to her. “I found my heart again!” She said. “I have been a military police woman for several years in a unit of all men and had become so hardened that I could no longer cry or feel anything. But this weekend my stone heart has been made pliable again, and I am stronger in a new way. “I have joy once more and believe I can trust in the grace of God. I return to my family as a wife and mother who can once again feel and show love, which I had become incapable of.” We all praised our Lord and embraced her. We pictured how thrilled her husband would be as they headed for home! Patti Jo welcomes your comments. Send to pattijobach@gmail.com.