Divine appointments

Eve of Christmas eve.

Had coffee with a friend at the mall this afternoon. Apparently, something I said turned out to be a much needed bit of affirmation for her (from God) with regard to a major, life-changing decision she had been praying about the whole of Advent. Phew. What a privilege!

And then I was blessed with the opportunity to bump into the very person that I have wanted to bump into for some weeks now. Yes, I actually prayed that God would let this person appear somehow... so that I could be certain that I had not been an offense to him (and that this person would forgive me if I had offended him with my words and actions during our last encounter). A case of too much introspection on my part? Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway, God answered my prayer. While it was a little awkward at first, we ended up chatting about life. Our kids. Our careers. We moved toward the topic of Christianity because I had to divulge my theological training and work. And I got to share why there was no turning back for me after I'd believed in Jesus. (He is not a Christian although he would really like Jesus to speak to him.) While the R&B songs blaring in the background were a terrible distraction - I kept losing my train of thought while I spoke - I thank God that this person did listen and take an interest in what I said. It is also nice to have a new person to pray for.

One of the best afternoons of the year for me.