Restless about blessings in disguise...

I'm fascinated how divine inspiration (some might call it fate or serendipity) shapes the fabric of our lives at a time when we least expect it or in ways we're unable to predict.  Sometimes the smallest of things or the simplest of encounters can have impacts that stretch well beyond our capacity to appreciate or comprehend.  Let me provide an example to illustrate my point...

At the age of 19, I had an incredible opportunity to serve a two-year mission for my church.  Now for those unfamiliar with the missionary program, a few details.  We don't have the opportunity to choose where we serve (that decision is made by the church leadership); however, we do have the chance to select our preferences.  So if we can step back in time to this particular moment in my life, you would know that I was supremely confident that I would be selected to serve in Germany or somewhere in Europe.  This was because of my previous experience living there, learning the language, and immersing myself in the culture while in high school.  I had included all this information in my missionary application and was pretty assured I would be headed there to complete my mission.

Imagine my surprise, therefore, when I received a call to serve in Porto Alegre, Brazil where I would be required to learn and speak Portuguese!  Talk about coming out of left-field.  At the time, I couldn't locate Brazil on a map and the summation of my knowledge of the country included the Amazon jungle; familiarity with the soccer legend, Pele; and Carnival.  And I didn't know a word of Portuguese - palavra nenhuma.  And I was disappointed.  I felt a mistake had been made.  Certainly I was needed elsewhere and clearly my talents and previous experiences would be wasted on this assignment.  I mean, what possible longer-term benefit could serving in Brazil or fluency in Portuguese have for my life post-mission?

Fast-forward several years (okay okay, 21 years later...) and you'll see how this small incident opened doors that continue to bless and benefit my life.  I accepted the call and went to Brazil and, in short, LOVED every facet of the experience.  The people, the culture, the beautiful language, the food - everything about my missionary experience was life-altering.  I had interactions, developed relationships, and went through events that could not have happened anywhere else or through any other capacity than being in Brazil.  I returned home and tested out of 18 credits of Portuguese at college that greatly improved my overall GPA.  That was the immediate benefit but the blessings continue to roll in.

I've identified a substantial population of Brazilians here in the Atlanta area that continue to provide incredible opportunities for service and to be served.  I've used my language skills to translate for medical procedures for these wonderful individuals, review legal documents and translate the religious services for the non-English speaking Brazilians that attend our church.  I've been invited to parties, meals, activities and am treated like a member of the Brazilian family here in my own backyard.

I was recently asked by my current employer to serve as a Regional Advisor for all our recruiting activities in South America (with an emphasis on Brazil where we're experiencing our most explosive growth).  And wouldn't you know it, I'm the only member of the recruiting team and US leadership team that happens to speak Portuguese and has previous experience living in the country.  This transition will likely pave the way to additional advancement within the organization and allow me to form relations with key leaders that wouldn't have happened through any other channel.  I have trips planned in August and September and, rest assured, I'll be leveraging my language skills and previous experience fairly heavily.

I share this as a simple life lesson but an important one.  Sometimes things happen or choices are required offering options that are often unexpected and under-appreciated.  Don't discount them!  They might be blessings in disguise and have the potential to offer life-long opportunities and rewards.  I can't imagine what my life would be today without the richness of the experiences I encountered in Brazil and continue to realize years later.  Don't deny yourself the adventure of taking the road less traveled - it can make all the difference!