Remember my blog post a few days ago.....about my strange and unexpected 'reunion' (in Maine) with a former acquaintance, Kristina, who I had known many years ago in my VERY small hometown in Pennsylvania? I called it a VERY 'chance' meeting, yet, I learned it was quite orchestrated by the Lord! God knew that this friend I was to meet at "Panera Bread" (last week) had some very specific needs on the very day I met her here in Maine. (last meeting was well over 10 years ago!) It was quite exciting to meditate later about how God perfectly orchestrated that meeting!
Today I had another strange meeting. Today's encounter occured when I visited a local, 'open air' worship service. Allow me to preface today's meeting with some details of an occurance earlier this week, on July 3, 2008.
It was the day before a major holiday, July 4th, and my employer family was having a small gathering for an outdoor dinner that evening. Because "dad" had arrived for an extended visit earlier that day, I was freed from my regular duties of caring for the children. My employer asked if I would do some food shopping at a food mart in a nearby town and I happily agreed. Upon arriving at the food mart, I quickly surmized, by the overflowing parking lot, that EVERYBODY and THEIR BROTHER had the same agenda as I had! I entered the grocery store and began my simple task to purchase some hamburger, a bottle of dish liquid and mini carrots. Quick task....in and out...right? Ha! Little did I know I would be in a maze of shopping carts, watermelons, fireworks and grocery displays and PEOPLE for nearly 2 hours!
As this was my first visit to this particular grocery store, I was quite amazed at the very small aisles and cramped conditions in the store. One could not even pass another shopping cart in the aisle! It appeared that an addition had been recently built on to the original store, but the 'traffic flow' and crowded conditions certainly didn't indicate that there was additional floor space!
After I selected the items I needed, I wound through the many shopping carts and people to look for the check-out stations. Barely noticable, at what I THINK was the front of the store, was a more concentrated mass of people and carts. There seemed to be some order (sort of a line) to this mass of carts so I assumed the check-out cashiers were somewhere in the distance. I inched into a spot that I thought was the end of the line, only to meet up with another cart and woman who aparently had her eye on the same spot! We amicably agreed that because I had so few items, I would go first and she would fall in line behind me. She was very plesant, as was I, and we began to chat about the lines, traffic flow and then holiday plans. We shared our purposes in Maine (I could tell by her accent that she was from Boston) and we exchanged a few anecdotes of our summer vacation in beautiful Maine. She was interested in my profession as a nanny and jokingly added that she might have to call me if her grandchildren 'get out of hand' this weekend! Her daughter was also shopping with her and they joked about the 70 year-old patriarch of the family being the one who was most in need of "Super Nanny"! To me, it sounded like the family was one who enjoyed each other's company and who knew how to celebrated life! (In contrast to the parents and small children who were standing IN FRONT of me in line, who checked out with 2 six-packs of beer and a watermelon and shared with others in the store their plans to 'spike' (with vodka) the watermelon dad was carrying!) I left the market after this 'chance' meeting and lovely conversation, almost feeling like I had made new friends in Maine! What a blessing it is, if even briefly, to get to know people, especially when spending time in an area where one has so few acquaintances or relationships.
Now...for the interesting (chance??) meeting I had TODAY...
Until about 10 a.m. this morning, I hadn't decided which worship service I would attend; the 'open air' service at a nearby scenic overlook (that I attended last week) or the worship service at the little CMA church (that I attended last summer and once already this summer). I knew I needed to get to work by noon today and that the 'open air' service lasted until nearly 12:30 the previous week, yet, there was a 'tug' in me to go back to the service at the scenic overlook. Last week's service was more like a Bible study session but was nonetheless profitable and good. During the session last Sunday, a woman (one of four people who attended) asked some questions about the Holy Spirit's role in the Old Testament times. When I remembered, that during this past week, I had compiled some information for this women which answered her questions, I quickly printed out the material and made my decision to attend the informal, open air service this week.I arrived a few minutes early, and upon my arrival I noticed that a family was setting up a picnic across the path from where the worship service was held. I then looked around and noticed the coffee urns (sorry....that WAS my first observation!) and then noticed Don, the gentleman who led last week's study, seated at a picnic table chatting with two women seated nearby in chairs. I approached the gentleman and we greeted each other and then I made a greeting to the two women. What a surprise I had when I realized that the two women who I was meeting were, indeed, the very same women I had met earlier in the week at the very crowded grocery store!
Now imagine....there were about EIGHT people in this vast and expansive, scenic overlook area and TWO of the eight people were women who I, a Connecticut Nanny, had already met in Maine! I DO NOT believe in coincidence; the meeting this morning was just too odd to be a haphazard or coincedental occurance. God truly has His hand in every occurance! I'm honestly not sure WHAT the purpose was in this meeting this morning (or the meeting at the grocery store earlier this week), but I DO KNOW that it was of God, and it was a blessing! Maybe the lesson is: To not take for granted any seemingly "chance" meeting as it may proove to be another part of God's intricate, amazing plan for your (or someone elses) life!
**I want to add that the worship service this morning at the overlook was very good. It was a lovely time of prayer, worship (with music and singing), a message and discussion. I was disappointed that I had to leave early to be at work, but I will go back again next week! The couples who were setting up the picnic lunch...turned out to be 'regulars' who attend the service every week! What a treat it is to meet and share with brothers and sisters in CHRIST!
God is good.....all the time and everywhere! Even in the line at the grocery store! :)
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