God's Little Surprises

Check out my interview yesterday at Zara Hoffman's blog!  I won third place in the story pitch contest at her shared writing blog, A Pocket Full of Pens. :)

There I was, sitting in church on Sunday, just like usual.  Picture it with me: second red-upholstered wooden pew from the front, in the set of pews on the right side of the auditorium.  I'm sitting in my new black dress with blue and green polka dots, if I remember correctly.  In my hands is a copy of one of the INSPY book nominations I'm helping to judge.  People sit or stand scattered around the auditorium, waiting for service to start in about 20 minutes, and the music of the orchestra practicing in the meantime combines with the chatter surrounding me.  I tune it all out and dive into a great story, at least for the twenty minutes I have.

You can see it now, yes?  As I sit there, alone and happily oblivious to the world, a young woman approaches.  I notice her standing in front of the front pew and lower my book.  She smiles at me, offers her hand, and gives me her name.

"Are you Emily?"

I stand and smile, a little curious, and affirm.  "Yes, that's me."  The first thing I notice about her is how pretty she is - golden hair pulled partly back frames a long face with delicately pronounced bones, in which glittering eyes are set under gracefully arched eyebrows.  Naturally, considering her youth combined with her beauty and boldness in introducing herself, I deduce that this is one of two situations: (1) she's with a traveling college group that will be spending the following Sunday School hour pitching their school to my youth group, or (2) she's fresh out of college and part of a traveling musical and/or evangelistic group that will have something to do with today's services.  Knowing my brother, she's probably just learned every detail about me and our family.  He does love to talk to the traveling groups.

"Emily from the blog?"

Wait, what?

"Um..." I nervously laugh.  "Well, I do have a blog.  Emily Rachelle Writes."

Her face lights up more than I thought possible - she is just radiating.  Man, I wish I was that pretty.  "I'm AnnaKate from the blog!  Remember me?"

Suddenly all the lights go on.  Of course!  That AnnaKate! - But no way!  "Oh, yeah, I know you!  Hi!  Hi!" I sputter.  What else to say?  All the guest posts and Hunger Games talks...

"Can I hug you?"  She laughs, and so do I.  I hold out my arms.

"Yes!  Yes!  Please!"

Sometimes God just throws you something totally unexpected and leaves you smiling all week.  Oh, and I can cross off 'have a meet-up' from that list of dreams ;)  Did I mention what a sweet, lovely girl AnnaKate is?

I'm participating in Melanie's Monthly One Word Linkup Party.  Join us!