Have you ever had a chance meeting with someone?

Perhaps someone you didn’t know and unexpectantly met who ended up being a friend or have an impact on your life.  Perhaps it was someone you did know but didn’t expect to meet at a certain place?  

These chance meetings may not be chance but rather Divine Appointments….something God has arranged.  They may be designed specifically for you, to help direct you, advise you, encourage you, and help you in some way.  They may also be for the other person, for you to advise, direct, encourage and help.  They may be for a connection of which you don’t understand now but may develop or open up over time.

I specifically can think of quite a few “chance” meetings I’ve had in my life, all but one I know and understand the meaning and importance of them, one is still a mystery to me. Even still, all are reminders of God’s Divine intervention in my life. I’ve met people unexpectedly at the airport, on airplanes (literally one seat away from me), on the streets of New Orleans, at Disney World, and at a corporate office during an interview process. 

When I went to be interviewed over ten years ago, at a place in the middle of nowhere, with the prospect of leaving behind all the people we loved, and everyone we knew, and all the comforts of familiarity, I had one of those chance meetings. There I was, 2000 miles away, in Northwest Iowa, far from home in Southern California.  I went through the interview process, answering questions from a group of 4 people, then my prospective boss walked me through the corporate office.  My underlining question was simply “do I want to work here, in this place so far from home?” In the privacy of my mind I was praying, “God please show me a sign.”  As we walked through the beautiful building, my boss introducing me to various people when we stopped by one guy’s office.  My Boss said, “Hey, you’ve got to meet this guy, you two think alike,” as he walked me into the office of this unknown stranger.  

As we exchanged names my boss said, “John is from Southern California.”  The Stanger responded, “what part of Southern California?”  I said something like, “Oh, you’ve probably never heard of it, it’s about 55 northeast of San Diego.”  “What town,” he asked?  “Temecula,” I responded.  Then he said the most unlikely thing: “I’m from Temecula!” My mind raced, my heart started beating really fast, “What?” “Where?” “When?”  As we shared “notes” we discovered that not only had he lived in the same town, but we had gone to the same church and never met one another!  We even knew some of the same people and certainly had connections to the geography of that town.  What are the chances?? 

Through that chance meeting God provided encouragement and a sign that this is the place.

Friends, chance meetings are usually never chance and often are Divine appointments God has arranged for you.  

Stay alert, you may have one of those meetings today!