“Excuse me, but may I ask you a very strange question?”
The lady, deeply distracted, looked up, “Sure,” she replied.
“I’ve been standing on the outside of this glass door watching you. It looked like you were using the other side of this window as a reflection to apply lipstick. Is that what you were doing?” Why I felt the need to ask such a random question out loud, I may never know.
Chuckles emerge from my soon-to-be friend, “No, I wasn’t. Actually, I was staring at this map trying to figure out where I am supposed to be. All they gave me is this key and a room number.”
“Well here, let me help. I was totally lost last year when I attended the conference as well.” I pointed out the room numbers listed under the building names and eventually found the right one, “Here. This is the place you will be staying in.”
“Okay. And where exactly is that? I’m so lost.”
I stared at the map, resisting the urge to pull it off the wall and walk around campus, manipulating it at every turn. For the life of me, I couldn’t locate our current building.
A friend walked up and pointed to a spot on the map. “You Are Here.”
All three of us stood in the crowded room belly laughing.
“I can tell you one thing. If you see me walking around this week, don’t follow me. Apparently, I don’t even know where I am!”
“Well,” my new friend began, “You’ll always recognize me. I will be the one wandering around, looking lost.”
Without that first conversation, I would not have earned such a fast friend. Every time we saw each other during the conference, we teased, joked, and laughed.
Then came the moment when the laughter subsided, and we got serious. We shared our broken parts. Through teary eyes, we ministered to each other. And God was honored with our words.
I love divine moments like these. Those set-ups that begin in randomness and lead to holiness.
You Are Here.
In the moment. With these people. At that job. On this assignment.
You Are Here.
For a reason. With a purpose. In this season.
You Are Here.
To intentionally share. And wholeheartedly give.
You Are Here.
To make a difference.
You Are Here.
To glorify God.
Are you present? Are you sharing? Are you caring?
You Are Here.
So be here.