He is a funny One.

This weekend I went to this cultural conference called the New York Encounter put on by Communion and Liberation. It was a gigantic event full of young, Catholic men. So of course I was keeping my eye out. I had the thought that maybe, just maybe, if I didn’t go up to any of the men, I would never find a boyfriend (okay, actually the thought was my future husband, but as I was typing it, it seemed a bit extreme). I imagined that I was invisible, so if I didn’t approach him, I would stay single for life.

But then in one moment, I had a revelation. That was ridiculous thought. Of course my husband will pursue me. Why was I wasting my thought on looking for him, when surely God would put in his eyes the presence of his future wife. I came to terms with that. Okay, I, Erica, will stop the search on my end and remain open.

So Sunday rolls around. I was in Mass. And I was doubting this occurrence  I am too stand-offish for any man to ever approach me, I told God. How would that even go?! It has been such a long time out of the realm of dating. I couldn’t even remember.

After Mass, I went to Chipotle (for the second time in the weekend). I had just finished my burrito (yes, I ate it in its entirety). A boy sat at my table. My tiny two person table, someone just sat in my space. In sociology terms, we call this a break down. This was not normal. So I did like any good New Yorker would, I ignored him. I continued my game of Words with Friends and didn’t even glance up. The last time I had allowed someone at my table at a Chipotle, he was homeless and ended up stealing my cell phone. Finally, the boy said “hi.” I looked up and said, “Hi. Sorry for ignoring you all this time.” We ended up talking for 40 minutes. He was on break from sculpting Lady Gaga’s space ship for the Inaugural Ball. He was nice. He gave me his number and email and blog.

And I laughed. I was just doubting this possibility. In fact, I had told God of its impossibility. And here it was. A man approached me.

Then, later in the evening, a man approached me. He asked if I changed glasses. I said, no, but I didn’t wear them yesterday so maybe that is why that appear strange. But I was just meeting this man for the first time, so how in the world did he know about that? I told him I was from Heart’s Home. He said oh! I think I met you two years ago with Fr. Paul at an event. Wow, I thought. Two years ago was when I was here before leaving for Brazil (By the way, I arrived in Brazil two years ago from this day!) We talked. He gave me his raffle ticket.

Two men approached me.

After the concert, we were on the Subway. There were a bunch of us from the community. I noticed this man looking at me, but I thought maybe I had something on my face. I was talking to Chloe. He had the same shoes as I wear on a regular basis and rolled his jeans like I do. Then he got off at his stop. On the seat he left this tiny note on the back of his business card.

Okay, God, I say. I get your point. You are capable of making anything happen. To me, this is what we have been talking about all weekend and is best summed up in something my dear Sister Regina told me a few weeks ago.

God revealed Himself in the flesh in Jesus Christ. And He continues to reveal Himself in the flesh in the encounters that we have in our every day. He is not always some abstract idea, but quite literally present in our lives. We just have to open our eyes to them.

And do you see the Trinitarian nature?? Three. (We were joking that maybe each one, Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit were trying to one up the other to see who could have the best approach. And you see the part at the end about the blue shoes? That would be Mary’s two cents since she is married to the HS. She must have said, “talk about the shoes!”