California- Part Two

Speaking of miracles, I just have to share what my God did for me in California.

It was Friday afternoon. It was a lull time and I was feeling a little lonely and homesick. I know it sounds odd that I'd feel lonely in a place with thousands of people, but when you're so far from home and everything is new and different and you're suffering from an immense case of jet lag, things can look a little askew. I breathed a silent prayer to the Lord asking Him to ease my loneliness and to comfort me. I felt in my heart that He answered, "What would you like for me to do to comfort you?"

I said, "It would be so nice to see a familiar face, maybe a child I taught to write or the parent of a child I taught to write." I was thinking of the North Carolina conference and how I never feel lonely there because at any moment I can run into the familiar face of someone who knows and loves me. Even as I thought about what would comfort me I also thought, "But I know that's ridiculous because I live on the east coast and I'm thousands of miles away on the west coast so don't worry about it God. Just comfort me in whatever way suits you."

A few hours later I heard someone say my name and I turned around and stood face to face with Kathy whose children I gave a crash course in writing before she moved to China four years ago!!! Get this, she still lives in China and is only home for a while to visit family in California! She just happened to be in the same city as me. She just happened to come to the CHEA homeschool conference. She just happened to be near my booth and see me. When I saw her I was in tears because I couldn't believe God would be so good to me!

This is me and Kathy, all smiles.

She wants me to come to China and teach a writing seminar for the American homeschooling families that live there. For real. No joke. She really wants me to come to China!

Don't you think God went out of His way to comfort me? You would think that would be enough wouldn't you? But our God never does just enough, He always does more than we can ask, think, or imagine.

A few hours later I'm standing at the booth minding my own business. Enter Tracy. Shrieks and screams of excitement fill the air. Tracy is a friend I met on the Five in a Row message boards many years ago. We kept in touch via the boards and email and I just love her. She used to help my friend, Leslie, man the Five in a Row vendor booth at the North Carolina homeschool conference because she used to live in North Carolina, but now she lives in California.

Think that's enough? Not quite. She turns around and sees my publisher's wife, Angie. More shrieks and screams. They are old friends! Angie used to live in North Carolina too and now she's in California with Tracy.

This is Angie, me, and Tracy hardly able to contain our excitement.

Once again, God reached into my little world and did what I could never do. He exceeded my wildest expectations and comforted me in a truly supernatural way. And through that comfort I heard His message loud and clear once again, "Yes, Bonita, you are in the center of my will and regardless of where you go or how new and unfamiliar things may seem I am always right there with you."

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20