"Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
I never envy the administrative staff at the doctor's office, the hair salon, or (shudder) the DMV (where I recently spent some time). They line up appointments one after the next in an orderly fashion (even the DMV, believe it or not), yet they also bear the brunt of the fallout when that order self-destructs into chaos, complaints, delays, and personal emergencies.
As we wear the carpets of our lives threadbare with constant pacing, we may miss out on the miracle appointed for this day. Sometimes, the appointment isn't about finally being called back to see the doctor. Many times, God has appointed us to be the ones calling others back. He is constantly arranging His people into positions to be used for His higher purpose.
One day, I was in Crate and Barrel hurriedly trying to cross some gifts off my list, scrolling through my phone mentally inventorying the texts, voicemails and emails awaiting me from the day. The woman checking me out noticed my wedding ring and told me how much she loved it. I politely thanked her and looked back down, caught up in my own schedule. I heard her ask me the secret to a long and happy marriage.
Bemused, I glanced up and back down and finally tuned into the Spirit telling me to put my phone down. I immediately noticed how beautiful she was and listened with a heavy heart as she told me about the divorce she was walking through. As we spoke, I was able to minister to her and later sent her an Angels In Our Midst book to encourage her weary spirit.
As I was leaving, God reminded me about listening to His voice. He used what would have been another mundane transaction in my day as a divine appointment. He called this woman back from the waiting room and allowed her to feel like she was more than just static in the frenzy of my day.
Sometimes, we walk around our frantic lives like we're stuck in an eternal doctor's waiting room, irritably tapping on the glass of the reception window with a strained yet polite, "Excuse me? Do you know how long I've been waiting? Do you have any updates?" The thing is, God's a scheduler. He makes divine appointments and sets us on collision courses with His master calendar. August 15, 2024? Oh, you may just have an appointment with destiny today. Or maybe tomorrow. Or a month from now. Or maybe not for another fourteen years. He has a date circled on His calendar designated just for you.
