Meeting new friends and catching up with old friends – what the past week has been about!
Here’s an incident that still brings a smile to my face every time I think about it! My Aunt Joan had given our ministry information to Robin and Bruce at Christian Celebration Center (CCC) in Midland Michigan. They are on the Africa Team for missions there, we met with them and had a great conversation. We were able to bounce information off them and since they have been in his “field” for awhile they were able to give us some concrete and insightful answers. Thanks Robin and Bruce, we look forward to a wonderful on-going friendship.
Then my aunt invited us to a pancake breakfast at CCC and after the breakfast we were standing in the lobby talking when one of their pastors walked by. My aunt was about to introduce us, when I looked at the pastor and said “Lynne? Lynne Knettle?” at which she took a closer look at me and said “Tammy?” We hugged and I told my aunt Lynne had been in our wedding!
We only had a quick moment to talk (she was about to do a funeral service) but I gave her my contact information and we met for breakfast later in the week. It was so wonderful seeing an old (ok she’s actually younger than me!) friend after so many years. We think it’s been over 20 years since we’ve seen each other!
It was such an amazing meeting, not only did my aunt not know we knew each other but Pastor Lynne had also performed another aunt’s funeral service not realizing the family connection. Lynne told us the Lord had put us on her heart the week before our “chance meeting” wondering where we were and if we were serving the Lord. What a blessing it was to share life stories, testimonies and what God is doing in both our lives.
I don’t put anything like this to coincidence…He brings people into our lives for different reasons but this meeting showed me God is always working, always in control and is always faithful. So even though our lives have taken different paths I can be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” and seeing Lynne’s passion for the Lord was like a warm breeze on a very cold Michigan morning!