IN THE COSMOS A CHANCE MEETING

IN THE COSMOS A CHANCE MEETING

What are the chances of meeting someone in a large state of Ohio where by you both had something in common? 50 million to one or greater?

Let me get back to the start of the story.

The wife and I volunteered to drive our grandson to meet his dad in West Virginia (A 200 mile trip one way) today to spend the summer there. Ok we got the directions and nothing out of the ordinary going there happened. We made the right changes and exits on the highways. It was a nice scenic drive if you can find flat lands scenic. We made the drop off and started back on the return trip. I mentioned to my wife we need to be on the look out for SR 32 exit off of SR 35.

Well we traveled on SR 35 for what seemed forever. I ask her if she ever saw the SR 32 exit. Nope. As a matter fo fact we had traveled 50 mile past that exit when we checked it on the map.

We were in the middle of no where. A voice inside me sad to continue on. After going back over the map we deducted we were getting close to I 71 which we could take back south to Cincinnati. No big deal, We were only about 40 mile further north than what we should have been.

Realizing the gas gauge was getting low we decided to get more gas and use the bath rooms. Unfortunately, we were told the bath rooms were closed at the gas station. What appeared to taking on a crisis status was quickly subdued as we found a Wendy's close by with open bathrooms.

We rushed in to get relief. Never knew going to the bathroom was such a pleasure. While the wife was in the Loo ( slang for Bathroom) , a lady asked the wife about her leg as she was on crutches. She said she would pray for my wife.

I was in the other Loo( men's Room) and ran into a fellow washing his hands. We both nodded and I went out side to wait for the wife. The fellow and his son was looking at a poster waiting for his wife. Both finally came out and the wife and I went out to get into our car. The fellow came out behind us and asked if he could pray for us. At first we were startled but he introduced himself as a pastor of a Vineyard church and noticed my wife walking with the crutches. He and his wife wanted to pray for her and help in her recovery. Considering the Chiropractor wasn't too successful so far, we were game.

His wife and son came out and it was like a reunion. It seemed they too had missed their exit to get back to their home after a Vineyard conference and stopped by for refreshments. We prayed for my wife together right there in the parking lot. I got goose bumps and the wife was all aglow. Her leg did feel better after being couped up in the car for so long which was hurting quite a bit.

His statement to us was he felt a sense to pray for my wife. I at the same time had an odd sense about him when he stopped us to introduce himself. My mind told me "it is OK, he is a Vineyard minister" before he even stated that. How did I know that?

This chance encounter was not really a chance encounter. We were led to intercede in our paths with each other. We were led to miss our exits in order to come together for a brief moment in time. We were led to the same result to pray for my wife and have fellowship. God was leading him to minister to us. God was leading us to the Wendy's to meet these loving people. We could have stopped at any of the other restaurants there but Wendy's stuck out like a beacon saying to stop there. We were led by God as I believe they were led by God.

This just goes to show you that God is always working in our lives in the strangest ways that we take for granted.

Thanks Mike and family for the prayer.