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Peace be with you.

Welcome to a new week!

You know how they say everything happens for a reason?

The cynic might say that the reason is stupidity.

The realist might call it a combination of physics and chemistry.

The optimist understands that you don’t always see the reason in the moment, but it’s there and often a blessing.

Back in 2009, I moved home to North Carolina from Minnesota. After two years of working as a broadcast meteorologist on a very early morning shift in a state I’m still sure I was not made to live in, I was burned out and needed to be surrounded by the family I had greatly missed.

I thought with two degrees, finding a job back home would be easy.

I was wrong. Did I mention it was late 2009? The economy was bad, the job market for meteorologists was ridiculously competitive, and I spent about six months desperately searching for something I had been trained to do.

Then, in 2010 I swallowed my pride and took whatever job I could find because earning an income became more important than living the dream.

I landed a job as an optical consultant in a prominent eye doctor’s office. Considering I am a person who gets queasy around needles and an empath who can feel other people’s physical pain, a medical office is a very poor fit. But they had me helping people choose glasses, checking prescriptions, and even cutting lenses when a job needed to be rushed. So, if I had to work in a doctor’s office, it was the best fit possible.

Within a month, there was a big event at the convention center, and the company had a large booth for marketing our many locations, doctors, and eye wear. Everyone in my office had to work a shift in the booth, and I was happy to escape the office for an afternoon. Other offices sent representatives, too.

I was watching women walk past, ignoring my efforts to interest them in eyewear or an annual eye exam. There was another young lady from one of the other offices doing the same. Before long, we were standing next to each other joking about the women who intentionally ignored us, trying to secretly drop business cards in their large tote bags as they walked past, and generally cutting up together. We had each found someone who matched interests, humor, and energy. We traded numbers when our shift was over and a friendship was born.

We started meeting for dinner and listening to live, local music almost weekly. We made friends with others we met, and we ended up being part of a cool group of people who enjoyed each other’s company. We quickly became best friends.

We traveled together, celebrating my 40th birthday in Costa Rica. We’ve cried together over men, stressed over medical issues, and laughed over our own silliness.

We met 16 years ago. Life has changed a lot. My friend is now the mother of twin toddlers, and we don’t go out every week anymore. Sometimes, it’s months between gatherings, usually at her house when the twins nap. She is still my best friend.

And that job? I hated it. I spent two years there, learning as much as I could and biding my time until I could find something that was a better fit. I spent many lunches sitting in my car working on a book that I paused when I started a better job. Eventually, I picked it back up and completed it – that was last year’s publication: Daughter of the Mystic Moon.

When I had to give up on being a meteorologist so I could be near my family and take a job that didn’t suit me well, I did not feel like my prayers were being answered. I felt defeated.

But if it were not for that job, I never would have met my best friend.

There’s an old song that says some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

I say you must have faith that everything happens for a reason – faith that you’ll be in the right place at the right time for a blessing, even if it’s not the exact one you’re looking for.

A blessing is a blessing whether you ask for it, or not. See it for what it is and be thankful.

My challenge to you this week is to think about a time when everything seemed to be going wrong, but in hindsight, something good came from that period. Whether it’s a friendship, better job, healthier outlook, or anything that eventually changed your life for the better. Because recognizing and feeling gratitude for past blessings helps you see present and future blessings more quickly.  

Go forth and have faith!

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