"Do you believe in Providence?"

Every day, Hillsdale is becoming more and more of an adventure. Getting to know and getting close to the people here has been one of the best parts of the past 9 weeks. Last night Mary and I talked for a long time about who we want to be in 4 years. We talked about what we want to look like, what we want our college careers to look like, what we want our relationships to look like. We thought about our friends, and how little we know them now, and how much we'll love them in 4 years. We don't love each other yet, but we will. Mary and I sometimes get impatient about that, but I reminded us both that love is patient. There are so many conversations, road trips, late-night food runs, all-nighters, struggles, prayer sessions, jam sessions, shopping trips, runs, long walks, favors, arguments, introductions, confrontations, interventions, break-ups, misunderstandings, reconciliations, apologies, questions, and discoveries between us and the brotherhood we'll have by the time we graduate.

So I thank God for those little moments with people where I stop and catch my breath and laugh a little bit and think "Oh friend, if you can believe it, one day I will know you so well and hold you so dear."


Last night gave me one of those moments.

I ended up talking and praying with a friend of mine about some heavy stuff until 2AM. We said "Amen" and he rested his head on the table and asked: "Do you believe in Providence?"

I leaned back and thought and answered: "Not before I came to Hillsdale, I didn't."

"Yeah," he said. "Is it just coincidence that we both have tests tomorrow that we had to study for tonight? Or that we both hate Taylor Swift so we sat at a separate table from everyone else and talked about theology? Or how about the fact that today's mass in the Magnificat told you the one thing you needed to hear? Interesting stuff, huh?"

And I don't know if God really did perfectly orchestrate those details, or else maybe He just was very intentional about giving my sincere, wise, prayerful brother a heart for me and my struggles. Either way, I honestly do believe that God had a hand in last night. Oh friend, if you can believe it, God does work all things together for our good and His glory.