Divine Moments

As I've mentioned before, I'm reading a book called Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus. The entire book stresses the importance of recognizing and grasping the divine moments God places right in front of our eyes on a regular basis. These moments can be as simple as sharing a kind word with a stranger on the bus or as difficult as leaving your comfort zone to follow your dreams. When you choose to seize a moment, it could make no difference at all or it could make all the difference in the world. Just as happiness is a choice, we decide whether or not we will embrace the divine moments God places along our path. We can choose to seize those moments or we can turn our backs to them and walk away, never knowing what could have been, always asking ourselves, "What if?"

I faced a divine moment last Tuesday:
In case you're just now joining us, I dream of being a talk show host. I've wanted to do that since my junior year of high school. It's been six years and God has yet to direct me otherwise, so that's the direction I'm headed in for now! With that being said, I love The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She encourages millions of people across the world to "be kind to one another." In the same way, I hope to encourage the world to "Give a stranger a smile. It may be the only sunshine he sees all day!" After all, you never know what one simple smile can do to a person's life!

I had just gotten home from class last Tuesday when suddenly I received a notification informing me that a friend had mentioned me in a tweet. I noticed the tweet included both mine and Ellen's Twitter names so out of curiosity, I opened my Twitter app. The tweet read, "@TheEllenShow @kristin_koonce how fast can you get to Denton?" Puzzled, I made my way to Ellen's Twitter page to see what my friend was referring to. Tears flooded my eyes as I read Ellen's tweet: "Hey University of North Texas - my show's coming to Denton tomorrow. That’s right. Denton. You don’t want to miss this." My heart began beating rapidly inside my chest and before making any further decisions, I pinched my arm to ensure I was conscious. As soon as I came to the realization that this wasn't a dream, I began packing. I had originally planned on going home the following day, but when I found out The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be screening a segment at UNT, I decided to drive 4.5hrs to Denton, make a "WE LOVE ELLEN" sign, and scream at the top of my lungs for the beloved talk show host instead. I didn't know what God had in store, but I knew I was going to find out! After all, it's not every day your favorite talk show host, and the person who inspires you daily to continue pressing on towards the career you aspire to have one day, films a segment of her show just a few hours away from you. On top of that, it was finals week at Texas A&M but the only thing I had to worry about was submitting one last research paper on Friday! On more than one occasion, God revealed to me how blessed I was to have only been taking 6hrs this last semester and this was another one of those moments! However, although I'm not one to skip class, I probably would have made an exception just this once! HA!

Well...what happened?
I didn't meet Ellen and I didn't get to be on her show, but that is not the point of this blog post. The point is, I saw a divine moment and I seized it. I didn't know what was in store. All I knew was Ellen DeGeneres would be screening part of her show a few hours away from me and I could either overlook this rare opportunity or I could clasp it with both hands and run full speed ahead. I chose the latter. I didn't drive 4.5hrs to Denton, TX expecting to land an internship for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I simply saw this opportunity as God's way of testing my faith and trust in Him, preparing me for future situations where I will have to drop everything and be willing to go wherever He calls me if I'm even the least bit serious about following my dreams. Had I not gone, I would have always been asking myself, "What if?" I would have lived a life of regret, always wondering what could have been. Nora Roberts quoted, "If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place." It didn't matter to me whether I got to meet Ellen or be on her show (although that would've been another dream come true). It mattered that I went. I took a leap of faith. I didn't know what God had in store, but I was willing to find out! I wasn't afraid to lose. I stepped off the sideline and stepped into the game with confidence. That in itself is a victory.

I would like to encourage you to do the same and take advantage of the divine moments you face in this life! Don't allow fear to overcome you. Believe that God can do anything because miracles happen every day! Live your life with tenacity and be willing to go wherever He calls you. Don't sit back and watch life happen. Refuse to stay where you are. Strike out swinging. Take initiative. Listen to God's voice and journey with Him! Chase daylight. 

I would like to close with this excerpt from Chasing Daylight: 
"There are few things more powerful than a life lived with passionate clarity. Every moment is waiting to be seized by those who are chasing daylight. We all have dreams, hopes, and aspirations. Why, then, do some of us realize our dreams and advance forward while others watch timidly from a distance and hope for a break? Chasing Daylight is a call to live a life of blazing urgency. We have but one life. We are given one opportunity to pursue our dreams and fulfill our divine purpose. Every moment counts, and we must engage them with fierceness and zeal. Put an end to passive observation, paralyzed by the need for perfect opportunity, and start seizing the raw, untapped potential of your life with God. Are you willing to risk failure? Are you ready to get in the game? You may stumble, but you will find yourself falling foward, propelled toward the God-inspired adventure He intends you to live."