I’m sitting in one of my places, Starbucks on Talmadge. I sit at a round table to the left of the door and I pull up another round table when it’s not crowded because I need room to spread out my work.
The Talmadge Starbucks is one of my places; I’ve claimed a lot of other places in my lifetime, too many to recount here.
I believe that there is nothing random about my path, about the people I’ve encountered, about the opportunities I’ve discovered, the places I’ve lived.
Saturday afternoon, I sat down on a plane next to a girl named Sam. She missed her early morning flight and sat at the airport all day waiting to get on Air Tran Flight 166 from Atlanta to Detroit. When she got on the plane, she sat down next to the window, in row 14.
I joined Sam in row 14. We talked; she’d been reading a book at school about a plane crash and she felt nervous about flying. I asked her if she believes in God. She told me a really cool story about her father, and heroin addiction, and how Jesus saved his life when doctors told him that if he continued his drug abuse, he’d be dead within the month.
After a while, she turned to me and told me that she wants to be a writer.
Sam, I don’t know if you’ll read this, but I want you to know that it is no accident that you missed your flight and we sat together on Saturday. I believe that God brought us together for a reason, and if I can help you on your path toward becoming a writer, I’d like to.
Because, though it sounds like a cliche, I believe everything happens for a reason.
Everything is full of purpose.
So Friday evening, when I sat in a new friend’s living room in Atlanta, I felt sure, overwhelmed, and happy and SURE, that I was exactly in the place I was meant to be.
And how I got there, well, that’s a long story that involves so many detailed connections that had to add up just right to make sure I got to where I needed to be. I can trace it back, step by step, and if I missed even one of the steps, I might have ended up somewhere completely different.
Except that I didn’t. Except that I ended up exactly where I needed to be.
I am in awe of all that God does in my life every single day that could seem random but isn’t.
How I’ve met people on Twitter, connecting with them, a few out of millions. Now God is weaving our lives together through significant work together.
Where I live, where I go, what I say, and what I do, makes a difference.
Where you live, where you go, what you say, and what you do makes a difference.
There are no accidents.
You are exactly where you need to be, right now.
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. – Acts 17:26
Tell me something! What are your places? What seems random in your life, but isn’t? What are you in awe of today?
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.
Becky,
Thank you for sharing such a powerful post! How many times do we pass by angels, miracles, etc. unaware? Today I was recounting the great friends and connections I have made and I was overwhelmed. It gave me the gas to keep on pushing on, despite the many challenges and handicaps that keep on cropping up.
Kimunya
Amen. Throughout my life, God has brought people along that I assumed would be short-term “projects”. He keeps popping them into my life when I least expect it – bringing them back when they need encouragement and He allows me to be the one to work with them for His glory. It’s humbling and an honor and completely pushing me out of my comfort zone, but it’s also exactly what I need to remind me of what’s really important in life. Eternity. May we continue to be clean vessels for Him to use, whether it’s on an airplane or in Starbucks or a pharmacy or online. 🙂
I am always in awe of God’s direction & foresight, how there is no “random” in His plans for us. Not the people we meet, not the hobbies we discover, not the places we end up. They’ve all been planned on purpose for us, for a certain time and a specific reason. Comforting, in a way. Exhilarating in a way, too.
Terrific post Becky. Thank you for sharing.