Have you ever felt like no one would notice if you were missing? This is how I felt today. Lost in a sea of faces… some filled with confusion, others bold as a bright light piercing the darkness. I spent the day at Emory University trying to get all my ducks in a row as the week progresses toward orientation. I was overwhelmed by the size of the place. It is like a small city of its own. I felt blond and lost as I wandered back and forth asking every third person for directions. I felt like I was searching for a needle in a haystack as passers-by kicked the needle out from under my reach just as I uncovered it. (Southeastern University could not have prepared me for this. It is David in comparison to that Philistine, Goliath.)
As I trudged through my day, trying to be patient and failing miserably, I realized that this is how life is. In order to proceed to our proper destination, we need guidance and counsel. People have gone before us and easily pave the way. Others are lost along side us, trying to make their way through the crowds as well, while some are yet to encounter such obstacles.
As I entered the DUC, a young lady waved at me with a big smile on her face. I felt relieved as I looked around and realized that the wave was directed toward me. I sat down and found out that this girl remembered me from a theological dinner that we had attended some time ago. I felt awkward at not remembering, but was soon relieved when we naturally extended hands to reintroduce ourselves. It was great to see a friendly face, even if it wasn’t familiar.
I believe that God plants people and moments like these in our lives purposefully. I was aggravated and confused. I don’t like feeling lost when I’m alone. I feel stupid when I pace back and forth over the same pathway countless times, looking at a map and trying to figure out in which direction to head. At our times of weakness, when we are ready to give up, God seems to give us a boost. In this case my boost was a friendly smile and a small conversation.
I am always amazed by the grace of God. How does He know what I need at that exact moment? How does He remember to care about me? When I am in a place as big as Emory, it begins to bring things into perspective. I realized on a minuscule scale how big the world around me is. All of a sudden it dawned on me that this is only a small glance at the big picture of how many people are in the world, yet God has chosen to care for me. Once again, Isaiah 40 rang through my head, as I remembered that God loves me and knows me. What a fascinating concept.
To add to the blessings of my day, I heard from a family that I love so dearly. They live in Florida, and we have not been able to make contact since I moved a month ago. My sister also announced the great news that she is going to give birth to my first niece, her first child. Congratulations! I could not be more proud.