Enchanted to Meet You
12 April, 2015
Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20
My freshman year of college, I was recruited to swim for St. Bonaventure University, a private division 1 college located in upstate New York. I ended up transferring to Pepperdine University in Maibu, CA the following year, but the friends and memories I kept in my back pocket are irreplaceable. I left a piece of my heart in New York and still consider the friends I made my best.
My roommate at the time was another swimmer and ironically also named Paige. We were mixed up quite often, which was fine because she was a very sweet, talented girl. A few weeks into school, Paige invited me to spend a night at her house in Buffalo, about an hour north. I ofcourse agreed.
Hopping in her car, we had a fun time jamming out to Taylor Swift's new CD, Speak Now , cruising past the rolling green hills and harvest-ready fields. After picking up Mighty Taco, a Buffalo-based food joint locals love, we pulled up to her house, a beautiful two-story overlooking a quiet pond. Trying to figure out what to do that night, her boyfriend called, telling Paige he had gotten off work early and wanted to meet up.
We met her boyfriend and one of his friends out for wings. Now, just a side-note, people in Buffalo are wing snobs and have no problem admitting it. B-Dubbs is basically boycotted - you go to the authentic, local joints, not the silly chains.
Feasting on a double order of medium wings with secret sauce, it was starting to get late - nearing midnight. I figured Paige and I would head back to her house and catch some Z's. But out of the blue, her boyfriend had a suggestion: "We should go to Niagara Falls!"
A little taken aback, I coudn't help but blurt out, "Wait, what?! Now?"
"Come on, Paige junior! Live a little!"
Huh. Shrugging my shoulders, I decided to do just that; you're only in college once, right? "Well, um, okay... I'm in!"
Piling into Paige's car, we made the 30 minute drive to Niagara Falls, arriving as the clock struck 1:00 AM. In a daze, I couldn't help but laugh - here I was, three weeks into college, taking a midnight trip to Niagara Falls. No more sneaking out the window for me, this girl was free as a bird! Chuckling to myself, we found a parking space (obviously - no one was there) and climbed out.
I had never been to Niagara Falls. In fact, I had never really seen a legitimate waterfall in my life. Nonchalantly chatting away with Paige and her friends, it was extremely dark, and I couldn't see the falls as we walked. I could, however, hear the intense noise of the crashing water, sounding like smoke blowing out of a train, as well as feel the thick mist coat against my face.
"Whoa," I thought. "Niagara Falls must be even bigger than I realized!" Um, ya think.
Making our way to the "best spot," as my new friends shared, I heard the noise getting louder and the mist getting thicker. It was almost eery, in a way, being there so late without a soul around.
Stepping up to the railing, I took my first glimpse of the falls, and it immediately took my breath away. Standing at the top of the hill where the water tips, right smack dab next to the water's falling point, I couldn't believe how massive the falls really were. The water raced fast as a bullet, charging until it plummeted down the insanely huge drop.
Taking it all in, even though my friends were veterans, we didn't speak a word. Grabbing a stick off the ground, Paige's boyfriend threw it into the water, watching it get swept up and immediately thrown down the falls.
Walking up and down the walkway, all alone, we continued to appreciate the scenery, allowing the mist to coat our faces. The few words we did say were drowned out by the booming, continuous noise of the crashing water, so we kept our thoughts to ourselves.
I wasn't much of a religious person at the time, I didn't grow up in a sound church and found Christianity boring, frankly, and I didn't become a follower until my junior year, two years later. I wasn't completely sold on the existence of God. This particular night, however, I couldn't help but be blown away - finding an inkling of a thought that, hey, maybe God was actually there?
Sometime's it takes something massive - switching jobs, a new family dynamic, an illness - to get our attention. This night, five years ago, the sight of Niagara Falls was massive, both literally and figurately. "Is God actually real? Did He actually create this enormous, breath-taking, awe-striking waterfall? If so, what more can He do for me? Can He create things in my life, too, just like this waterfall?" 
Something about the whimsical adventure, the recent lifestyle change, and the fact it was nearing 2 AM ended up being the perfect elixer to spark spiritual thought.
Driving back to Paige's house, we were all pretty exhausted, for good reason, and I began to doze off in the backseat. Eye's half closed, looking out the window, my mind drifted back to the question of God. If He could create something like that, He could probably do anything He wanted, couldn't He?
Realizing God does infact exist and does infact have infinite power can be hard to grasp, (well, at least it was for me) but once I was able (years later) to accept His presence and His help, my whole world changed. Knowing the same God who created Niagara Falls, the moon & stars, Mount Everest, and the human brain actually loves us and has a plan for us is life changing. With God as our Father, what do we have to fear? Who can stand in our way? No one, my friends, not one.
Sitting in the back of Paige's car, Swift's CD quietly playing in the background, the song Enchanted struck a new chord in my heart.
Walls of insincerity,
Shifting eyes and vacancy
Vanished when I saw your face.
All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you.
Thank you, Jesus.
