In this together

I'll get back to my Grandparents' stories very soon... My call to write their stories actually was a significant reason I decided to attend a conference in Portland - the one I mentioned in my very first blog post - and one I'm about to walk to in a few minutes. Before I leave, however, I'd like to post something I wrote this morning...

I’m in Portland right now, snuggled in a terry robe in my hotel room, praising God for this journey. While I’m super excited to be in Portland, the journey I’m praising Him for is so much bigger than this trip. It’s the journey of my life, which is mapped out in a tapestry that I will not be able to view the completed result of until eternity. Yet I get glimpses of it now... Snippets of a small section of the tapestry here and there… Glimpsed views of intertwining, colorful and pleasing combinations of threads that are being lovingly stitched together to create a piece that is so amazing, and so thrilling to see, that it will cause every viewer to fall on their face and worship God. It’s an expansive piece of artwork which includes the lives of all of God’s current and future children – those who accept His salvation – and live with Him forever.

Yesterday on the way to Portland I got one of those snippet views of my thread... My day began at 5 a.m. CST and ended at 10:30 p.m. PST and is a day I’ll never forget – for many reasons, and many thoughts and conversations – but one in particular stands out and wants to be shared. It was my first flight from Minneapolis to Denver. I found my window seat in a smaller, United plane and got out a book, wondering who would be joining me in the aisle seat, and if it would be a silent, reading flight, or one with conversation. A very pleasant looking man – I'm guessing in his late thirties, but I’m a terrible judge of age, claimed the seat and sat down. We exchanged hellos and then he commented on the book in my lap, and our two-hour, non-stop flight and conversation began.

This man is a pastor, come to find out, and he’s on his way home to Tucson, after officiating a wedding in Minnesota. I told him I was on my way to a Donald Miller conference in Portland and he has read Don Miller, so camaraderie began and we launched into a conversation that was largely about authentic Christianity and what that means and looks like in today' world. We discussed our passion to engage believers in loving, and interacting more with our world, and ways to do that. He told me of some cool programs at his church that are reaching out to partner with the secular community in various non-faith specific efforts, and of a program within the church that makes it easy for people without church backgrounds or beliefs to see what following Christ is all about, in an easy, non-judgmental and open way.

By the time we landed in Denver, it was clear to me, and I’m fairly sure to him, that our seat assignments had been no accident. God’s Spirit had been with us and I was encouraged and full of joy from chatting with this brother in Christ. Yet there was to be an added reason for joy…

As our plane arrived at the gate and people began stirring and gathering their carry-ons, the lady in the seat directly in front of me turned around, and her husband, slightly, as well. They were probably in their late sixties/early seventies (again, I'm a poor judge of age) and she said, “I’m sorry, but I have to tell you that I’ve been listening to your entire conversation. When you started talking, I thought to myself, ‘now this is something I’m interested in,’ so I tuned in and have listened to it all. I want to tell you that it really blessed me (her eyes were a little moist at this point), and I want to say thank you.”

This was awesome… To realize that you can talk for two hours to a virtual stranger, and bless another, unknowingly, is surely a God thing. We smiled at her and thanked her for telling us and then the Pastor looked at me and asked, “What was that one key thing you said to me again?” I thought a second, and said, “Oh boy, I don’t know if I remember - why don’t we ask her?” and smiled at my joke, as she was now part of our conversation. She said, “Oh yes, you told him: ‘Don’t settle!’” And we all laughed – as she was right. Then he and I exchanged business cards, and we all said our goodbyes.

It strikes me now, in a big way, that later today I will attend the conference – the reason I took this trip. But as I do, I’m very aware that the reason I think I may be doing something (i.e. attending a conference in Portland) may or may not be the primary reason. I think I’m out here to become a bit more inspired in my quest to live a better story with my remaining days here on earth. Yet even as I’m seeking to live a better story, God is working through me to help me – live a better story.

As I make my way out of this comfy hotel bed and into this new day in Portland, I’m excited to see the city and attend this conference. But especially, to see what God has in store next... I can’t wait to meet Don, the author and conference host/speaker, and people who will encourage me, and who I hope to encourage, as well. Yet this event is simply one more tool, one more needle, if you will, which is being used to stitch the amazing tapestry God is creating. The highlight of my trip may have happened before I even landed in Denver...

May God bless and encourage you my dear friends and family who are reading this,and have encouraged me in this journey so much more than you could know! Your blog, and live, comments mean a lot! And if there’s someone I don’t know who is listening in...I appreciate you, and ask that God will bless you, too. Welcome to the story – which you are all, also, very much a part of.
Always,
Annie