I have always believed nothing in life is coincidence.  And the more I keep living, the more I find this to be true…

I must have been the only one who neglected to check my Twitter timeline and/or turn on my TV to learn that there was a 2-hour delay due to inclement weather.  Once I realized I was catching all the green lights and going over 30 mph on the main road toward the highway, I knew something was wrong (no traffic on a Monday?  Ha, yeah right).  I then turned on the radio to discover that I could’ve still been in my bed!  At that point, going back home wasn’t an option.  So, I continued my commute to work and started searching for the best breakfast spots near my job.  I think I had a 10-minute debate with myself about whether I was going to a traditional diner for oversized French toast or to a café with an illustrious organic menu of farm-fresh eggs and steel cut oats.  I could already taste the maple syrup I was pouring on top of the Brioche in my head, but in my quest to be healthy, I opted for this quiet, French café in the middle of the city.

Let’s just say I loved everything from the marmalade to the classical music at this café.  It felt so good to have that time for peaceful reflection and meditation as I sipped a macchiato and read my devotional which came from Nehemiah 4:1-10.  In this chapter, we learn how Nehemiah had to look beyond the discouragement and distraction of others and depend on God in order to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  But, it was verse 9 that I kept re-reading.  It outlines how he persevered by making a prayer to God that was ultimately larger than the distractions.  It wasn’t until I finished breakfast and left that café that I really understood that devotional and this unusual series of events that constituted my Monday morning.

On my way out, I decided to take a different route back to the office.  As I turned the corner from the café,  I came upon this historic church.  It honestly stopped me in my tracks because it was massive and beautiful.  On any other day, I probably would’ve walked right by completely unaware of my surroundings and instead thinking about the first item to tackle on my to-do list.  Ok, let’s be serious, on any other day, I wouldn’t even have been on the block where the church is located!  But, today things were just different.  It was during the moment that I spent snapping photos of this religious artifact that I realized I was being reminded Who is in control and just how big He really is.  Everything about my morning was purposefully ordered from the first moment I opened my eyes to the rising sun of a new day.  Because I was willing to do what was unusual for me on a Monday, I had a delightful dining experience, but more importantly I had a destined date with God.  If it ever seems as though you’re being inconvenienced or missing out because you’re not doing what everyone else is doing (shout out to everyone who slept in and/or worked from home today), just remember that God will sometimes mute your distractions and alter your routine to magnify His presence.