Small World...Big God!

Today I had lunch with another Chaplain wife and I have to say it is a small world AND we have a big God who wants to bless us with moments where we can't explain it any other way than it was orchestrated by God. This is how it all came about...

On Sunday a chaplain we'd never heard preach before got up to preach and I immediately thought he looked a little familiar. After only about a minute or two, I thought to myself, "I bet he and my husband could be good friends." After the service, I was happy to see them talking and discovered why he looked familiar. (I'll stop there for just a minute.)

When I first began to blog I never imagined it would be anything more than a place for me to journal. My prayer has always been that it would minister to other women in the same boat, or speak to those who were thinking about the chaplaincy, but I never imagined it would be such a huge blessing and an avenue by which I would become close friends with several people I might never have the opportunity to meet face to face. On Monday, though, I was completely blown away...(and this is where the first part of my story ties it all together).

I received a comment on my blog from the chaplain's wife that I mentioned above and she wanted to meet! Not only that, I was even more amazed when I thought maybe my husband gave her husband the link to my blog so I asked her if that was the case...to which she responded (with the editing of names and locations), "You won't believe it - I have a dear friend in Alaska who is a fellow chaplain's wife - she found your blog and read it - she knew that we were in TX at the same time with of our son [graduating from basic training] - so she sent me your blog - what a small world!!"

So, we met for lunch and had a wonderful time! I feel very blessed to have met her and look forward to getting to know her more. We have several things in common, one of the best being Jesus, and I thank the Lord for sending a new friend my way!

On a similar note, that same morning I also received a comment from a lady whose husband is at CH-BOLC right now and they live here close to me. We also plan to meet soon. I've had the privilege to meet four other women face to face who I initially met through my blog, and other women who I've come to know but have never met are just as special to me. They have been such a source of encouragement and a true blessing from the Lord in this journey.

Ladies, this journey we are on isn't easy sometimes, but it's moments like these - when God blesses us with new friends that we might never have met otherwise or sends encouragement through the words of someone else - that make you stop and remember that you are where you are because this is HIS will for you and HE is there to see you through it all. It's not easy to pack up and leave friends (every few years) and family, but when God places new people in your life you begin to realize that it's all a part of His plan. Just think, is there any of those close friends you've made along the way that you would give up in a heartbeat just to stay in the same place all your life, or what about missing out on what God wants/wanted you to learn about Him as you step/stepped out in faith? Remember in the difficult times just how BIG our God is and how SMALL this world is!