Occasionally, I experience what I call a ‘random ministerial encounter’. I think we’ve all had them. It’s when God places someone in your path, and you realize it’s not a coincidence (as nothing with God ever is).
After these encounters, I wonder, “Why did God place this person in my path?” I’ve come up with three possibilities: (1) God wanted me to assist this person in some way, (2) God wanted me to learn some valuable lesson from this other person, or (3) God wanted an observer to learn something from the encounter.
I had one such encounter in the check-out line at the Food Lion. I was behind a frail, elderly woman who was having difficulty finding her wallet. When she finally found it, she couldn’t find enough cash. She fumbled through some credit cards, finally choosing one and handing it to the cashier. The cashier helped her insert the card and asked if she had a PIN. The woman didn’t seem to understand and started looking for another card.
As it was taking quite a bit of time, the cashier would occasionally look at me, roll her eyes, and mouth apologetically, “I’m sorry.” The woman finally found some cash, paid for her purchase, and shuffled toward the door.
On my way out, I saw her standing just outside the door. She still seemed confused. As I passed her, I felt the tug of the Spirit, turned around, and asked, “Do you need some help?” She said she was looking for her son’s car, but couldn’t remember where he parked, or what color it was.
“I understand. How about I wait here with you until we sort this out.” As we waited, she began to remember and we slowly started walking through the parking lot together until she found the car.
Why did God put this person in my path? It might have been to provide some assistance to her. But maybe God wanted me to glean something valuable, perhaps a deeper compassion for people having trouble functioning in a complex society. Or maybe it was for the benefit of the cashier. She probably watched the entire interaction through the window and saw a different way of interacting with people who have special needs.
I think it was for all three. God orchestrated this chance interaction to give the woman, the cashier, and me a little peek into the Kingdom of Heaven.
In your next ‘random ministerial encounter’, ask yourself, “Why this person? Why now?” The answer might be surprising.