Its no secret that the Wheaton community is referred to as the bubble.

Some might think this is an unfair accusation, but I personally had been feeling the guilt of my sheltered life along with a strong conviction that all my time spent shouldnt only be with people who have it all together in life. very relationship in your life shouldnt be a give and take, I felt the !ord convicting me to start giving more of my self to others. Some weeks ago, spurred on by my long to"do list and last minute homework, I found myself in the #len llyn Starbucks, where I went on a cold Sunday night to escape interruptions. When I arrived, I scanned the area for an open table hoping I could find one ne$t to an outlet so I could charge my computer, and if I was really lucky not surrounded by other people. Sadly, those were all taken, so I settled for the only open chair, facing one other chair with a footstool in between. Shortly after I arrived, with a warm drink by my side and headphones in I started working on my research paper, motivated to finish it. !ess than an hour into my work, Starbucks was already starting to clear out for the night with the e$ception of a few other people deep in their studies like me. %efore I knew it, two people, obviously homeless by the suitcases and plastic bags they carried, sat down, the women to my right and the man on the footstool my feet were on. &hey began talking rather loudly over me, and understandably I was fighting back frustration. &here were more than enough empty tables, yet they sat practically on my feet. 'fter fifteen minutes or so of their speaking across me the urge to move seats seemed tempting, but as I scanned the coffee shop for a new table, I suddenly felt #od soften my heart. Its like (e grabbed me, yanked me back in the chair and said, mily) *idnt you ask me to teach you to put relationships ahead of your agenda, and didnt you ask me to give you opportunities to talk with the broken and sinful+ ,ust in that moment the lady asked me, *o you know what made me sit down here+ -y attention was now completely given to their loud conversation and the prompting of the (oly Spirit. I gave up. .inally, I shut my laptop, took out my headphones and prepared to listen, introduced myself and asked, So, why did you sit down here+ 's her boyfriend went outside to make a phone call to his cra/y hopefully"soon"to"be e$ wife as he referred to her, the woman introduced herself to me as -elody. She went on to tell me that she thinks #od has been placing people in her life that look similar to her children to keep her from killing herself, she then told me I look identical to her daughter. Slightly alarmed and apprehensive I listened as -elody poured her heart out to me about her life story, filled with betrayal, broken relationships, including three failed marriages, and the searing loss of four children whom she isnt legally allowed to see. -y heart ached for her and in that moment I prayed, one because what she said about me resembling her daughter slightly alarmed me and two sympathi/ing with her about failed marriages and lost children are two things I dont know how to relate to. &hen it hit me, yes, Im 0ust a twenty"year"old college student and she a forty" five"year"old mother of four but 0ust as -elody had placed her hope and security in earthly things dont I do the same+ ,ust as -elody was attempting to gain control because she was an$ious about the way her life was panning out I was doing the same by planning my life out day by day the way I wanted it to look. 's I started to make these connections the distance between -elody and I got much smaller. 1ver three hours of many tears, bitterness, family pictures and memories, -elody, who at first glance was merely a homeless prostitute who needed to find another seat if she was going to further interrupt my homework, became a sister, a beautiful, valued child of the same #od I call my father. %efore I even knew the words were on my lips I heard myself asking -elody if she knew ,esus personally. She replied, 2es, I go to church sometimes and I have a 3ew &estament. I asked again, -elody do you really know ,esus, do

you have a relationship with him+ &hen I was able to share with her the difference between knowing about 4hrist and actually knowing him. I e$plained to her how much #od loves her, has forgiven her, and has a plan despite all of her pain. Immediately two verses came to mind that #od had been placing heavily on my heart in my own life. 5hilippians 678"9 %ut whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of 4hrist. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing 4hrist ,esus my !ord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain 4hrist and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in 4hrist: ; 5hilippians <7 ="8 *o not be an$ious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your re>uests to #od. 'nd the peace of #od, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in 4hrist ,esus. 'fter sharing these verses with her from her own bible she had pulled out of her garbage bag earlier, I held her shaking hands as I prayed over her. &here we sat, previously two complete strangers in the middle of Starbucks, crying, and praying, with what would appear as nothing in common but in reality we struggle with the same things. !ooking back, I dont know if I will ever see -elody again, but I am so thankful I listened to #ods prompting in my life and talked with her that day. &he preparation for that moment didnt start that day in Starbucks. It started over a year before when #od prompted me to give him control over an aspect in my life I was holding out to him with closed fists, a plan that I had and didnt want to give up. &he prompting to trust #od with my future and to hold my plans in hands open to him continued everyday after that. #od was working on my heart over a year in advance, giving me the verses in 5hilippians and preparing to use me that day in Starbucks. Would I have done this if my prayer had not been for #od specifically to take my focus off myself and onto his plan+ 5robably not. I would have followed my own instincts to turn up my music and switch seats. %ut the dangerous thing about being a 4hristian is that we no longer follow our own instincts and, no matter how hard we try to plan our lives and make decisions that we think are best and when #ods plan doesnt align with ours we turn the other direction, the !ord will always put us right where he wants us. What If I would have seen -elody as what she appeared to be on the outside, a homeless prostitute, and worrying what people would think I ignored her+ I would have missed out on sharing my struggles and allowing #od to use me to encourage someone who is struggling with the same things. Wheaton 4ollege, when #od places something on our hearts, even if the plan doesnt seem clear, even if the road seems painful, never >uestion it. 5ursue it. When (e prompts you, drop everything your doing, regardless of its importance on your to"do list, and run towards that prompting. It may at times feel as though youre in a dark room stumbling and grasping for anything that will allow you to take control. ?ntil you learn to let go, embrace the blindness, and accept your utter dependence on 4hrist you will remain in the dark. @uiet your soul, fi$ your mind on him, and marvel when the !ord begins to show you more of his unfathomable self that you ever imagined possible.