Random Surprise

Today was a long travel day - lots of driving.  

The coast of California is pretty dang gorgeous though.  I’m used to driving up I-5, and that is a typically boring drive.  This time I went up the 101, then the PCH to get to Santa Cruz - where there are gorgeous views of the mountains, with occasional bursts of jaw-dropping ocean views.

My grandma lived in Aptos (next to Santa Cruz) and as a kid I would always love driving up there to visit and explore.  One of my traditions whenever I’m in the Santa Cruz area is to go to a little coffee shop in Capitola called Mr. Toots.  I’ve been going here for what seems like forever.  I LOVE their cheesecake!  It’s a cool little second story coffee shop that overlooks the ocean and the coast.  Some traditions are not meant to be broken, so that’s the first place I went.

I pulled out my camera to take a picture of the door of Mr. Toots to put it on Instagram.  As I climbed the steps and was busy posting it, I walked inside, to my surprise, one of my old friends was the barista!

How wonderful is that? And random?  I was just thinkin’ I was buying time before I saw one of my other friends that lives in the area.  But, here was this old friend.  We quickly caught up about our lives, and eventually our conversation turned towards God’s goodness.  She told me that those days of YL were some of the best in her life.  It was fun to be able to reaffirm that no matter what happens in our life, we are NEVER disqualified for God’s love and grace.

It’s sad that we often forget that!  I know I do.  Somehow I come up with this silly notion that I can be disqualified from His infinite love.  Just having this conversation with Maddi reminded me that we’re not.  I’m not.  What an awesome surprise!

God is so random.  I love it.

Makes me wonder yet again what's around the corner...

Jer