Nat King Cole & Drives for the Soul

Every once in a blue moon we have profound moments where the scattered pieces of our lives finally join to form the hidden picture, the one we've been so anxious to see. The stars align, the fog lifts, the missing piece of the puzzle is found and it all comes together. These moments almost always catch me by surprise, just as it did earlier this week.
 
On Monday, I stumbled upon some neglected podcasts that had been trapped in my iTunes downloads for months, just begging to be heard. One of these podcasts simply entitled "Six" quickly caught my eye and was about to muse my soul. On this podcast, Ryan O'Neal of the band "Sleeping At Last" uncovers the type 6 on the enneagram, and reveals the song he has written for that personality type.
 
Many of my friends have been OBSESSED with the enneagram for the past year. They have swooned over their self-discovery attached to one of these nine numbers and all the unique facets of themselves that their number represents. I must admit, I’ve been a bit jealous of their new-found clarity, understanding, and acceptance of themselves. And I’ve been envious of the confidence that they know without a doubt what their number is. I, on the other hand, have been trying to figure out my number for months to no avail. So, I had given up on this number quest until this typical Monday morning.
 
I cranked up that podcast on my drive to work but briefly put it on pause when I rolled up to a Starbucks for much needed caffeinated pick me up. I sat at a table inside the coffee shop waiting for my tall cafe latte when my ears suddenly perked up. "Nat King Cole is playing? This is my favorite Starbucks ever!" I whispered to myself. A seemingly insignificant moment until I hopped back into my car, with the podcast once again blaring. As Ryan described his process for his "Six" song style choosing, he reflected on his own musical inspirations for this specific song. And who does he mention within 2 minutes of my Starbucks experience?
 
Nat King Cole.
 
I instantly I had tears well up. Because while this may seem like a small coincidence to you, I've learned to find God in the small coincidences. I've listened to Nat King Cole for years. In fact, his records line the walls of my room. This was no coincidence. This was a nod from God himself; a sign on the road that read “keep going this way”. And that little nod from the Lord pointed me to a bigger picture, one of identity. It made me feel seen, understood and known by Him but also by my own self. 
 
Just like that, I listened with more intent as Ryan described all the quirks and joys of the type 6. Each new sentence he spoke pulled at my heart strings as I resonated with the little nuances he described.
 
I thought it would be a normal morning, but this one held great significance. As I listened to "Six", I felt like God was finally letting me in on some of the "secrets" of His design process in the secret place. The puzzle pieces were coming together. 
 
Not only was Nat King Cole an obvious and unique sign that I knew was JUST for me that morning, there were about a dozen others during that drive. But I love that God used something as random as a Nat King Cole song to let me feel seen and to help piece together who I am.

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