GOD ENCOUNTERS OF THE SWEET KIND

I don't know about you, but God seems to bring just the right people into my life at just the right time - chance encounters that really don't have a thing to do with chance.

It's been a rough couple weeks. Last week, I woke up at 3 a.m. with the worst sore throat. I never get sore throats, so in desperation, I practically OD'd on airborne. It helped but I was still dragging all week. The long weekend came, and I took the opportunity to rest up. Then this past Monday morning, I woke up at 4 a.m. with the stomach flu. Oh joy. I mean, really??? I spent the Monday holiday miserable and in self-imposed quarantine (so far, nobody else has caught it - keep praying that they don't!!).

Meanwhile, I had deadlines to meet and work to go to. I called off of work on Monday, and was immensely grateful for Tuesday to get myself back to normal (well, relatively speaking). On Wednesday morning, I had a list of things to do before I left for work and was feeling a tad bit frantic. The kids had a snow day which usually calls for fun but that day felt like a major fly in the ointment of my to-do list.

I went out to walk the dog, to calm down, to talk to God. Honestly, I think God gave me my dog for the express purpose that I have to walk him and that gives me time to clear my mind and refocus. Hey, God used a donkey to talk to Balaam. So, as I was praying, I gave over my anxieties to God, my stress of two jobs and a third one that was due this past week, of being sick and all of that.

It still isn't automatic, but God is teaching me (and I will admit to being a somewhat slow student) to practice Phil. 4:8,9. To not just recite the verses but to put them into practice. I got home in a much better frame of mind and found out I didn't have to go to work! I practically jumped for joy that I got to stay off of slick roads and got a chance just to get caught up. It was truly a blessing.

Today, I had an interview scheduled with a lady who for no other reason than God told her to, went to Africa. What a wonderful time of blessing to not just interview her but talk to her and share her excitement for what God does in our lives. She prayed with me when she got there and when she left - I still get all excited sometimes and forget to start things with prayer (keep repeating to self - am a work in progress). I felt like God had visited in our time together. I felt so refreshed and energized after our time together and some of the things she said were just affirmations to things God had been showing me.

What really blew me away, though, was that God used me to encourage her. Apparently, the timing of my call for the interview gave her encouragement that she was to keep on with what she is doing. It gave me chills to know that something I did was used by God so somebody else could keep doing what He called them to do.

It reminded me strongly of the verses I've been studying for Sunday school - about how we are all individuals with individual callings yet we are all one body and apart of each other. Isn't that awesome?

I really can't wait to see what God will do in 2011.
~ Blessings, Bronte