6:00pm – Left Houston, TX headed to South Bend, IN for the Harvest Show TV Interview
12:25am – After a few delays in Chicago I finally landed in South Bend. Exhausted from traveling I headed to the first Taxi in line. “Good evening,” the taxi driver quipped as he took position behind the steering wheel. “I’m going to the Inn at St. Mary’s hotel,” I said politely. “Oh, that is a very nice hotel,” he said with a distinct accent. Unable to contain my curiosity (even at 12:30 in the morning) I asked where he was from. “Rwanda,” he said. Suddenly the taxi ride became interesting. 😉 It didn’t take much prompting for him to tell his story. He escaped the genocide in Rwanda and managed to get to Egypt where he worked his way through college and graduate school. Later, he went back to Africa and became a University professor in Educational studies. As I’m listening to him speak humbly of his background I couldn’t help but wonder why an educated college professor was driving a taxi, so I asked. “I have to pay my mortgage,” he said and laughed. “When we came to the states I got a second masters in social work and now my full-time job is in that field. This is my part-time job,” he said. “I enjoy meeting interesting people such as yourself.” I smiled and thanked him. “You are pretty interesting too,” I interjected. “Do you have children?” I could see his white tooth grin in the darkness of the cab. “Oh yes, I have two sons. One graduated from Notre Dame and is an engineer and the other is in medical school to become a doctor.” Dumbfounded by the drive and success of this one man and his family I made the comment, “I am impressed with how much you have achieved when so many people I know offer a list of excuses as to why they can’t.” He nodded his head in agreement. “Yes, America is a place of opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted.” I couldn’t agree more! What a message of hope. This man escaped one of the most gruesome atrocities in this world and yet he didn’t let that get him down. He persevered and took the chance to succeed as God called him to.
8:00am– Met with Steve, the hotel shuttle driver, to take me to LeSea communications for the interview. As we headed to our destination he asked what I was going to speak about so I told him about the book EXPOSED and the Hopeful Hearts Ministry. Turns out his wife is also a survivor of abuse and for the next fifteen minutes we were blessed with a very deep discussion on the intricacies of marriage and having a partner that suffered abuse. The conversation was divinely appointed and in many ways God showed up through the BOTH of us!
8:30am–
Met with the hosts of The Harvest. I believe the interview went well…
9:35am – Back in the greenroom I met the guests for the taping of the next show, author Craig von Buseck, “Praying the News” and “Seven Keys to Hearing God’s Voice”. He also happens to work at CBN, Christian Broadcasting Network. Again I was enjoying another divinely appointed conversation about both of our books, ministry, etc. And who knows what opportunity might arise from our chance meeting. 😉
10:35am – Steve, the hotel shuttle driver, took time out of his schedule and gave me a tour of Notre Dame, the very university that both my grandfather and uncle attended. Here are the three best sites of all :
11:30am – Checked out of the hotel and had the great pleasure of getting to visit with my friend, Mary Bielski, a fellow speaker with Steubenville. She wasn’t supposed to be in town but by the grace of God she was and we headed straight to Mass from the hotel.
12:00pm – There is no greater gift (for a Catholic) than to receive the Eucharist. The fact I had the opportunity to attend Mass and spend time in prayer at my Father’s banquet to thank Him for all He has done with the TV interview and all the recent reviews and radio interviews was a sheer blessing.
1:00pm – Had ‘girl talk’ with Mary… discussed our fears, concerns, trials, triumphs. We validated one another and prayed over one another. Again, God’s presence was manifest within our friendship.
3:00pm – Mary had an appointment so I was set up in her office and got the unexpected opportunity to write in my latest book project. (The greatest gift in this afternoon besides Mass, spending it with Mary and getting to write is that I wasn’t alone, stuck in an airport as I thought I was going to be just 24 hours before). 🙂 God definitely heard my grumble of trepidation for the lonely afternoon and answered my prayers!
6:00pm – On the first connection from South Bend to Chicago sat next to Meg, a beautiful young woman who is a licensed counselor and works for the foster care program in the Bronx. Again, another anointed conversation. My prayers are with Meg and the work she does for the youth that are most often forgotten or simply stuck in a position that seems hopeless. We talked the entire 19 minute flight and at one point I apologized for my directness. Meg offered this great point, “I don’t mind. I think we miss out on getting to know great people just because we are afraid or intimidated.” Exactly Meg. How can God ‘show up’ if we remain silent? 😉
11:35pm – After more flight delays I finally made it home. My head was still spinning from so much time with God in the past 24 hours. I needed rest. 😉
Blessings Shannon
PS: Please take a moment and view the Hopeful Hearts Ministry fund-raiser campaign. If you can’t give monetarily that is OKAY…but please leave a comment on the campaign page and forward to your friends!