Finding God in the Unexpected

How One Speech Became a Lesson in Divine Purpose

Sometimes life calls you in ways you cannot anticipate.
It comes through a phone call, a random invitation, a strange turn of events — and suddenly, you are in a place you never imagined, speaking to a crowd you never expected, with a message you weren’t even sure you could deliver.

This is a story about one of my strangest speeches — and the profound lesson I learned about God, purpose, and the ordinary miracles that surround us.

A Call from Georgia

It started with a phone call.

“Hello? Is this Mr. Hurray?”

“Yes… almost,” I said.

“My name is Betsy, calling from New York, Georgia. Would you like to speak at our conference?”

I paused. “What conference?”

“The Christian Coalition of Technology.”

I laughed, thinking surely there was a mistake. Yet she insisted, and in a few days, I found myself flying to Beaufort, Georgia — a place I had never been, for a conference I had never imagined.

I had no idea what awaited me.

The Conference of Faith and Technology

The venue was small, almost modest. Yet the room was packed. The audience’s energy was overwhelming.

First came an evangelical minister — young, charismatic, commanding the room with his presence. Every word he spoke drew cheers, hums, and amens.

Next, a Southern Baptist minister — energetic, knowledgeable, and deeply connected with his audience. They stood, they clapped, they called out encouragement mid-sentence.

And then… it was my turn.

I was the Jew from New York. I opened my mouth. I spoke about the parshah, about the idea of elevating the physical to the spiritual, about the potential in every tool, every technology, every act to serve God.

Nothing.

No amens.
No hums.
No engagement.

I felt out of place, lost in a room alive with energy I could not reach.

The Moment of Grace

Exhausted, I paused. I decided: it’s not about the amens. I will speak for God, not for applause. I will do my work regardless of recognition.

Then, from the corner of the room, a single voice:

“Amen.”

It was small. Simple. Yet it was enough.

The room noticed. And soon, the amens multiplied, reaching me in waves of connection I had not expected. In that moment, I understood: it is not about approval. It is about truth. It is about serving God, even in spaces where recognition is scarce.

A Lesson from Israel

On a later trip to Israel, I visited the Western Wall — a sacred place, yet open to all. Tourists, pilgrims, children dancing, people taking photos.

At first, I was shocked. This holiest place, the remnant of the Temple, shared openly with the world?

But then I understood.

The Temple was never meant for a select few. It was meant to reveal God’s presence to the world. The Jewish people were entrusted not with exclusivity, but with the responsibility to bring God into every space, to every person, to show that holiness can be shared.

And perhaps, in that moment at the conference in Georgia, I realized that my role, too, was not about me. It was about bringing God’s message — in words, in actions, in presence — to wherever I could reach.

The Power of Being “Regular”

In life, we often seek validation. We want applause, recognition, approval.

But the deepest truth is simple: God loves us, even in our ordinary, flawed selves.

• Parents who love their children despite failed tests.

• Teachers who guide students who stumble, not just the successful.

• People who serve God in small, unseen ways every day.

God’s love is unconditional. His presence is constant. And His guidance often comes quietly, in moments when we feel unnoticed, undervalued, or unsure.

The Call to Serve

The lesson of that day in Beaufort, and the lesson of the Western Wall, is this:

You are entrusted with a mission far greater than recognition. You are part of a nation, a people, and a purpose that stretches beyond applause or approval. Your work — whether in a conference room, a classroom, or a home — has eternal impact.

Even when unnoticed, even when unacknowledged, even when surrounded by energy you cannot match, you are fulfilling your role in God’s plan.

And the greatest gift?

Realizing that God loves us, in our imperfections, and that we are called to love Him back through every word, every act, every ordinary moment.

Finding God in the Ordinary

Perhaps the greatest revelation of all:

• Love your children without conditions.

• Serve God without seeking applause.

• Bring holiness into the world, wherever you are.

Because in those regular, ordinary moments, God’s presence is most evident. And when we embrace our “regular” role, we tap into something eternal.

The amens may come slowly. The recognition may arrive quietly. But the fulfillment, the purpose, and the connection — that is immediate.

And that, my friends, is the true measure of divine service.