Unexpected Friends

We get so busy that sometimes we tend to over-look some of the most precious blessings offered us.

Last Thursday night, we drove to Cleveland, TN to watch our grandson play soccer.  Afterwards, Roger and I stopped at Cracker Barrel to eat dinner.  We sat there and talked and enjoyed our turkey and dressing.  Afterwards, while Roger was paying, I walked over to the "clearance section" and was browsing. 

A lady came up to me and asked if I was from that town.  I told her no.  She was from out of town.  Her and her husband were wanting to spend the night and were wondering about "clean" lodging in that area.

I got to talking with her and Roger came up and joined the conversation. She said her and her husband were just coming back from Vanderbilt Hospital and had taken the very long route home....just chilling.  We also found out they were from Decatur, Alabama, which is where we lived for the first six years of our marriage thirty years ago.

Her husband has some serious heart problems and was put on a portable machine that he wears around his waist.  He is on the list for a heart transplant and they are only in their middle fifties.  We told her we would be praying and would have out church to pray.

She wanted us to go into the eating area to meet her husband so we would have a face to pray for.  We met him...............and Roger had prayer right there in the middle of Cracker Barrel as we all held hands.  They gave us hugs and her husband said they had had t-shirts made up for a fundraiser to help with the expense of the transplant and they had a few left.  He asked if they could give us each one.....and they did not want money.  He said if you are going to pray for me and have your pray for me, you get a t-shirt.

Before we left....we exchanged phone numbers and Facebook info.  We got down the road and Roger turned around.  He said....."I'm not sure why I did not think of this before, but I just feel I need to go pay for their meal."  So we went back to Cracker Barrel.  He went to the desk and told them where they couple was sitting and paid their ticket and we left.

By the time we got home, we got a text message from them.........thanking us for their meal and thanking us for prayers and friendship.  They also said that after God heals the husband, they would like to come to our church to give their testimony.

I got on Facebook to see if by ANY chance we had any mutual friends.................and discovered that they are friends with a lady we know.  She is the sister-in-law of our closest friends in Dayton. 

It's a small world after all.

We've already texted several times since our "meeting by chance".....and I am sure we will keep in touch.

Was this an accidental meeting?  I don't think so.............God had a purpose for us meeting....if nothing else.....we are more PRAYERS for him......and we have gained new unexpected friends.

P.S.  We did ask around and call our son-in-law and found them a "clean" place to spend the night.  Smile.