Friday with Friends

Some missionaries from Spain who are part of OC are in town this next couple of weeks for some treatments at MD Anderson. We've been trying to get together for the past week or so but had little success, what with the waiting game that is MD Anderson. We finally both had open schedules and ended up spending more than four hours at lunch and then a coffee shop hanging out and talking. It's kind of "funny" when you have a connection to people (in this case working with the same organization, cancer, and above all Christ) how quickly you can, well, connect. We didn't really know each other before yesterday, we knew OF each other, but still, we made a quick connection over shared experiences and then it was just talking about the details.

I remember hearing a few sermons and such on "God's Appointments", being in places where you don't want to be but "luckily" or "crazily enough" you run into someone(s) who ends up needing you or you needing them (or both). I have been thinking lately that that is the case in my senario, but I think it goes a little deeper than that. "God's Appointments" makes it seem just a level deep. From what I have experienced, both this time with cancer and the last, is "God's Networking".

Case in point: We move to Colorado Springs, get involved with a great organization that allows me to do what I love (IT for Nonprofits) and connects me, casually, to more than 500 people all over the world. This connection enabled me to meet my temporary replacement while I was sick (Elliot) when we came to Houston the first time. They ended up moving to COS to help with my job and Elliot ended up leaning a whole lot about computers. (Their ultimate goal is to move to Cyprus this winter) When we needed to move down here to Houston Elliot hooked us up with their best friends here in town and we learned their parents needed someone to keep an eye on their house for a couple of months while they were out of town. "God's Networking". (We've also met a friend's aunt and uncle who are very nice and we look forward to seeing again, and this couple from Spain (previously of Brazil) we wouldn't have met in any other way.)

I guess as much as I don't want to be going through cancer treatments, it has been interesting to look back and see the casual interactions and meetings I have with people are more than just a single point in time. What I do now, has an effect and while I might not have any idea what that might lead to in the future there is purpose here, there was purpose there. Again, it's not easy, but it is kind of exciting sometimes.

~B.