Have you ever been in a blue funk where your perception leads you to believe
you’re insignificant? Perception is
the keyword here.
Recently, I was in such a place. A pity-party place God never intended
for me but used to show me my worth as a friend.
Within a short period of time, two people cancelled their plans with me.
Why was I so bummed about this? Well, as a youngster I was taught the value of
keeping your word and telling the truth. By doing so you showed respect to
others.
So when a friend with a history of backing out on plans cancelled just
hours before a ticketed event, I felt disrespected. Another person didn’t tell
the truth about her reason for cancelling another get-together. These two situations and
several others came at me like rolling thunder clouds. I felt chewed up, spit out and stomped on… repeatedly.
Felt is the pertinent
word here.
A celebrity recently said rejection is God’s protection. Hmm. God must have
been in the middle of showcasing that He would be my “rear guard” (Isaiah 58:8 NKJV). Although I felt rejected, God saw the
bigger picture. He had my back.
I must add that since moving to my new Dallas apartment, it’s been harder
making new friends. We all desire human companionship as well as a sense of
community. God created that need in each of us.
As I poured out my melancholy heart to an out-of-state girlfriend, she
prayed for me. Two hours later that Friday night, I stood beside a volunteer
named Carrie while serving meals at a soup kitchen for the homeless. Please
note I’d never volunteered during that time slot before nor met this lady.
Have you ever had something so unexpected change your outlook about
yourself? Something that can only be explained as a God thing? This encounter was
one of those moments.
When I told Carrie I was looking for a new church home, she invited me
to a service in a Dallas suburb the following night. You know what’s amazing? I’d
been visiting that church’s north Dallas campus for several weeks.
A coincidence? I think not.
After that Saturday night service, Carrie, her husband and I drove back
to their loft in downtown Dallas. Wow! I was blown away. I’d chosen that
historic building where they live as the home of a character in my fiction novel.
A music festival was in full swing at the park across the street from
their place, so we stepped outside to enjoy the concert. The sights, sounds,
and smells of a Saturday evening in downtown rejuvenated my soul. A calm
delight settled in me as I got to know this beautiful couple. We talked about
our families and told many of our life stories—some pretty comical. This must
be what New York City is like at night when you’re in the company of good friends.
It amazes me I felt like such a failure in relationships the day before,
yet there I was having a great time with these people. God is so merciful. He
used a chance meeting to show me I am still important to Him, and still capable
of cultivating authentic friendships.
Using Carrie’s apartment building in my story was a godsend, showing us
something we had in common. With both of our lives built on the rock of
Christian faith, what better foundation to build a new friendship?
“Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall
spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of
the LORD shall be your rear guard.” – Isaiah 58:8 NKJV
