Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Crossing Paths

So I guess coming here has become an every six months or so thing. I don't know when that happened or why it happened. I just know that's how it is. I still find my head constantly swimming with thoughts... Both old and new. The thoughts sometimes paralyze me. If I were better about coming here to write, I know that wouldn't be the case.

There are two words that have been stuck in my brain since Saturday.

Crossing paths.

My hubby, our two younger boys and I were out running some errands on Saturday. While doing so, we met this very sweet older man from Russia. I believe he had somehow become lost (and I've been praying since Saturday that he found home), but in his being lost, he touched our hearts. We sat in a parking lot with this man for close to an hour. He barely spoke english. Amongst his Russian vocabulary, there were just a few scattered words of english... Just enough for us to try to understand what he was wanting to communicate. We learned that he loves math, that he was somewhere in his mid eighties, that he only moved here from Moscow recently, and that his two brothers were killed in the war. This stranger shared tears with us as he told us (mostly in his language) all about losing his brothers to war. We were able to share about Jesus with him, and he shared with us that Jesus is someone he already knows. He shared how knowing Jesus in his communist country was a hard thing, and at times, for some it was deadly. By the end of this visit, my heart ached for this man who had just simply crossed our path that day. His sadness was completely contagious! However, I couldn't help but think how this appointment in the parking lot was Divinely scheduled. He was meant to cross our path, and we were meant to cross his.

Fast forward to yesterday. My mom and nephew came up to spend the day. It wasn't something necessarily planned out. Those are the best times, don't you think? Anyhow, we got busy playing with Thomas the Train and sewing up roman shades for our bay window. After many interruptions and distractions, it was time for a snack! I made my way to the kitchen and prepared a healthy snack of cheese, crackers and blueberries on a plate for Elijah. We got him situated at the table and Grandma put her needle down and joined us too. We were chatting about lots of things when I heard a familiar voice coming through the back door. It was my Dad.

 I'm not going to lie. At first, I was thinking about all of the many ways this could go not so good. I knew my parents wouldn't get into any knock down drag outs, but a general feeling of awkwardness? Yes! But then, almost immediately I heard these two words in my head again.... Crossing Paths. Peace washed over me.

We all sat in the same room for a good long while. That is something in itself that I never thought would happen again. Mom picked up her needle and thread again, I folded laundry, Elijah went back to the menagerie of train tracks and pieces, and Dad contently sat in a chair and led discussion on extended family members of both sides. My parents got caught up in a way. It wasn't anything deep, just very pleasant. It was surprisingly comfortable and I knew that these paths were also meant to be crossed.

I feel like I could go on and on about the multiple ways in which I have felt blessed by the crossing of paths recently. These are just the two most recent examples. God has been busy in this home these past few weeks. He has been orchestrating all the right people at the right place and at the right time. It's not something that I take lightly OR for granted.

He always has a plan... It's been a blessing to see His plan being carried out through the many crossing of paths.

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