Divine Appointments in New Mexico

During a recent vacation, my traveling companion and I toured the towns of Santa Fe, Taos and Red River. New Mexico – the land of enchantment – contains plenty of enchanted places and wonderful people just in these three cities.

Although the vacation had a dual purpose – to rest and reflect, but also to do research for another book in my Reverend G series – a higher purpose soon surfaced. Each morning, we asked God to point us toward someone who might need encouragement, hope or a sense of His presence.

Without fail, each day revealed a divine appointment. A beautiful couple traveling through the area without a schedule: we discussed various places we had seen and encouraged each other to visit the Loretto Chapel and the Taos galleries. A young woman in need of surgery: I prayed God’s healing for her. A young man who was stressed out in his job needed a smile and a “I think you’re doing great!” comment. An incredible young woman on her way to a law degree blessed us with her strength even as we prayed God would work out His plan for her life.

Each day, someone crossed our path and at the end of each day, I recorded the divine appointments in my journal. But when I returned home, I thought Why should the divine appointments only happen in New Mexico? Can’t they also happen in the summer heat of Kansas?

So I am trying to be more proactive – to look for those people who might need a word of encouragement, a measure of hope or a simple prayer. All of us know how it feels to be blessed by a smile, a kind word or a pat on the back. I want to be on the alert for ways that I can bless others and find those divine appointments every day.

If I do that, then the blessing of the vacation continues and the hope of God travels from one heart to the next. Just imagine if all of God’s children kept their divine appointments.