A Conversation With Phil

I don't know Phil.

Well, I mean to say I don't really know him. We met a few weeks back at Starbucks while I was putting together my support letters with the help of my trusty slave helper, Dani.

We sat there, drinking our lovely, liquid caffeine and tea respectively, scribbling an address across what felt like endless amounts of envelopes. We then folded, assembled, and stuffed more envelopes with these papers. It was fun work, and you could tell it caught peoples interest. A few different people asked about what was going on, assuming Dani (a high school student) was raising money for camp or something similar.

It was great because it gave me an opportunity to share what I was doing and how God has been working in my life. An open, honest explanation of how God works in peoples lives and I was given the invitation to just spill it on out.

We were nearing the end of the first stack when a gentleman, Phil, asked the obvious question. "What are those for?"

I responded in my usual manner, "I'm moving to Washington, D.C. to start a church and am raising support to go as a missionary." I could tell he was intriged, but he also had to go so we did the polite nod back and forth and he was gone.

Not five minutes later he was back.

What, I thought?

He shrugged, opened up his Starbucks sandwich and, with a grin, asked to hear more about what I was doing. As I shared, his grin turned into a full-blown smile. I wrapped up the more in-depth explanation of what I was doing and he sheepishly admitted that what he really wanted to do was brag about his daughter to us (in addition to listening to my story of course). She had just received two job offers within a short span, one with a church and one with a church-affiliated organization. He was so excited for her!

It was funny because, as we chatted - me interested in knowing more about his daughters jobs and he just happy to gush - the most incredible thing happened. Our discussion turned from the opportunities themselves to the God that had granted them. Phil was encouraging, reminding me that just as I was being directed, his daughter was also following the path laid out before her by a God who knows it all.

As the conversation naturally progressed toward an end, I was shocked and touched to see tears of joy in his eyes. He leaned toward Dani and I and told us that God was doing good things. Big things. Amazing things.

I walked away from Starbucks that day with more than all of my support letters folded and ready to go. I walked away with a sense of confirmation. One I've gotten in other areas as I made my way toward a decision to move to D.C. but this one was different. It reminds me that my story--and your story--is important. It was the gateway that opened up this amazing conversation with Phil, but it was also a testimony to the goodness of the big God that I serve.

I look forward to more stories like this. To the meetings the Lord will 'divinely appoint' for me and how I'll get to share them with you!

What about you? Do you have a story of a time you knew the Lord put you at "just the right time and place" for something?

I'd love if you shared comments below! I also wrote about sharing your story for this months post on Putting On The New: What's Your Story? I'd love to hear from you over there :)