“Here's to those who inspire you and don't even know it.” - Unknown

Every now and then, a person will come into your life at just the right moment. It might be a friend or it might be a complete stranger. But sometimes God knows exactly who to send to us and when. I recently had two experiences like this. One friend I was led to through a slightly uncomfortable mutual issue. We started out problem solving our mutual issue and ended up talking about my childhood. The friend, bless her, started talking to me about the Bible, telling me very relevant Bible stories that I had either 1) never heard of before, or 2) had never considered how influential they could be on issues I had been through – issues that didn't even touch the odd situation that had brought us together.

We'll call this friend Sandy. Throughout our conversation, Sandy and I both kept coming back to the theory of “Everything happens for a reason.” I can't imagine the horrible mutual issue that brought us together at that moment had happened for that reason – to bring us together. But maybe it did, because she said something to me that no one in my life (even I) had ever realized.

Without going into so much detail... When I was a kid, I found myself in intense situations where I had to stand up to some crazy things to protect members of my family, even when I was the youngest one in the family. I sometimes found myself in situations that no child should ever find themselves in, but I had to put on my big girl pants and do what needed to be done.

Now as an adult, and in talking to Sandy about the odd situation we found ourselves in, I told her I had an intense desire and determination to protect her and her family's best interests. I simply told her that I was always like that. I felt that way about any of my friends. I would walk through fire for them. (And I literally meant it.) She simply looked at me with so much wisdom and said “You feel this way because you had to protect your family when you were a kid.” My jaw dropped. As crazy as it sounds, I (nor any of my friends or family that knew and lived my history alongside me) had ever made that connection. I was floored, and I started to lose it. Being the shelled, protected person I am, I immediately stopped myself and was barely successful in keeping myself together. This friend, who I had never had this kind of conversation with, had quickly developed a theory that was totally accurate. I had talked to many other friends and family members in way more depth about my past trying to figure things out and find peace, and this one friend, because of this one situation, found herself in a position to tell me something I had needed to hear for years. It was amazing, and I will forever be grateful to her for her kindness and guidance. I hope I have the opportunity to help her in the future.

To top it off, I had a friend come to me the very next day. (We will call him Sam.) We were working on a mutual project and had to talk over some things. Once business is out of the way, Sam and I usually get off on a tangent or deep talk about people, life, and the divine – all very interesting conversations.

Now before I tell you where our conversation went, I'll give you a little back story. I've been having a bit of a rough time in my life lately. Personal issues that have made me feel very depressed and alone. All in all, the situation is not as bad as it could be, but its still one of those situations that has left me not knowing where to turn and what direction I should go with my life. I can be hopeful one minute and depressed as heck the next. One day will be going great, and then BAM! I'm hit with terrible news that leaves me completely empty and broken.

This friend, bless him, knew nothing about my situation. I, lightheartedly and briefly, filled him in on some things, and we continued with the conversation as though my situation was no big deal and I had everything under control. Little did he know... But apparently he didn't have to know anything specific because our conversation led to him opening me up to great thoughts.

The night before, after I had talked to Sandy, I went home somewhat hopeful but ultimately feeling the same thing I had fought for so long – that I needed to not worry about my own feelings and just be someone who cared for those around her selflessly – kind of like a living guardian angel. (And I feel selfish even typing this because I don't ever want anyone to think I do anything for credit. I would be more than happy to do good deeds from afar and no one ever know I was involved. So... if you're reading this and think I'm doing a good deed for you sometime... just ignore that thought.) Anyway... I had gone home and continued my thought of “I just need to take care of other people and not worry about myself.” (Typing that... I realize how stupid that sounds. You can't take care of others if you don't take care of yourself. Another “ah-ha” moment...) I had become so upset and so depressed that solving my own life seemed too complicated and helping other people seemed so easy and purposeful. “If I could just forget my own human needs and block them out, I could just be this being that lived alone in the shadows and helped other people – a kind of depressed guardian angel,” I thought. Weird, I know.

But then my friend, Sam, in us talking about divine knowledge, how people operate, etc., etc., told me about something he had read – that people sometimes get consumed by their emotions. I agreed. “You know it's true,” I told him. “People often worry too much about defining and holding on to their emotions that they don't realize the knowledge and experience they can gain from a situation.” Then, I realized... I was doing that exact thing. I was getting too hung up on feeling bad that I wasn't concentrating on learning from the situation I had found myself in, learning about my own personal development, which might, in turn, help with my situation overall.

Conversations with Sam always tend to make me feel like everything is going to be okay. The conversation ended, and he left. I watched him walk outside and get in his truck. Little did he know that the simple things he said in our conversation made a deeper impact than he thought.

Between Sandy and Sam, these two friends were put with me at just the right time to provide the advice and knowledge I needed on a day I needed it the most. Before those conversations, I had woken up one morning feeling completely hopeless and fell asleep that same night praying that God would just take away my emotions. The combination of advice from these two friends have given me hope and helped me continue through this time in my life – a time that is unlike anything I have ever experienced before. A time when I feel so lost.

The moral of the story? There are two. 1) Sometimes just when you think hope is lost and you have no idea where to turn, God (or the universe, the divine, whatever you believe) will bring people to you that will guide you. You just have to be open to it. And 2) Never think what you have to say is small. You never know when YOU may be the one God is sending. You never know when what you have to say or your past experiences will make a difference in someone's current situation. You may just give someone the hope, knowledge, or advice they need to make it through the day, and, if your lucky, you may have the opportunity to change someone's life. These two friends have no idea how much they inspired me. And the coolest thing? They didn't even mean to at all. They were just being themselves.