January 29th Gratitude

Today, I am thankful that a doctor engaged me in small talk as we were waiting for the elevator.  The hospital I work at has many buildings and my office is on the first floor of one building but the majority of the patients that I am responsible to visit are on the 9th floor of the building one block north.  There are multiple floors that have sky-walks over the street but the 9th floor isn't one of them.  I usually cross on the 8th floor and take a back elevator down to the first floor of the building where my office is.  However, today, because this doctor had engaged me in conversation instead of pushing the button for 8 and crossing over on that level.  I rode down to level 2 continuing to talk with the doctor. I wished him a good evening and then walked across towards the building where my office was.  I rounded the corner and saw Tommy and Renee.  I am super thankful that I got to see them.  Tommy became the minister of music at my church when I was a high school freshman and was there for over 17 years.  I can't began to say the influence that this couple and their family had on me.  They were instrumental in God's leading and calling me to ministry.  It thrilled me to be able to see them and to both encourage and be encouraged by them.  May God always order my steps to be in the right place at the right time.  I'm so thankful that God used that doctor both to bless me through visiting with him but to get me to the right place to be blessed by seeing people who are incredibly near and dear to my heart.