Chance Meeting?

Keith Anderson

I was having an extremely low day.  Betty, my dear wife of fifty-four years, had recently passed away, and I was missing her.  Suddenly the phone rang. My son Matt called from work to ask me to go to his house and check on a strange car parked in front of his home.  At the time they had a family temporarily staying with them.  The lady had called Matt about the car and was so concerned she did not want to get in her car to go to work. I told Matt that I'd see about the car.

I delayed leaving, however, since I had to search for my keys.   Once I got there and parked my truck, I walked up to the car.  The driver put down his window.  He flashed a badge and said he was spotting a house around the corner.  I told him he had scared the lady inside the house so badly that she was afraid to leave for work.  He told me that the lady had already gotten in her car and left.  I thought to myself, "This is a waste of time."

Soon after leaving I came to a nearby stop sign.  I noticed a bike coming up the hill.  As I started out I realized it was Dr. Oliver, my dentist who is a friend of ours.   Once I turned the corner, Oliver pulled up beside me.  He asked how I was doing.  I told him not too good.  He knew about Betty's passing.  He said, "You have to let her go.  I'm not telling you to forget Betty.  Rather, I am saying let God bring peace into your heart."  He went on to say," I believe this meeting was arranged by God.  I had you on my heart this morning."  When I looked at him, suddenly the peace of the Lord swept over me.  With that we parted.

About an hour later, Oliver called from work.  He said, "I just had to tell you.  I never ride my bike up that steep hill where we met this morning.  Our meeting had to be perfectly timed.  I've left a patient sitting in the chair with her mouth open, but felt I must call and tell you this."

As I look back on it, I think everything had to take place in that sequence, or we would not have met that morning.  Rarely have I ever been at that corner where we met either.  I thank the Lord for the peace that is still with me.