Chance Encounter
Jun 16, 2024 | by The Fellowship
On Saturday morning, I drove my car to a nearby grocery store to pick up a prescription for my husband after receiving a phone call that it was ready. At first, there was no one to help me at either of the two side-by-side registers in the pharmacy.
After a few minutes a young man in his late teens or early 20’s appeared and began to help me. I gave him the name on the prescription and he started looking on the computer. Then he asked for the name again -- and this time found it quickly. “Sorry about that,” he said before turning around to look in the appropriate drawer for the prescription.
After coming back with it, I noticed that he was slow and rather awkward with the checking out process. There are several steps to it, like instructing me to electronically put in the birth date of the patient and replying to some other prompts on the screen.
I looked at his name tag which identified him as a store employee who pushes a special cart through the aisles to collect items for filling grocery orders that will be picked up or delivered. It was obvious that serving behind the pharmacy counter was a new experience for him. I reasoned that they were short-handed in the pharmacy that morning, and he had been pulled in to help – which I concluded could be a step up for him if he did well.
“It looks like the Lord is blessing you with a new job,” I found myself saying to him with a smile.
“Thank you for saying that,” he replied. “I really needed to hear that this morning!”
“God is good,” I said. “He is always showing us His love in all the ways He blesses us!”
“Yes, ma’am,” he responded. “I have been a believer all my life, but I have kinda strayed away. It is time for me to get back in touch with God and read my Bible again.”
My answer was, “I like to thank God every time during the day that something good happens to me, even for the smallest things – the kindness of a stranger, an unexpected phone call from an old friend, finding a parking place. Then when I am praying at night, I like to review all the blessings of the day and praise Him for His love that He pours out on me continually.”
“When I pray,” he said, “I always start by asking for forgiveness.”
“That is so very important,” I agreed. “We need to confess the wrong things we have said or done. He forgives when we acknowledge our sins.”
By that time, I had paid for the medicine and was ready to leave. The last thing I did was to tell him the name and location of my church (which was not far away) and the times of our worship services on Sunday. “Hope to see you there. You are welcome anytime!” was my parting comment.
I walked away with the overwhelming feeling that the Lord was behind that encounter. It was He who was speaking through me and calling that young man back into a relationship with Him. What a humbling moment, one that I hope will continue to be repeated many times in my life. What greater blessing than to be able to encourage others to connect or reconnect with our One and Only God!
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect.
1 Peter 3:15