The Photograph

When I was thirteen, my friend Henry had a wall covered with photographs of girls he knew or

had dated—probably a hundred pictures in all.

For some reason, one photograph stood out to me. I had never met the girl, but I thought she was

very attractive. I took the picture from the wall and kept it in my wallet.

My plan was simple. I thought I would show it to my friends and tell them she was my girlfriend.

Months later, something unexpected happened.

While walking home from school one day, I ran into the girl in the photograph.

Her name was Erica.

We ended up becoming good friends.

Looking back, I began asking myself questions.

Why did I choose her picture out of all the others on that wall?

How could I meet someone I had never seen before after taking her photograph months earlier?

Was it coincidence? Fate? Destiny?

Over time I came to understand it differently.

According to God’s plan, I was meant to meet Erica. But in order for the moment to carry its

meaning, I had to take the photograph without realizing that it was already part of the story.

Like many moments in life, the purpose is often hidden until it unfolds.

What seemed like a small and meaningless decision was actually one of the first signs that the

details of our lives may already be arranged before we recognize them.

Proverbs 16:9

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”