Strangers become friends

"I am so blessed. I cannot complain about anything. In fact God's blessed me with so much and I've learned not to take it for granted, instead I keep asking him everyday to just keep guiding me through life while all the while thanking Him.".This is part of the conversation I was able to have with one of the hotel workers the other night.
I will get back to this conversation, but I thought it was a good way to introduce this blog entry. I really don't have any idea where I am going with this, but I am just marveled at God's glory and righteousness and want to share with you guys how I've been able to see Him in the smallest things.

I've been staying at a Super 8 motel in Nixa, Misouri for a couple of nights. Our last show was on wednesday and we aren't having another until monday, which you might think is great. But during those days where we stay at one place for a couple of days without a schedule or anything specific to do, I start wondering "Ok...what am I going to do here?" The days become blurrs, they become filled with the same redundancy, and boredom creeps in as ansyness settles in. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, nobody to talk to.
Well that's where I have it all wrong. No matter where I am, and how long I am there, God is as well. Not only is He present, but if I really open my eyes, I can see Him in anything and everything, and I start looking at life in a new light. A bright, shiny one. I see His beauty everywhere and I feel rested and peaceful and content again.

We arrived at this motel on a late afternoon and as I was unloading the van, I noticed that there was construction going on on the first floor. We were placed in a room at the very end of the second floor's hallway. Since we were staying there longer than the usual, I decided to bring in a lot more things than I usually do. Because of this distance between our room and where we'd parked the van, I figured...well maybe I can use another exit that won't require as much walking. I found one exit, but it had caution tape on it and asked to use the front door exit, so I found another exit that was even closer to our van, and since I saw no signs of redirection of forbiding me to use it, I naturally used it. As I get to the first floor, I walk through construction and unfinished floor and chaos. As I finally use the exit that this hallway led me to, I see 3 older construction men sitting outside working on some things. I smile and say hello as I keep walking towards my van. The oldest of them calls me and tells me I am not allowed to use this exit at all. I apologize and tell him I didn't seen any signs. He responds by saying "well ya musta not been looking good enough cus I'm pretty sure there are signs everywhere about using the front door only." I inform him that I only saw one door with such a sign, which I didn't use (i was very calm and collected, despite his rudeness) and apologize while also asking whether there is any other exit I could use other than the front door. He says the front door is the only one since they are doing construction and don't want to be responsible for anyone getting hurt. I tell him I understand and thank him for that, and proceed to use the front door to bring all the rest of my crap upstairs.

I'm a little frustrated, but no biggie. I don't let it ruin my evening. So after settling in (I lit some incense so I can have a familiar scent in every place I stay so it could kind of have a homey feel to it hehe), I decide to answer my hunger and go to Mcdonalds to get mocha and a $1 chicken sandwich :) On my way to Mcdonals, I walked through a park, which had a soccer field. As I inhaled memories of playing soccer in Huntington through the smell of the fresh cut grass, I noticed a man and his 3 year old looking son getting ready to play soccer. What amazed me, was that the man was still wearing his suit from work, and was carrying his man perse in one hand while the other hand was held by his son kicking a soccer ball. For some reason, I thought this was the most amazing picture ever. A father took the time after a long day at work to take his son to play soccer with. I don't know why it struck me so much, but I thought of all the kids who don't have parents or lack one parent, and thought of all the kids who do have parents but whose parents just don't have the time of day to play with them even while they are at home. My heart broke for those kids and I was reminded of how blessed I was to have had two parents and awesome sibblings to grow up with. On my way back from Mcdonalds, I witnessed the amazing sunset and actually wished I had my camera. It was so beautiful. Just one of those things that happens daily, nothing new, but it's so easy to take for granted, when God clearly is a phenomenally exceptional artist who blesses us with this art each day and how often do we really take the time to thank Him for that? Even the smallest things of creation, God appreciates a thanks for.
This reminds me of a story Max Lucado shared about a young street boy in Brazil that he had brought in a coffe shop to buy a treat to,  while expecting the child to just grab the treat and run with it, as most of the street kids in Brazil usually do. However, this boy wasn't like the other boys.
"The little Brazilian orphan looked up at the big American missionary, smiled, a smile that would have stolen your hear and said, "Obrigado." (Thank you)Then, nervously scratching the back of his ankle with his big toe he added "Muito Obrigado."(Thank you very much.)
All of a sudden I had a crazy craving to buy him the whole restaurant.
But before I could say anything, he turned and scampered out the door.
As I write this I"m still standing at the coffee bar, my coffee is cold, and I'm late for my class. But Istill feel the sensation that Ifelt half an hour ago. And I'm pondering  this question: If I am so moved by a street orphan who says thank you for a piece of bread. How much more is God moved when I ause to thank him...really thank him...for saving my soul?"
Max Lucado

I'm sorry, you will be hearing a lot of wisdom from Max Lucado as long as I am blogging and reading his books haha. I would hope that Max would be ok with my using his stories though. I mean why not share his wisdom? He writes so we can be encouraged, and since I am constantly encouraged and challenged by his writings, I think it's only fair to share it with you and have you be encouraged and challenged by it as well dear Reader. :P

So that night, I spent a lot of time on the phone with friends and family. As I was talking to one of my friends, and venting about loneliness and talking about how I missed even just meeting people randomly and having conversations with strangers, she reminded me that I shouldn't be discouraged and instead I should seek out the opportunities because a lot of times they are right underneath our nose and we just don't realize it. She gave me an example of how she was able to have a short conversation with the lady at the desk of the lobby in her motel, and that just simple occasions like that are closer than we think.
A while after talking to her, I got hungry and decided to go to my van and grab a bowl and spoon so I could "steal" some cereal from the lobby. I noticed a young lady sitting at the computer at the desk and we exchanged a couple quick words but nothing much and on my way to the van, I rememberd Jessie and I's conversation about ceizing opportunities that are closer than we think. SO I decided to have an actual conversation on my way back up to my room.
I started out by asking simple questions like "Do you work here" and "How do you like it" etc. She was caught a bit off guard and I think initially questioned my intentions, only to admit later that she has a very hard time trusting people. She told me that she is a single mother and has a 3 year old son who keeps her going. She would do anything for him. She talked about her childhood, and how her parents kicked her out of her home when she was 16. How she moved to California and went from knowing no one and having no money, or food, to 4 years later managing a restaurant and feeling really good about where her life had led her. She told me about her loneliness and wishing she had a boyfriend, and how stubborn she was, and tough. Of course, I talked a bit about my job and how the videos we show encourage kids to make the right decidison in their lives no matter what any one else says to them. She thought it was great because when her parents kicked her out, they told her she would never make it without them. She was proud to say she proved them wrong. We just had a great conversation. One of the things I told her was that I really respected her for how far she'd come and how  a lot of times, people who have had a bad childhood can either go one way and be completely screwed up or go the other way and learn from it and decide to never put any one through what they went through, and I could tell she chose the latter. She seems like a great parent. She said she learned spanish in California and is teaching her child spanish, and even though she is worried about his disability to speak, she knows he is smart and will come around. I was able to encourage her and tell her he would be fine because my nephew took a little longer to speak and it caused him to be angry and stressed but he came out of it fine and he is actually trilingual now.
This is also when I told her that I coudlnt really relate to her because it seemed like she had gone through so much, but came out of it so strong, whereas I had nothing to complain about, because I've always been blessed and Ithank God for it everyday and I've learned not to take it for granted. She told me she respected that a lot, because a lot of people take things for granted etc... We also talked about other things, but at the thend of the conversation I told her I was in room #238 and if ever she got bored in the lobby one night to feel free to call my room and have me come down because I would love talking again! She seemed real grateful and after saying it was nice talking, and getting my cereal, I went back to my room.
Carla was her name. I don't know that I will ever see her again or anything. I don't know if if  she needed that conversation as much as I did, but  she doesn't even know how much I needed that. Just talking to someone felt so great! I hadn't blogged my very first week of traveling, but i had the opportunity to witness to an old homeless man in Norhtern California and we had talked for about 45 minutes and I was so excited about it, and I couldn't wait for these opportunities to come again, but since they haven't come to often, I started losing courage, and thankfully, Jessie was able to encourage me and remind me that maybe I shoudln't wait for someone to come talk to me each time, but maybe I need to do a little bit of the work as well.

So the next morning, I did what I usually do and woke up at 8:30 just to get breakfast, bring it to my room, and go right back to sleep haha. Since my hair isn't the prettiest of sights when I arise, I usually wear a hoodie and cover my hair with its hood. Well, on my way to the breakfast counter, the old construction man that had previously been quite rude to me looks at me and reaches for my hood and says "I wonder what would happen if I took this off." I laugh and strongly discouraged him to do such a thing saying "The hood is on for a reason, you don't want to do that!" He laughs and says "well that is exactly why I want to see what is under there." haha He then made a couple other jokes while acting as if we'd known each other for years. Won't you look at that! Is that what happens when the Spirit takes over your actions and words and allows you to stop yourself from snapping at someone for being unecessarily rude to you? You then become best friends with them? Wow, good to know. I should do that more often! :)

Today, I saw him again and he got really excited and was very nice and teased me some more. Also, since my hunger kicked in, I went downstairs to get some cereal again and the lady working at the desk at the time (not Carla, a different lady) asked me if I was hungry and offered delicious pizza bread and told me I could have whatever was left. I smiled and took it very gratefully. I said "man... you guys are spoiling me out here!" and they laughed and made more jokes. THen I told the men doing construction that they were doing a great job and to keep it up and went back to my room.
I think the lady was grateful to me earlier that day because as I was doing paper work in the lobby, a very old couple came in complaining and grumbling about the construction and whatever else they could complain about, and the lady was trying to be as patient as possible with them, but I could tell she was struggling with that. After the couple left, I turned and smiled at her out of sympathy to show  her I understood her pain, and she smiled back "sighing" and shook her head. So in return of a simple smile, I got food later haha.

It's funny how such simple interactions, or seing a father and son playing soccer, an old man walking his playful dogs, or just watching the sunset can bring such joy to my heart. It's the simple things in life like that that prove that there is a God, not one who is far away in the big sky watching us, but who is right there in everything we see and witness, for all he created was good, unfortunately we somehow always find a way to ruin it both physically or just with our words and thoughts, but He is there, closer than we think.

Well it sure is getting chilly in this starbucks. I'm going to call it a night. Thank you SO much for taking the time to read my looooong blog! :D

Love D