A divine appointment?

Hello friends! I have a story to share! It really fits into the category of both of my blogs, so I will post a version of this story on each blog.

It all starts with me going to the library to work on my French homework last Thursday afternoon. I went to sit on the 2nd floor in one of the comfy couches, but there were only a few open. I chose the one that wasn't sandwiched between two people. As soon as I sat down and got my book out to start working, the girl next to me started to talk to me. She said hi and then went on to ask me a series of rapid-fire questions like what types of books I like to read, if I knew of a certain author, and what I like to do in my spare time. This is where I got to share a little bit about myself. I told her about Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) and how I'm involved by leading a Bible study and being in one myself. She said she had never heard of it, but sounded kind of interested, so I prodded a bit. She asked me about church, and I told her I went to First Presbyterian. She said she had never heard of a Presbyterian. This is where I feel like I failed. I couldn't for the life of me tell her anything about being a Presbyterian. How sad is that?! I am a member of the Presbyterian church, by choice I might add, since I was confirmed into it my 8th grade year, but I cannot even tell someone what it means to be one? That pointed out to me that perhaps before I start sharing my faith, I should get a few basics down.

Anyway, we continued on, talking about her beliefs. She told me that she was a non-denominational. "It's all about the Bible for me" she said. Oh, cool, I thought. So I asked her what she meant. "Well, I believe in the Bible, but I don't think it applies all the time." This is where I got a little hesitant. I wasn't sure quite how to respond to that. I believe that it does apply all the time, but I didn't know how to say that. For some reason, I was scared to share what I believed. I would have rather sat there and taken in all of her thoughts, nodding along the way, than to put my beliefs out there to be criticized and scrutinized.

We then began to talk about her husband, as she had just gotten married in July. She told me so much about her life that a normal stranger would not share. By this point I had completely forgotten about my French homework. It didn't seem to matter. I felt that there was a reason for me to be there at that time with the awkward girl talking to me in the Library. I mean, who does that?! I've never heard anybody else share their life story in a University Library. Anyway, we both went our separate ways, me to my books, her with her husband, but she left me thinking. Did I do that right? What could I have done differently? Why didn't I invite her to come to Cru that night? Will I ever see her again, or was that my one chance?

In a way, I feel like I stepped out of my bubble that day. Unfortunately, I don't know that it was far enough out there. I don't know that I made a difference. I don't know that I made a change. But I do know that I am no longer scared of random stranger girls who sit in the library.