Have you ever found yourself at the right place at the right time? Ever wonder if God placed you there on purpose? Even the simplest things, simplest events.
For instance, this past weekend I was volunteering at a Catholic youth conference, just as I have been doing for the past 6 years, called Steubenville East held at Our Lady of La Salette Shrine in Attleboro, MA. Approximately 1500-3000 teens gather there. There are around 17 other Steubenville conferences around the nation as well. Anyways, I had been trying to go to the gift shop all weekend but never had a chance. Finally, I was able to on Sunday. When I was in line to check-out, there was a teen behind me. He was buying a wallet-sized card with a braille kind of rosary on it.
Now I could have easily just stood quietly and minded my own business, but I decided to strike a conversation with him. I told him I used to have one of those cards just like his, but lost it. He told me he thought it was a cool idea to have one. We talked a bit about it, then he asked me, "Do you know why there are 5 decades in the rosary instead of just one?" Perfect question! So we got into a conversation on something a lot of people forget, or just don't know about: the mysteries of the rosaries. He had no idea there were mysteries we are supposed to pray with. I told him the Hail Mary's are kind of like 'background music' to the mysteries and also where he can find them online. He said thanks and was so grateful and we went on our own seperate ways.
Now I wonder, did God place me there to help him understand the rosary better? Would he have given up if he didn't run into me? Let's be honest, praying 50 Hail Mary's with nothing to focus on CAN be boring after a while. With the mysteries of the rosary, a person grows closer to Christ, so maybe that is why I was placed there at that moment. I don't know, all I know is that I was at the right place at the right time. Also I believe there are no coincidences. I could think of so many stories like this one. You probably could also.
God has a plan for all of us. We just have to listen and pay attention to His Word. Someone once told me sometimes we see God as this God who we only go to when we need something. So we are always talking, talking, talking. But that should only be part of our relationship with Him. Sometimes we never LISTEN to what HE has to say. We have to SHUT UP & LISTEN! It's OK to talk to God. He loves to hear what His beloved children have to say, but He has so much to tell us also. He speaks to our hearts. Sometimes it takes practice to hear Him: weeks, months, even YEARS before you "hear" God. But I PROMISE you that if you stick to it and to prayer, continuously, you will. It took 2 years until I finally felt God speak to my heart in the silence of prayer, but when He finally did, it was the best moment ever! And it was the most crucial, surprising, unexpected moment also. Those are usually the moments He works.
God DOES speak to our hearts. We just have to trust, believe, have faith, and most of all, shut up and listen sometimes! :)
