One of my professors from my Master’s at Texas State, loves a book called When God Winks and it often comes up in our conversations! She leans into this book as a reference to celebrate and honor special and remarkable moments in our lives.
Well last week I was at a conference ready to learn all the new research and trends for Recreation Therapy.. Which I did… but also so much more! During my first session about leadership and understanding your strengths as a leader, there was this girl randomly making comments from behind the podium about the slide shows ability and various other things. This girl ended up joining the session progressively more as her assistance with slide show ended and the interactive part began. Then I realized she was engaged in the activity and I found her quite peculiar and intriguing! We were participating in an activity where we sat knee to knee expressing our feeling to questions provided where your partner had to listen without speaking and then reverse the question to the partner. After each question one of the partners switch places and then you were given a new question even more exposing. ( it was a discussion with a stranger each time!!) The questions were similar to… who are you?, what is something you said no to that you originally said yes to?, or who is the person you won’t forgive? This girl was so expressive and involved in the activity and she kept getting closer to me with each question. Then the activity ended with this girl three people away. The session continued into the afternoon with learning team building skill and new perspectives. This girl walked straight up to me and said I feel like you have laughed out load a few times today… as we were learning about each other by finding people who match certain statements. From that point I met this girl and her name is Emily, and by the end of the day my co-worker Erin and I made a great new friend. We ended up hanging out for the next 4 days and she is such a neat person! Meeting her was a wink from God… she gives me such a different perspective of people and life. We spent time discovering Oklahoma City, sharing dinners, and participating in the fun oddities of conferences! Emily is from Minnesota and she is so funny and expressive and transparent! She was a person who celebrates your small happiness with you and sees the goodness and greatness around her! She has inspired me in a way that uniquely prepares me for the trip… to be open and transparent to all of the people ill be living with for this next year! My world is going to expand greatly but because of meeting Emily, I also know my comfort zone will be as well!
In the same conference, but on the very last day at a big all conference breakfast, I was wearing my world race shirt to be comfortable on the drive home! Originally I was wearing a sweater over my shirt, but I all of a sudden became overwhelmingly hot so I took my sweater off only to be super chilly ( I found odd, but to not be rude to the surrounding people I left my my sweater off!) Then after the session, God Winked AGAIN!! This super wonderful Christian woman named Wendy from Amarillo came up to me to ask where I got my shirt! I informed her of my shirt being for the world race and then she said she only has $100… to which I responded.. I don’t have change! She stated thats ok Ill take 4 shirts! I traded her 3 shirts and she also got 2 bracelets! I told her I would like to switch contact info! ( I mean, how do you not stay connected after such a neat moment!) Then as we were switching info she asked to buy an extra shirt and handed me an envelope to which she said, ” I feel lead to give you our tithe for the month, I have no clue how much is in her, but here you go” We hugged and that was it! I was so overwhelmed and blessed and emotional!
This conference was such a blessing for the race, God used stranger and made them friends and was such an encouragement for the race and to refocus spiritually for this trip! This is something I have needed greatly! I am so appreciative of the people God has and continues to place in my life in this season of preparation for the Race!
Thanks for reading my ramblings and special winks from God!!
