Since the LSU CSC and the campus ministry there is so much on my heart and in my prayers this week, I will share this God story from my time there...
While serving as women's campus minister at LSU, I would often go to campus to meet with a student and would then walk back through the Student Union and the most people-filled places on campus to see how I might run into.
On one such day, I met a student on campus and ran into no less than eight students or former students of the LSU Christian Student Center (CSC). It was always a joy to "happen" to run into people and catch up, say hello, share an encouraging word, or hear what was going on in their lives.
On that day, I was also delivering copies of the 40 days with Jesus, 40 days of Prayer booklet that our students had helped write. I had one copy left and was finally headed back to the CSC to hop in my car and make a later appointment with someone.
Walking out of the Student Union, I paused to reply to a text and while I'm fairly good at texting and walking, I felt like the Spirit kept urging me to stop, send the text, and then continue on my way. I finally stepped to the side of the sidewalk, at the end of a stone handrail, and finished my text. As I hit send, I looked up and just a few steps ahead of me was one of our students, Walter. I called out his name and he turned, confirming his earlier suspicion that it was me standing there. He said the Braves shirt I was wearing was his biggest clue ;)
He never walked through that part of campus, especially not at that time of day, and was thrilled to have run into me. We chatted for a while, I was able to give him the final copy of the 40 days with Jesus, 40 days of Prayer booklet, and encouraged him about some challenging life situations he was facing.
We both continued on our way uplifted and encouraged, knowing that God had provided a divine appointment, not a chance meeting.
It can be hard, at times, to discern the Spirit's leading, but sometimes it's as simple as following the urge to pause on the sidewalk and send the text before hurrying on so that God can use you to bless someone's life - to let them know that they are important enough to God to send someone along their path with an encouraging word, the good news of the gospel (like Philip in Acts 8), or a simple smile and a hug.
May we be open to divine appointments God may place along our path and may we share the God stories, giving Him the glory for the way He works even in the smallest details of our lives :)