How God Works

Once upon a time back in the 80's when I had big hair and bigger earrings, I met a guy. We worked in the same office for a while then I took a job with an engineering consulting firm. Then, we dated for a bit. I thought he was the greatest thing since banana bread. Tall, dark, handsome, svelte, blue eyes, smart, funny, NC State fan. What else could a girl want?

Well...someone who wouldn't dump me for the first frizzy-headed bleach-blond Mercedes-driving flight attendant that crossed his path, that's what.

For years (21 to be exact), I loathed this man with a passion surpassed by few things. If I heard his name in the coarse of a conversation, I would growl...sometimes out loud.

For 21 years I envisioned a reunion with him where we'd run into each other somewhere. The scene involved me slapping the mess out of him and him confessing he made the biggest mistake of his life by letting me go.

(I know I have issues. But you've got to understand, this was the one and only guy to ever dump me...ever. I am a prideful bit of work, you see.)

Then, one day two years ago, I was at a conference and saw him. I didn't recognize him at first. He's still a lot of those things he was before, just not as much. His dark hair is now gray...what's not missing anyway. His impact on me was not as riveting as it once was. I saw him just as he was...a person I once knew and liked.

So, I walked right up to him and said hello. It was a lot like walking up to a personal demon - a courageous and slightly insane but empowering act.

He immediately jumped up and hugged me like a long lost friend.

And then, just like that, I realized all that hate that I harbored for 21 years had done nothing but hurt me. He had no idea. He had gone on with his life and looked at me as an old friend.

I looked back at him the same way.

Forgiveness is a great thing. It is a weight lifted off my shoulders. It allows me to enjoy an old friendship that was once lost.

At the same conference this year, Robbie was supposed to present in the technical session I coordinate. There's a rule though that the presenter has to write a paper not just make a presentation. He didn't write the paper and I had to pull his presentation. I even told him I'd write the paper for him but he didn't take me up on it.

Well, it was accepted at a national conference and he called me to help him. So, this is how I ended up writing a paper for an old flame. Even I'm sitting here wondering why I would do this for anyone much less someone I spent 21 years wishing I had a voodoo doll to curse him with.

So, of course, while I am finishing up this paper, I lose my job. I let a bunch of folks know through facebook not to use the company phone or email anymore.

Monday, a former co-worker calls and says a mutual friend is looking for me and I need to call him. This mutual friend is a study buddy from grad school who is now VP of an engineering company in Raleigh.

So I call him.

He heard I was no longer with my firm and he wants me to come work with him. No I don't have to move. Yes, I can do what I loved about my former job (without the drama). Yes, we can do it part time.

How did you hear I was gone, I asked.

He asks, how in the world do you know Robbie.

It's a long story, my friend, but it has a good ending.

See how God works?