We communicated electronically. We agreed to meet, at his house. It will be dark when I get there. I ask him if he would prefer to meet at a grocery store. He replied, "No worries, I am armed, I am safe." I replied, "I am a retired pastor, I am safe."
If you feel the nervousness of these encounters they are common. If I am selling something, who will come to my door? If I am buying something, who is on the other end of the transaction?
A nervous moment. I drove 40 miles. I found his street. It was dark with very few street lights. I had trouble finding the address. I texted him. Then a garage door opened, and a man in his late 40's was there in the light, beckoning me in.
I left the car lights on and the car running. I walked up and introduced myself. I am Jeff. He said, I am George.
He showed me some other things that he wanted me to just take. He said that he needed to get rid of the stuff because he was selling the house. Couldn't afford to keep it. I looked at him with a quizzical look. He said, "my wife just died."
Boom.
Boom. A dark night, a long drive, a transaction between strangers was transformed. Now, it is soul on soul.
I told him that I was so sorry. I looked him in the eye. I asked him her name. Deborah was the answer.
We finished our transaction. I walked to the car. He followed me. He said, "Jeff, can I ask a favor? Please pray for me."
What started as a late night transaction between strangers turned into an encounter between souls. Please pray for George.
And remember. There’s an old saying "a stranger is just a friend that you haven’t met." I would add to that and say, a stranger is a soul waiting to open itself to you.
It is not a stranger. It is a person. A soul.
It's a beautiful, soulful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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