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A Fortune That Hit Close to Home

I’ve never been one to really take fortune cookies seriously. Honestly, I usually just read them for a laugh or to see what silly little nugget of “wisdom” they give. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they’re just random, and usually, I just forget about them as soon as I finish the cookie.

Today, though, something happened that made me pause. I went to Panda Express because I was craving some Chinese food, enjoyed my meal, and then, as usual, cracked open my fortune cookie. I read it, smiled, ate the cookie—and then I stopped.

The fortune said: “Your hard work will soften the troubles of others.”

Now, I don’t believe in predicting the future with little slips of paper, but that one line… it hit me. Hard.

It made me think about all the nonprofit work I’m planning, the efforts I want to put into helping incarcerated people, and the ministry work I hope to grow. All of that work—every project, every idea, every late night and early morning—has one goal: to make someone’s life a little easier, to carry some of their burden for them. And that little fortune? It was like a mirror, reflecting exactly what I’m trying to do.

It’s funny how life works sometimes. Even if it’s just coincidence, I’m taking it as a reminder of why I do what I do. That little slip of paper reinforced something I already knew: hard work matters, especially when it’s done to help others. It’s a simple idea, but one worth holding on to.

So, while I’ll still laugh at fortune cookies and their random “predictions,” today’s message will stick with me. Sometimes, a little piece of paper can be more than just a joke—it can be a reminder of the kind of life I want to live and the difference I hope to make.

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