From Stranger to Messenger

He comforts us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. 2 Corinthians 1:4

If you have not read my last entry, "Change Writes Your Story," which you totally should, by the way, I dwelled on the challenges of moving to my college town. All I ever knew was the city I grew up in, so if you throw this massive change of moving away from home at an overthinker, you get a disaster of a person. Or at least, that is what I felt like for a few weeks at the start of my college career. Three years later, I am confident that I am exactly where I need to be.

How did I manage to persevere you may ask? The one constant in my life that I have been able to fall back on is my faith. No matter how old, who I surround myself with, and what trials and tribulations slap me in the face, I can trust in God that His plan for me is intact. So, although I moved away and started anew with no singular person to fall back on, I felt a sense of comfort. Comfort over the fact that God may not be able to physically catch me, but He can do far more. He can provide resources, people, and opportunities to turn this strange city into a home...and that He did.

I am no perfect Christian--I have drifted away from Him too many times to count, and yet He welcomes me back every time. In my first year at college, I did not prioritize my faith whatsoever. I hardly talked to Him, I barely went to church, and I disobeyed His words. I figured if I prayed over the things I needed or wanted, my relationship with Him would remain the same. I can assure you, it did not. A relationship is not a one-way street, and that is how I treated Him. I never looked for Him, I never heard Him, and I never felt the urge to. I thought the people around me--my friends, my family, and even myself--would be enough to fill the void inside me. I was so incredibly wrong. There came a moment when the parties, the boys, and the endless pursuit of self-gratification no longer held any meaning, and I was left defeated. The noise and distractions couldn’t drown out God's absence; in fact, they only magnified it. From the outside, my life might have appeared put together, maybe even "complete," but inside, it was the opposite. I had tried everything to fill the void, but the truth slapped me: what I was searching for was not found in the world’s promises but in God’s presence. It wasn’t worldly aspects that could fulfill me. It was Him, and I had been looking in all the wrong places.

"God is always near, but sometimes we fail to notice His presence because we're looking for Him in grand events rather than in the small moments." Max Lucado

Fast forward to my third year and I have never felt more of God's unconditional love in my life than in the present moment. My fellow Christians can understand when I say this: you know the exact feeling when something is sent by God. Whether that is a message, a symbol, or a person, you can just sense whatever it is, is from Him. This past year, my faith has been one of my top priorities. My eighteen-year-old self would be astonished by how much I sacrificed to become closer to Him. Let that be people, substances, mindsets, whatever it may be, she would not believe her eyes. Yet, I feel the most content.

Over the past six months, changes have crept into my life. People I once considered irreplaceable ended up drifting away. And while that was gut-wrenching, God's reassurance never disappointed. I know without a doubt that it was His doing because I am capable of writing about this without being consumed by anger, hatred, or regret. Instead, I write about it with a bittersweet acceptance, an "it's okay," because I know that God's plan is far greater than their absence. Following all this change, an unwanted feeling started to take over--I no longer felt like I belonged in my college town. Thoughts of returning home kept nagging me. So I prayed. And prayed. And prayed some more, seeking comfort and peace in a place that started to feel less and less like home. Every prayer ended the same way, but I had this gut feeling that God was listening.

Buckle up because this experience still gives me goosebumps.

October 24, 2024

I started my serving shift as I normally would. It was a Thursday night, nothing ever extravagant happens on Thursday nights. I was in a decent mood, nothing bad happened nor did anything spectacular. I worked with a few of my best friends, so their company was much appreciated since it was a pretty slow night. I was a closer, meaning I had to be the last one on the floor. A two-top walked in near the end of my shift and requested the dining room, yet I was in the bar. I decided to still take them, after all, who else would?

Right from the start, I can sense an inviting feeling. They were patient, they were kind. They explained to me that they were waiting for two other people; these two people were to get married that weekend. Before the engaged couple came, I talked with the two about the area, and they gave me suggestions of where to go and what to do with friends. Another ten minutes or so passed, and I went to check on the original couple to see if they had their joiners. Sure enough, a man and a woman were now sitting across from the couple. The second I approached the table, the man who had joined greeted me,

"Leah: In Progress?"

You should have seen my face. I was so taken aback that I completely forgot the introduction I gave to my tables. I shook it off by laughing and said something along the lines of, "That's me!" I couldn’t for the life of me remember your name, but if you’re reading this (and I really hope you are), you were the first person who wasn’t a close acquaintance to acknowledge my blog; to say it made my day is an understatement.

I was already in high spirits with this table, so I periodically checked on them to make sure their drinks were full and they were satisfied. We threw a couple of jokes and banter back at each other, and then time flew by and it was time for them to be checked out. I gave them their bill, thinking that would be the end of our interaction. Sure enough, one of the ladies asks me,

"So what is your blog about?"

This is where I typically reply with, "It is about personal growth and experiences," but I felt a voice in my head say, "Add faith to it." My blog is mostly about personal growth and the experiences I have encountered so far, but here and there I like to throw in my faith and certain Bible verses that speak to me. So, without hesitation, I reply,

"It's about personal growth, experiences, and my faith."

She did not acknowledge personal growth and experiences; instead, she immediately began asking me questions about my faith such as my denomination, my upbringing with it, etc. She proceeded to ask if the four of them could pray over me...and when I tell you, immediately tears. I had never been in this sort of situation, but the next thing I knew, the five of us were holding hands in the restaurant dining room. She had no idea about the battles I had been dealing with, yet God spoke to her. One of the bigger aspects she focused on was comfort; to receive comfort within myself and this city. This stranger answered every single question I gave to God, and she had no idea. After they finished praying over me, tears flooded down. I thanked them and excused myself so I could gather my emotions.

Ten minutes or so later, I went to the front and explained this God-driven moment to my best friend, still crying might I add. My table was leaving at this given time, and I received the opportunity to thank them. The same lady who initiated the prayer saw I was still emotional and asked for a hug, which I gladly accepted. She whispered some kind, reassuring words to me, and just like that, the four of them walked out.

Talk about a gut-wrenching, beautiful, God-given experience.

---

Many of my friends ask me how I know God is real. For the longest time, I could not provide a better answer than, "He just is. I grew up knowing Him." Now, when I am asked this same question, I always answer, "How could He not be?" and start listing ways He is present. This experience with my table is one of the million ways God shows up. There is no coincidence, there is no "perfect timing," only God's. There was no grand gesture or a booming voice from the sky; He presented Himself in the form of a stranger. There was no sign, no nametag displaying "God," but only a feeling.

"What if there is no God?" I would rather spend my entire life believing in Him, and whether or not He is real. I would rather spend a life living under His words than spend a life not. Because let's say we leave this earth and there is no God, I can say I spent my life living abide well-spoken, glorious commandments rather than living by my ill-willed understanding; it would turn disastrous. If you were to simply open up and annotate the Book of Proverbs, you would gain nothing but wisdom. You do not have to believe in God if you so please, but living by the Bible, your personal faith's doctrine, or commandments/rules, will do nothing but strengthen and benefit you. When we leave this earth and God is before us, I can confirm that I attempted to live my life with Him at the center. "What if there is no God?" is a common question that unsettles a lot of individuals, but the real question that should be asked is, "What if there is a God?" How would you respond?

---

As I have previously stated, by no means am I this perfect-go-lucky Christian. I mess up, and I mess up a lot. Thank everything that God is so forgiving because He has needed to forgive me a whole lot. There is nothing wrong with adventuring this earth and discovering who you are, but always remember who is your home. I can reassure whoever is feeling lost, to turn to Him. I felt completely out of control with my life six months ago, and since knowing and accepting God back into my life, His work has not gone unnoticed. I began to notice, my friends began to notice, my mother began to notice, etc. God's work is substantial, and you will come out a whole different person once you put him at the forefront of your life.

To the people in my section that day in October: I hope you are reading this, smiling. I hope you can understand that your small gesture was more impactful than you thought. I hope you continue to spread your kindness and influence those around you the same way you influenced me. The world needs more of you four. If you are reading this, please shoot me a message under "Contact" on my site--I would love to chat and learn your names. I can only hope to spread God the way you do in my future; you truly are beautiful people. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

If you are reading this and struggle with your faith, please do not hesitate to reach out, either. Whether you reach out on this platform or my social media at the bottom of my page, I would love to have a conversation. I find that when people are open with their struggles regarding their faith, the more genuine and vulnerable the connection will be. A conversation about God will unite those who are interested in knowing Him, and I would love to fuel our love for Him together.

Sometimes God uses the most ordinary moments to show us the most extraordinary things." Priscilla Shirer