A
Good Story: The Key Players
By Karen D’Amore
“Delight yourself in
the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4
As the door shut “literally” upon the
closing of my old salon, it was absolutely clear where I wouldn’t be working after
graduation. As I questioned where God would eventually place me, He filled my
heart with snapshots of that future salon. And as my “melded desire” list grew
daily, the puzzle pieces were transforming into a recognizable picture. Just as
desires developed regarding the location and physical features of the salon,
the desires regarding who I’d work
for were growing even stronger.
I was familiar with Craig Berns Salon and
found it charming. When I learned of a friend’s relationship with Mary Beth,
the Christian owner, my interest peaked considerably. My
friend willingly agreed to orchestrate an introduction upon my request. But
just as the request rolled off the tip of my tongue, the Lord nudged me with
gentle conviction. His sweet voice reminded me, “Whose plan are you
following?” Whoops. I was meddling and
taking control of a plan I’d relinquished to Him. He then lovingly impressed
upon my heart, “How would He get the glory if I was manipulating the key
players?” I retracted my request and explained to my friend the reason for my
retraction. In the meantime, I prayed that God would orchestrate the
connections with the key players in my future employment. I prayed that He
would do so in a manner which would boldly
bring honor and glory to Him.
Weeks passed and as I continued to pray and
wait, I couldn’t get thoughts of Mary Beth out of my head. As school neared an
end, I studied feverishly in preparation for my final exams. Many long,
sleepless nights finally rolled into the morning of exam day. Hoping for some words of encouragement, I
checked my email before leaving for school. Sitting in my inbox was an email
from a church “acquaintance.” I was overcome with emotion as I read and re-read
the email. A local salon was hosting an upcoming charity event and was in need
of manicurists to volunteer their services. If interested in helping with the
event, I was instructed to contact the salon owner directly. As I scrolled down
to the bottom of the email, I read the contact information: Mary Beth Berns of Craig
Berns Salon.
To God be the glory…the introductions were
made…His way and in His time. As the story continued to unfold, the key players
were revealed: Me and Jesus and Mary Beth!
To be
continued…
GOING DEEPER:
1. What do you need to relinquish to God so that
He gets the glory?
FURTHER READING:
Married
to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at
Craig Berns Salon. She’s a leader for
Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study and a volunteer at the Wildlife In Need
Center.
