It's All Good: The Encounter at 7-Eleven (part 1)

Jim Rohn image courtesy of 74 Lime Lane

This is my first post that will address the issue of faith and spirituality.  I am a Christian, but this post is not about religion, but something deeper.  It is about those unplanned moments we encounter, that have the potential to affirm or make you think twice about what you are doing with your life, and what you believe.  I had such an experience on Friday night.

I am a big believer in nothing happens by mistake.  There are no coincidences.  Everything that happens has a meaning and a purpose.  You might say that my INFP personality is driven by my desire to find meaning in everything, but I might see things differently.  To really honor the lesson and awareness I have gained from this "Encounter", this post will be in two or three parts.  I hope that by sharing this story, you become awakened to those encounters that can lead to great self-awareness of the biggest lesson of all--  You were born for a reason and you matter!

The Encounter...

After an evening of celebration with friends, I was homeward bound and thirsty.  I decided to stop at a 7-Eleven to get some ginger ale and what happened next, as I paid for my drink, was quite unexpected.  My companion had struck a conversation with the employee cashier, which peaked my interest.  The gentleman told us about how he ended up working at 7-Eleven for $500 a week, when he used to take home $5000 a week... as a drug dealer.

It turns out that he used to be a big time drug dealer in the area, who ended up doing six years for his crime.  Upon his release, he got a management job at a construction company, where he earned $1200 a week (I am in the wrong field).  Well, that didn't last long.  As he described it, "I still lived by street codes and the rules in corporate are very different.  I didn't know that."  He witnessed one of the laborers he managed, verbally harass a girl.  After several warnings and no change, he decided to "teach him that you do not speak that way to someone's daughter. " (I'll leave that statement to your imagination).  His misguided act of chivalry cost him his job, hence he now works the late shift at 7-Eleven.

During this encounter, I was struck by how humbled he appeared.  He seemed at peace with how his life has turned out. Something inside me was stirred, because I recognized that peace.  He quietly, yet joyfully began to tell us that he knows it is all part of God's plan.  I knew what he meant.  I have had those why-do-these-things-keep-happening-to-me experiences that no one can explain.  No, I haven't dealt in drugs, nor have I been to jail but in many ways, I been in a different sort of prison.  Just like the man that stood before us with a  peaceful presence and smile on his face, I have learned that being knocked off your plan or being humbled by your life's events, is always for a reason... (click here for part 2)  love+live.life!