A Red Light Encounter

Today was one of those days.
Left alone with my weariness and overwhelmed thoughts after a hectic day of classes, I sat behind a long line of cars delayed by the seemingly-endless red light that separates the students from the free world. I had Jason Derulo's latest hit cranked to the highest possible decibel, bringing a strange sort of comfort to my exhausted mind and body. My dinner of an Atkins Diet snack bar was frozen in my lunch box. I am unsure whether the moisture on my face was rain or tears (probably a mix of both).
Out of my peripheral vision I noticed the man in the car next to me had his interior lights on and was frantically motioning for me to roll down my window. Not caring to turn down my music, I slowly lowered my window and stuck a tearful head out to hear him shout,

"Tell me what first comes to your mind. Who do you love?
"Uhh... God?" I said this with a slight eye-roll and scoff in my mind. This guy was obviously feeling as nuts as I was.
"Good," he nodded eagerly. "What do you love doing?"
To this I responded without hesitation. I might as well humor the poor man. "Yoga!"
"Love God and do what you love!"
I could hardly think of a response before he excitedly shouted again, "This saves lives. The world needs to hear and the world needs to know. Don't just keep it here, take it wherever you go. Love God and do what you love!"

Then the light was green. The man was gone. Jason Derulo was quickly silenced. And the jumbled "conversation" rattled joyously in my mind. Somehow this stranger (possibly Jesus, an angel, a man on a queer witnessing mission, a man just released from an asylum, or a figment of my imagination) knew the question I regularly contemplate and discuss. Granted, it is probably assumed that this question is asked by probably every college student. But by a strange chance he echoed a couple of beloved voices that have recently spoken into my life with words like "Love God with all of your being and do what you want. Your desires will be His and His will be yours" and "Ask not simply what the world needs but also what makes you come alive, and go do it."
Something about this encounter at the stop light shook my world a little bit. I've had time recently to think about my current top two choices for a college major: one option is secondary education with an English focus and the other is some sort of shebang of a major that combines exercise science/nutritionist/yoga instructor certification (there would then be further certifications I could obtain in the exercise science and nutrition fields). I have heard no profound direction from heaven as to which path to take so I continue to ponder and pray.
But this man made it sound so simple. Love God. Do what I love. Hearing these words in the specific context of yoga made it exceptionally exciting. It raised all sorts of possibilities. What a thrilling prospect to consider joining my love for God with my desire to improve not only my life but others' as well with the benefits of yoga. The fact that the man went a step further in saying not to keep this skill here but to take it with me wherever I go sends shivers along my wander lusting skin. How perfect to take both Jesus and yoga on traveling adventures.

I am uncertain how to process the unexpected words said by this unforeseen man. I feel almost silly for considering his words so seriously and allowing myself to become this awakened by them. I do not understand the meaning behind this chance encounter. But this I do know - God is so kind. He was acquainted with my tired and questioning heart and knew the encouragement I needed. He hears my daily question of  "What would you have me do?" and cared enough to remind me not to drown my own dreams and desires. Tonight reminded me that it is okay (heck, it is good!) to dream something with an element of unknown, that requires one to walk courageously and imagine wild possibilities. It also reminded me that following God, the author of dreams, involves unexpected risk. Though I do not generally advise the risk of rolling down the window to converse with men on a rainy night.

I end with the words of T. E. Lawrence:
"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible."