Paul and I looooovvvveee Starbucks. Much of our time together is spent there studying, reading, and going on dates. We can't get enough and many week nights we don't even have to discuss what we are doing, we just decide which Starbucks we want to go to. With the exception of Barnes and Noble Bookstore, it is our favorite place ever. Ever.
So last night Paul and I decided upon the 114th and Dodge location. We got there and never even had a chance to read or talk because we immediately saw several people we knew. One of the first people I said hello to was a lady named Renee who I had actually met at the 172nd and Center Starbucks a few months ago. She noticed I was reading a Beth Moore book and we started chatting. Long story short, Renee's husband runs a construction company and because of the poor economy has to be on the road most of the time. I could so relate because during the months of October -December Paul was traveling almost weekly running Wellness Clinics. She and I talked for almost an hour. Renee is a precious woman who is a believer and really encouraged me with her sweet countenance and authentic heart for the Lord. We even hugged goodbye when I left that night (keep in mind this was the first time she had met me). After I talked with her I had excitedly called Paul and told him I felt like just had a divine appointment that the Lord had sent to encourage my heart.
Seeing her at the 114th location was a pleasant surprise because I got to introduce her to Paul. She (like us) spends lots of time at Starbucks since her husband travels. We all talked briefly and then Paul and I went and sat down at our own table where we became engrossed in another conversation with a friend.
30 minutes into our conversation with Grant (the friend we ran into), I looked over at her table and she wasn't there anymore. "Hmmm, I didn't even get to wave goodbye," I thought, but didn't think much more into it. About another half hour went by and all of the sudden, Renee walks back through Starbucks doors with two Barnes and Noble sacks in her hands. "I'm sorry to interrupt if you are chatting, but I felt like I was supposed to give you these," she said. In each of the two bags there were four books. The same four books were in each bag, one set for me, the other for Paul. I was floored, completely dumbfounded by her thoughtfulness and generosity. The eight books she had bought were at least $100 and she didn't even know me that well. She went on to say that the Lord had laid it on her heart to give us these books on marriage, prayer, and faith and so had rushed to Barnes and Noble and back hoping we would still be there when she returned.
The reason I wanted to remember this story was because I was surprised how it made me feel. It was as if the Lord had dropped her into our path this night just as an act of love to show us we were on his mind. My prayer the last few weeks has been that the Lord would make his love more real to me. Also, Paul and I have been really praying into our futures and trying to discern where we are supposed to be. This simple gesture seems to represent the guidance and care He is providing during this interim period of seeking. It reaffirms what we know to be true: that God promises to lead and guide those who are submitted to his will.
Finally, this provokes me to look for ways to bless people and be an expression of hope and love to those around me. Really, it only takes something small to leave a big impact.
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