No chance encounters...

Jenn & I landed safely in Chennai this morning and got to the hotel around 7 a.m.  We've spent the whole day hanging out with the team that has spent the last week in the new village that GCC will be going to in the future.  They've got some really good stories that haven't been blogged about so I can't wait for them to get the chance to tell them first-hand to those that they love.  So my story for the day comes from our second leg of our journey yesterday.  This was a reminder to me that there are no chance encounters when God is involved.  On the "short" flight (4 hours) I was seated next to a couple that were on their way to a wedding in Chennai.  She was from Chicago but had grown up in Palestine and was dating a man from Atlanta who had grown up as the son of a preacher.  I'm pretty sure she was the most fun stranger that I've ever set next to on a plane.  We had so much fun that she, Jenn & I snapped some pics while waiting in the customs line and exchanged e-mail addresses.  As we were waiting to taxi down the runway (which was quite some time), she struck up a conversation with me.  She asked where we were from and what we were heading to Chennai for.  I explained to her that we were on our way to a small village in southern India where our church has been doing missions work for a few years.  She explained to me that she was Muslim (but not practicing) and that she and her boyfriend were considering moving to California and she had expressed to him that when they do, she would like to get plugged into a church.  She had some hesitations though because she had seen church as a place full of judgmental people who are too worried about keeping rules and less worried about the people around them.  Well... this is where I know there are no chance encounters.  Of course, I took this opportunity to explain to her that not all church's are that way and she should definitely seek out a place that she feels comfortable with.  I went on to tell her about my own relationship with God.  I told her that it was sad that some people view God or religion as a place of judgment and legalism, but God is really about love, compassion and serving others.  I told her that I am very active in my church, but it makes me cringe anytime someone refers to me as "religious" because my life is more about a personal relationship with Christ than religion.  She shared a story with me about how when she was 15 and living in Palestine, her father took her to Bethlehem.  The experience seemed to have left a mark on her (as well it should).  God works in mysterious ways...  and I love conversations that are obviously so well orchestrated by Him.  I'm also thankful that I'm not fearful of expressing my faith & talking to people in moments like these anymore.  Yes, God sent us on a mission trip to do some work in India.  But you never know what He's expecting you to do on the way.  Life is a mission... LIVE IT!

jenarcher