God works in some pretty amazing ways!
Today started pretty normal. I had the day off from work and had a dentist appointment scheduled in the morning. I planned on going to look at a few cameras that I might want to take on the Race, get my hair cut, and buy groceries. I went to the dentist as planned and was headed to look for some cameras when I stopped at Chick-fil-A for lunch.
Ever since my fundraising goal was revealed to me it has been on my mind constantly. When I finished eating I had the idea to talk to a manager about the possibility of working on a fundraising event together, so I walked up to the counter and began to explain to him my situation. As we were talking I noticed that a few girls stood up from a booth near the table I was sitting at. They began walking towards us. The manager and I finished our conversation, so I turned away towards the door. The girls who I noticed walking towards me had stopped a few feet behind us and as I began walking away they started to ask me a question. “Did I hear you say something about the World Race?”
I responded by telling them that I was going on the Race in August of this year. The girls proceeded to tell me that they are going on a trip from AIM as well. We walked over to the booth they were previously sitting at and I met the other two girls that were with them. After a short conversation they asked to pray for me. There we stood in the middle of Chick-fil-A, the girls with their hands on my shoulder praying for me and my journey with the World Race. What they didn’t know, and probably won’t know until they read this, is that praying aloud for people while in their presence is something that I have been struggling with. Their prayer for me was moving and such a blessing, but the very act of prayer in such a public place with someone they just met five minutes ago had marked me. It was more encouraging than they probably realized.
We returned to our conversation and that is when they shared with me that they felt like they were supposed to spend the morning in Chick-fil-A and the Spirit may have prompted them to stay there longer than they intended. They also revealed to me that they were dropped off in Suwanee earlier in the week (none of the girls were from Georgia) and they still had to find their way to the Adventure in Missions office where a vehicle was waiting for them. It turns out, I was supposed to be their ride.
I was able to go home to borrow the van, meet the group back at Chick-fil-A, and drive them to the office. It was pretty convenient because I hadn’t been to the offices yet and was eager to see them during training camp. Also, this little adventure seemed much more exciting than the plans I had already made. We arrived at the offices and they kindly gave me the grand tour! It was nothing like what I expected, but much better! It looked like a great place to work and the few people that were still in the office were very welcoming.
All in all, today’s events were completely unexpected and perfectly timed. Recently I had been doubting myself regarding the whole fundraising aspect of the trip. I often thought I didn’t know enough people to raise the amount of money needed for the trip. Today reminded me that no matter how many people I know or how many people I can call a friend, God has a plan for me. He called me to the World Race and he isn’t going to just leave me hanging. He has divine appointments lined up for me. I just need to be faithful, trust in him, and play my part.
