Another Dot

Many of you have heard me say that I think of my life (and God's plan for my life) as one big connect the dots picture. When I was a little girl, I loved doing connect the dot pictures. Not everyone understood why I bothered doing those drawings, because they knew that if I wanted to create a picture of a dog or a boat or whatever the drawing revealed, I simply could draw it myself. God gave me an ability to draw well at a very young age. It wasn't something I learned...it was just something I did...a true gift...but I didn't realize it until many years later.

Anyway, I loved connect the dot pictures. There was something so fun for me about drawing that line from one number to the next and seeing the outcome. It was someone else's plan...someone else's design and I really had no control of it...except to recognize and connect the dots as they were presented to me...as I understood them.

That is my life. God is the Master Designer and he has created a life for me that is revealed to me one simple dot at a time. Occasionally I have detoured off His plan for me and created my own dots (which usually made a real mess of the picture of my life, I might add!) But patiently and kindly He has brought me back to His original plan and He continues to place new dots before me to recognize and connect.

The other day, I was visiting my favorite shopping place (The Goodwill Store - I call it my "therapy session"!) and as I was browsing through a rack of clothing I looked over at the check out counter and thought I recognized a familiar face. It was a dear friend from my youth...someone I spent many hours with - laughing, crying, praying and sharing. She is a real blast from my past! An old but new dot in my life!

As I stepped out from behind the clothes rack and into her line of vision, I leaned over and caught her attention. At first she looked puzzeled like, "What is this crazy woman doing staring at me?" but then her jaw dropped and she smiled that incredible smile that I remembered so well. I immediately went to her and wrapped my arms around her hugging her with all my might! We were both laughing and I felt such joy in my heart at our reunion.

Just a couple days before this I had been going through some old pictures and had found several of her and her family as well as many of her with my mother as they clowned together in various parades. And I held them in my hands and asked God to be with my friend where ever she was and if it were possible to please bring us together again someday. I desired to see my friend, and God heard the desire of my heart.

She had been through a life change. Her marriage had ended...bitterly. She was adjusting to being alone. As she told her story I found myself nodding and saying, "Yes, I know", but not to empathize but because I truly did know...I know what she has been through. It was all so familiar...and I felt her pain...her anguish. And she knew that I understood.

That afternoon, in the Goodwill parking lot my friend and I touched base and briefly tried to catch up with each other's lives. Unfortunately I had to leave for an Art Club Meeting so we exchanged numbers and vowed to get back together soon. I gave her a copy of "Third & Grace" and "The Mystery History Trunk" books to read. We hugged one more time and then went our separate directions...our separate lives. But for one breif moment our lives connected.

So now this week, we've played phone tag. I called and left a message. She called back and I missed her call. Then I called again and left another message. And I started wondering if she was really a going to be a permanent dot in my life plan or just another fading detour. But I know the joy I felt when I hugged her was so genuine and so sure. I just believed God had our path's cross for a purpose.

I finally reached my friend today. She had been busy at her second job, but stated that she had started reading, "Third & Grace" and was looking forward to getting together again soon...when? I don't know yet...but I know we will...we have much to catch up on. It's good to reconnect to old dots :o)