A few months ago we took our RV in for some maintainence in Baton Rouge and decided to treat ourselves to a movie. We followed the directions of the GPS and it led us directly to a cinema that had been closed for nearly a year! As we sat in the vacant parking lot and sighed, a car pulled up next to us. That's how we met Dennis.
When Dennis found out we were from IHOPland in Kansas City, he called his friend Brian who had just started attending IHOP meetings. We talked on the phone for a bit and Brian would call us from time to time until we became friends. This past week, Brian was in Baton Rouge attending the Jimmy Swaggart Camp Meetings and called to see where we were. We told him we were about thirty miles west of the Georgia state line. He said he would like to drive out to meet us. We told him that would be great but we were a long way from Louisiana. Brian said, "Oh, it's only about 500 miles. I'll be there Thursday night."
Only 500 miles! We could not believe that a guy we never met was going to drive all this way to meet us but we knew that God was doing something in this man's heart. We spent a lovely couple of days eating the wrong kind of food, talking and getting to know each other before Brian left us on Saturday afternoon.
A few hours afterward, we received a call from Matt in Ohio. He and I met on the road in Dayton in 2005 on my 2nd 3300 mile walk across America for Christ. Today Matt was cleaning his truck and found one of our old ministry cards (I can identify with a guy who cleans his truck once every five years!) He said he thought about us every now and again and just wanted to see what we were up to. He told us he was proud of us and encouraged us to keep on going.
Now Lucyah and I often wonder how God touches people through us...and the answer is we don't know how... but we are fascinated that one man would drive 500 miles and another would call a five year old phone number (and not just toss the card!) Our ego would like us to believe that they had an interest in us but the reality is that they have a sincere interest in God. They are simply seeking a spiritual connection with other people of like mind and spirit. Time and distance is no hindrance to the Body of Christ!
Hebrews 3:13 says to "...encourage one another daily as long as it is called Today..." and both of these men fulfilled that Scripture for us.
1 comment:
Nick,that's awesome. Thanks for posting this story on your blog about me driving out to meet you and Lucy. It was truly a great time and a spiritual connection that we had. The fact that you met Dennis in the way you did is confirmation. In a movie theater parking lot that was closed. He pulled up next to you at the same time. No accident! He knows me from IHOP and you are from IHOP too. No accident. This was a devine connection for sure.
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