“I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn and we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them and we help them in return. Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true, but I know I’m who I am today because I knew you. Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun, like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood, who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? But, because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” – Idina Menzel/Kristen Chenoweth
As I sit quietly in my room, listening to the silent air, I am led to inhale, exhale and simply say thank you. Have you heard of Full Circle Moments? Moments when a cycle completes itself or comes back to the beginning? I have had quite the journey over the last year and my experiences continue to get richer and richer with each passing day.
***This is a rather lengthy post but it’s worth the read. I promise.***
A year ago today, October 18, 2015, was the worldwide premiere of Oprah Winfrey’s Belief. It premiered on the Oprah Winfrey Network to millions of people on the planet. I had just moved to Los Angeles from Atlanta and didn’t have OWN at the time. Being part of the network as an Ambassador/OWNer (Hey Georgia OWNers fam!), I knew of pretty much all the screenings, private and public, that were being held in Atlanta (even helped organize one at Georgia State University) but I didn’t know of any in Los Angeles.
I started to do some research and found out that there was a screening not too far from me in Culver City. I noticed that the screening was going to be at Agape International Spiritual Center and realized that this was Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith’s church. So, naturally, I got excited because I thought that he would be there and if he would be there then I would probably get an opportunity to shake his hand and say hello. It was so great. I had found a screening to attend to watch the premiere and I would get to meet Mr. Beckwith. Hilariously, I couldn’t be more wrong.
I got to the church and there was a check-in at the door. I spoke to an Indian guy and there were about two or three others there. At the table, I introduced myself and told them that we had been tweeting about the premiere. The Indian guy, on his phone and computer, said let me introduce you to Reshma.
When Reshma came over and we met, it was like two people reconnecting and reuniting after years of not seeing each other. It was so natural and energetic. This was the first time that I had seen her in my entire life but her light radiated so bright that I immediately recognized it as my own. We hugged (no formal handshakes) and laughed and I found out, literally in that moment, that Reshma was actually IN THE SERIES. Not only was she in the series, it was her episode that kicked off the seven-day television event. Not only was this her episode that kicked off the seven-day television event, but the hands that you see in the imaging and branding of Belief, are actually HER HANDS (oh, yeah, don’t forget to send them to me, Resh!). Oh, and not only that, the check-in Indian guy who kept switching from phone to computer and back to phone and who I thought was her manager, was actually just her MAN, Shehan :)
Have you ever held your breath underwater and you come up for air, gasping to catch your breath? I had that feeling back to back to back that night. It was truly incredible.
After we watched the episode there was a Q&A and once finished, Reshma, Shehan and I reconnected. We exchanged contacts and I left. Sidenote: I met two beautiful souls during and after the screening, Norie Marfil and an older gentleman who actually gave me a ride home.
When I got home, I found out that there was another screening the next night for the new episode and I had to get information about it. I spoke to other Ambassadors and found out that the next series of screenings for Belief would be at All Saints Church in Pasadena with Rev. Ed Bacon. Ed Bacon is the author of 8 Habits of Love and has been featured with Oprah many times. I had come to know his bold, loving persona through the network so I felt blessed that I would be able to watch Belief and possibly connect with him also even though Rev. Michael, author of Life Visioning, was nowhere in sight (smile).
Upon arriving at All Saints and attending the screenings, I knew being in that space would change my life for the good. I connected with OWN Ambassador All-Stars Alex Bryant, Marques H
arper, Monica Danielsen, Paolo Presta, Patrick Thomassie, LaToya Anderson
, Ashley Benton, new friend Stuart Rosen and yes, even the Reverend Ed Bacon, who affectionately calls me his Georgia Soul Brother :)
That was one of the most memorable moments of time in my life.
Fast forward 363 days later…
I was on the phone with a friend of mine two weeks ago and he said he wanted to invite me to Agape. He told me later that he wasn’t sure if he could actually make it but I told him even if he couldn’t make it, I would still go because it had been a year and I still hadn’t made it out to a service. The next morning, Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith was on Super Soul Sunday with Oprah. On Sunday mornings Oprah tweets with the Ambassadors and anyone who wants to chime in on the conversation, Super Soulers, she calls us. One of the Super Soulers said he was headed to Agape that day. As I was scrolling through the timeline, I noticed a tweet from Alex saying that he was planning to attend next Sunday also (the same Sunday I had planned to go the night before). I told him that I was going and then about two hours later I got a Facebook message from Monica saying that she and Reshma were going to attend the following Sunday too! The thing was, it wasn’t even organized… It just… happened.
Now, this all just seems like one big coincidence, right? Wrong. It was all intentionally set up by design and truly a full circle moment. Here’s why.
The week comes and goes and here we are at this past Sunday, October 16th, 2016.
The four of us (Reshma, Monica, Alex and I) were planning to go to the second service but something inside me told me to go to the first service. I did. And once it was over, I decided to go over and introduce myself to Rev. Michael as he and I had also been tweeting back and forth about it. When I introduced myself to him, he immediately called someone over and requested reserved seating for the four of us. You can imagine my face at this point.
Huh? Reserved seating? Is this happening? “Rashaad, just let it happen”, is what I told myself. And, I actually did.
There I was right there on the second row, in awe, amazem
ent and gratitude.
Not only that, but during the service, Rev. Michael introduced us to the congregation as OWN Ambassadors and not even two minutes later I received a text message from the friend I was talking to that Saturday night saying that he saw me on the live stream at Agape. Wow. Talk about your mind being blown.
After service we met with Rev. Michael and he welcomed us back to Agape to be our home away from home. And today, October 18th, 2016 marks exactly one year that I ventured off to Agape, met Reshma, Alex and Monica for the first time during Belief and went all the way around full circle to get to this moment.
There are people who believe in coincidences, I just don’t happen to be one of them anymore. I know that everything happens for a reason and that everything works together for you, if you allow it. Since the Belief series aired on television, my life and my soul has expanded literally beyond belief. I’ve connected with a number of people who have inspired me to no end and who have encouraged me to continue to be great. Part of Rev. Michael’s message on Sunday was leaving mediocrity, rising to excellence and being in agreement with your true self. Man, so deep.
After the service, we went to lunch and during lunch, Alex said something so simple yet so profound that it hasn’t left my mind. Alex helped us realize that the four of us sitting at that table were literally “from” and technically “represented” four different countries. Imagine that, me, a Black man representing the United States, Monica – Norway, Alex – United Kingdom and Reshma – India. It was like our own little United Nations. This entire time, that never even crossed my mind. We were all just genuinely connected by our BELIEF. We were all connected as Souls, as human beings, as each other. It wasn’t until he mentioned this that I saw the bigger picture and confirmed Oprah’s tagline for Belief: We Are Connected.
Though it has only been a year, our association, our alliance, our connection has grown and I hope that it will only get stronger.
So, Happy Anniversary Belief Team, OWN Team and Oprah! Our hearts are bigger and our intentions are clearer because of you. Who can say that we’ve been changed for the better? But, because we knew each other, we have been changed for good.
XO
Rashaad King 