Stylin' in The Desert

I'm not a believer in coincidence or randomness. My faith tells me that God has a plan and that He works all things for good for those who love Him. So I try to view every event as meaningful in some way. I'm also not the quickest to catch on to what is going on. But, I try to be observant and I really try to understand what God is teaching me. I'm still trying to figure out this moving to Arizona thing. I guess that you go through something like grieving when you go through a big change like this. Someone I met out here gave me two books - "After the Boxes are Unpacked" and "Who Moved My Cheese". The first one has made me realize that I'm not crazy. Sadness, anger, all the emotional reactions to loss are normal with a big change. The second one is a parable about some mice and a maze. I'm not good with parables, similes, metaphors or any other symbolic forms of communication. But there was a question in the story that is sticking with me: "What would you do if you weren't afraid? ". I think that the point of the book is that change is inevitable, get ready for it, go with it, embrace it, make it work for you. But - What would you do if you weren't afraid?

Today I was at Target doing my usual tour of the store. I was looking at the exercise outfits - like I'm going to take up exercise! No - that is not what I would do if I wasn't afraid. Here is what happened - I was minding my own business when I looked up and saw a woman walking toward me. She was very purposeful as she came up to me and I realized she was about to speak to me. "Your outfit looks so good" she said. Now you know that I like to look good. But I'm not lying when I say that there was nothing special about what I was wearing today. Black shorts and a very large green shirt. No one knows me here so I dress down quite often. When I thanked her, she proceeded to tell me her life story. Do people do that to you? They do to me with some frequency. You have to think when that happens that there are either a lot of crazies around or God is about to speak to you. I don't believe in randomness. This sweet lady wanted to tell me how she has been blessed by God with the daily awareness of His closeness and His love for her and she likes to take the time to be kind to others. She wasn't preaching the gospel to me, just wanting to bless me. She survived a terrible accident and her outlook on life was amazing. She wasn't attractive (large moles all over her face and very badly crooked teeth), but she was radiant with the joy of the LORD. I honestly have never seen anyone like her. Perspective dawned for a brief second for me. What in the world do I have to be sad over? As she left she said "I remind myself everyday that if He isn't walking beside me today, He is carrying me".

I could look at this as a random encounter with "someone special "- that's what she called herself! But I want to believe this was a divinely orchestrated meeting. And I want to remember her and what she said. I want what she has - no fear.

What would I do if I wasn't afraid? I'd speak life to someone I don't know who needs a touch from the LORD every chance I get. What would you do?