Divine Connections

I am really tired so I am not going to write anything too long this evening, but I wanted to talk about connections, in particular, divinely inspired connections. I truly believe with all my heart that God plays a big role in who we meet and interact with in our lives. While I know it would be hard to convince a skeptic that these chance meetings are nothing more than coincidences, I am going to do my best to prove my point. I think when you are a believer, there is this feeling that comes over you, that you just feel inside, that you know there was someone or something larger than yourself that makes things happen the way that they do. I am going to give a few examples of these divine connections that have occurred in my own life.

1. My neighbor Ellen: I really feel like she lives next door to my family for a reason. Yes, you could have good or bad neighbors, but Ellen really is an extra special neighbor. We have lived next door to each other since I was about 5 years old. Her son and my brother are the same age and went through all of school together, and then they both attended college together. We almost moved from our current home twice, but something always stopped us from doing so and I am so thankful for that. When I was in 4th grade, we almost moved to Maryland because my parents thought it would be an easier and cheaper lifestyle there. I know they were worried about moving without having jobs, but I don't know exactly what made them change their minds so completely and so quickly. Then, one or two summers before my mom passed away, they considered moving again. We put our house up for sale, and we seriously started looking at houses in the area. Our current home needed a lot of repairs, and my parents wanted to explore their options. Again, I can’t name a specific reason, but again we felt compelled to stay. And I am so thankful we did. I know I have talked about Ellen's kindness towards us, and how she has us over for holidays. But it is so much more than that. Ellen was the one who had me over for pizza and comforted me when my mom was first diagnosed. Ellen was the one who drove Eric and me back and forth to the hospital when things got really bad. And Ellen was the one who told me that my mom was going to die within a matter of days, when I can honestly say I never thought that would happen. Ellen was the one who held me while I sobbed after I had a bout of hysterics and screamed at a residency doctor in the Oncology Ward. And Ellen was the one who helped me plan my mother's funeral by helping me pick a funeral home. Ellen is the one who became my confidant when I found myself living with two boys and want to escape and talk with a female. I don't think we stayed here by accident. God gave me Ellen for a reason…

2. My counselor for life Paige: I met Paige with my mom when I was a high school junior. I wanted to learn more about my dream college, St. Joseph's because I heard they had a great teaching program, and I knew I was destined to become a teacher. My mom and I sat with her, with our oodles of questions, not to mention numerous phone calls later. Paige patiently answered us, and I knew that this was the school and the program for me. I started school and would occasionally see Paige in the hallway and we would say a quick hello. The summer after my sophomore year of college, I started working at a medical office that I absolutely hated. You all know the story because I have said it before, but I really hated that place. On a whim after buying my books for the upcoming semester, I put my name down on a list to try and get a work study position at the college. I knew my mom had been a work study when she went to college and she loved it. I prayed about my work situation because it was making me a nervous wreck and I really wanted to get out. Well, long story short, Paige saw my name on that list and told her co-workers in the Admissions Office to hire me. Paige called me personally at home to offer me the position. I really did burst into tears after getting off the phone with her. Not only was I super relieved to be able to quit my other job, but I really felt like Paige calling me was a gift from God and my mom. And as you all, my admissions co-workers will always have a special place in my heart. Just when I was missing the main woman in my life, I was given about 20 new females ranging in age from 18-60 with whom I could talk to daily. Even though I don't work there anymore, Paige is still a big part of my life. She encouraged me not to give up when I was having trouble getting a teaching position and then I landed the job I dreamed about my whole life. She supports me so much when it comes to Crochet for a Cure. And Paige always makes me feel that I can do anything I put my mind too. God gave me Paige for a reason...

3. My friend Jubin: Jubin joined my elementary school after she moved to the United States from India. We were casual friends in elementary school, but Jubin's easygoing nature pretty much made her friends with everyone. We had classes together in junior high and high school and often sat near each other on the bus. I remember one time we were sitting on the bus and Jubin asked me how I thought people got to heaven and whether or not I thought I was going to heaven. She took out her Bible and talked to me about the Gospels. I was raised a Catholic and attended church every Sunday, but there was something inspiring about Jubin's trust in God. We would occasionally have these kinds of conversations on the bus, and would pray together if we were nervous over upcoming tests, but these moments never left the school bus. After we graduated high school, I hadn't spoken or seen Jubin. We were both staying on Long Island to go to college, but we went to different schools. Plus, we were never got together outside of school. About a month after my mom passed away, out of the blue, Jubin called me. She said I had been on her mind a lot and something just kept telling her to call me. I said to her, "Oh I guess who heard about my mom." She said, "No, what about your mom?" I told her that my mom had passed away about a month ago. She said she had not heard anything about what happened at all, but that she kept thinking about me and had prayed about calling me. She was a little apprehensive to call me, because we hadn't spoken, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to make that call. And my God, I am so thankful she did. We made plans to get together and we met at the library. We read the Bible and prayed together, and I just felt very at peace with seeing her. We started getting together more frequently, at each other's homes. We would pray and read the Bible, but we quickly went from acquaintances to close friends. I always tease her because sometimes we get so busy talking about anything and everything, that our Bible's don't get open. But we always pray before ending our time together and it truly is one of those moments where you feel God in the room. We have now been close for a few years. Even though we are both really busy sometimes, with me teaching and her in medical school, we always make sure to keep in touch, even if it is just mentioning prayer requests we have for each other. Now, Jubin is getting married this summer and I am both thrilled and honored to be one of her bridesmaids. God gave me Jubin for a reason…

Overall, these 3 ladies crossed paths with me for a reason. None of them are blood related to me, and yet they are sisters that God has given me.

Also, my website is official!!! Please visit www.crochetforacure.com to check out the furthering of my dreams, to play a small role in the fight against cancer. Did I mention that Paige and I had been trying to find affordable and user friendly companies to host our websites? It was a goal for both of us for 2009, when my cousin unexpectedly emailed me with the homestead information. Now we both have our websites up and running. Visit Paige's life and career coaching website at www.lifecoachpaige.com Check out the services she offers, she has been such a great coach, counselor, and friend in my life, I am sure everyone could benefit from her services.

Alright, so not such a short post, huh? But I felt divinely inspired to write it. Remember how I told you about that feeling I get when God inspires something in my life? I can honestly say the words just flowed freely out of me, to the point of where my whole body is shaking, because I felt the God's power behind my words. Who had God brought into your life for a reason?