In the Bible, it says, "All things work together for good." There couldn't have been truer words to describe the incidents that put me on a crash course with no one else but one of the greatest inspirational leaders in the world: Oprah Winfrey.
It all started with a mistake: A senior agent at one of the most powerful agencies in Hollywood called my office at Sony Pictures and left word that she needed to speak to me about a project. Because I was caught up in whatever seemed like a priority at the time, I didn't call her back until two days later. Big mistake. When someone of that stature calls you, you return the call ASAP. Well, when I did return the call, she quickly pointed out the error of my ways. I felt horrible because my intention was never to be disrespectful. I immediately went into damage control and sent an apology to her office along with an advance copy of my book, Produced by Faith, just to say I'm sorry.
God has a funny way of turning our worst mistakes into our biggest blessings. Months later, I get an email from this same agent saying she loved the book, and she thought it would be something Oprah would love too. She sent the book to one of the agents on Oprah's team, and almost a year to the date after I made the mistake I thought would damage my career, I was sitting down with Oprah Winfrey and Sheri Salata discussing my book and receiving the invitation to tape an episode of Super Soul Sunday. Mind blowing.
When I arrived at the historic Harpo Studios to tape the show, I was nervous beyond belief. Thankfully, my fiancé, Meagan, came with me for moral support. After a few hours prepping in the green room, the producers came and walked us to set. You could hear my heart beating in my stomach. Then they announced, "Ms. Winfrey is on her way." Her arrival on set was electrifying; the whole set lit up, not because of the lights, but because of the power of her spirit. Her warmth and infectious smile immediately put me at ease.
As we took our places in two comfortable tan couch chairs, I felt this great sense of calm fall over me, and I kept telling myself, "God is with me, and even if I mess up, they can always edit that part out." The interview was a kinetic spiritual experience; the flow between us was great. It was amazing! Here I am talking about my book with Oprah Winfrey on the Super Soul Sunday show! It was deep confirmation that God really is directing our stories, because there is no way it would have happened if I hadn't made that first mistake. In the same way Spider Man defies gravity with his web shooters, the power of faith empowers us to defy the reality of our situation. Nothing is impossible to those that believe, and even the lowest plot points in our stories can be used to set us up for our greatest blessings.
On an all-new episode of Super Soul Sunday June 17 at 11 a.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah Winfrey interviews Hollywood film executive DeVon Franklin, author of "Produced By Faith," about how he found his way in the entertainment industry, his relationship with actress Meagan Good ("Think Like a Man") and working his way up as an intern for Will Smith.