If I had to summarize in a few words my trip to ACS national in Dallas these past few days, I would say that I saw God.

I saw God in…

the lightning that struck our plane.  Yes, our plane got struck by lightning.  [It feels like you got hit by something huge, do a bungee jump in the air, and there’s a loud noise and bright light.]  And yet, I saw God’s power, and His magnificence.  I was reminded of God’s grace as well, when we finally landed safely.

the science.  I saw some incredible science over the past few days.  Things that related directly to what I’m doing, and things that are completely unrelated, but still really awesome.  I saw people collaborating on ideas and experiments so that we can discover new things and enhance the scientific community.  I saw people become excited about the work that they (and by extension, their students) are doing.  I saw people get excited about what I was presenting.  And I’m now more excited to do science and see where this road takes me.  I saw the beauty of proteins, the complexity of DNA, the nanoscale materials and syntheses that are changing the face of medicine, the intricate organic synthesis that is leading to better drugs, the polymer chemistry that is enabling nanoparticle drug delivery, and the analytical techniques that are giving us more information about what we are creating and studying and doing.

the people.  I saw God through some of the most incredible people this week.  Not only those scientists who are trying to make something new or better, to fix a problem or cure a disease, but in those who smiled on their way to the expo, and those who said hello on the streets, or those who paused to talk to me at my poster.  I saw God through the friend who talked to me honestly about his next steps in life and his last year in undergrad.  I saw God in the students I studied with at Gordon who welcomed me back into their lives for a few days, genuinely curious about my life, and letting me in to theirs.  I saw God in the students who were at this meeting for the first times, the ones who will carry on the legacy of Chemistry at Gordon, and when they welcomed me with open arms though they did not know me.  And I saw God in the professor who spent time asking about my life since Gordon and taking time out of his busy schedule to let God’s light shine through him.

home.  I saw God through the people I came home to – even the ones I haven’t seen yet.  After an incredible conference, it is good to be home, with my friends and family and colleagues, through whom I continue to see God every day.  I pray that I will never stop seeing Him work through people, and that I will always be His vessel to use for others too.

The group of students from Gordon College, along with myself (an alumnus) and the professor who brought this group.