He Moves in Mysterious Ways....

Today was a rough day. Not for me. Okay, for me too. It was a rough day for a lot of people that I know. In fact, it's been a rough couple of months for my friends and family. There are a lot of people I love and care about who are scared, in pain, sick, and worried. The people I worry about are worried about other people too. The need for comfort, healing, and love is overwhelming and I wish I could just make it all go away. But I can't.

I try to not let it get me down, but some days you just feel so helpless. I know that God is in control and that all I can do is allow Him to use me, but I want nothing more than for my friends and family to be happy, healthy, and full of the light and joy of God.

I haven't been spending much alone time with God lately. I feel like I talk to Him all the time, but I feel like it's been months since I have really stopped and allowed Him in. I talk about Him all the time and I know He's there, but today....out of nowhere.....I just needed to run to Him.

I was sitting in my office working after just talking to a friend about some sad news they had regarding their health. After all the sad news I've heard lately, this was the straw that broke the camels back...I just couldn't be strong anymore.

I felt this overwhelming urge to talk to God, so I walked (ok...I almost ran) to the church at Georgetown Hospital down at the end of the hall from my office. I go there on Thursdays when I can for the lunchtime church service, but it's open all the time....so that is where I went.

As I walked past the pews and toward the front I felt the my face get hot and that's when the tears started. There was one other person in there a few pews back. I sat in the front and rested my head on the pew in front of me and I prayed and I cried. I haven't cried in a long time. Not because I stop myself from crying or try not to cry...I just haven't felt like I needed to. But today, the hot tears dropped off the end of my nose and onto the floor as I ran to the only Person that could help. I realized at some point that if I didn't get some tissues that the flash flood warning wasn't just going to be for outside the hospital, so I got up and quietly looked around the room. As I was just about to give up and walk out, the lady that was in the pews behind me lifted her head. She immediately got up and started to look for tissues with me. We didn't even look at each other as we are walking around the pews....me sniffing...her telling me it's going to be okay.

As we approach each other, we finally look up and realize that we know each other...kind of.
I've been at Georgetown Hospital for almost 3 years and for these 3 years I have seen the smiling face of this beautiful woman, but never knew her name. She is so full of light and love that you would be able to tell over the phone that she knows God. We would pass in the hall and share a smile, and sometimes say "how are you!?", but we never knew each other's names or where each other worked. One day as I was walking through the hall with one of my friends, I saw this lady and we said hi to each other like we had been friends forever. When I walked away my friend asked me who she was and I told her that I didn't know....but that I knew that she knew God.

This same lady is now staring into my watery eyes. She reaches out and she hugs me. I didn't pull away. I didn't try and act like everything was fine. I didn't try and be strong. I cried. It was like God's arms were wrapped around me. People were coming in and out and I didn't care. I was running to God and He was there. She and I prayed together. We prayed for my friends and family, we prayed for more God in our lives. We stood in the back of the church and prayed and prayed and prayed. People came and went, but we prayed until we couldn't pray anymore. Then we sat for a few minutes and talked. We both teared up realizing that God had just put us together at the exact right time and at the exact right place. God is so good. I made a new friend today...a new friend and sister. Thank you Elaine and praise God for you!