Have you ever wonder why sometimes people cross your path? I don’t mean the random people we bump into when we’re at the store. This is expected in places where there are a lot of people, especially if you are shopping on Black Friday. But I mean, in those moments when you find yourself talking to a complete stranger. And in that short time, you learn something about them. It is almost like they invited you into their story and in doing so you get just a glimpse of what life is for them.

I used to have many of these opportunities in the job that I had previously however now it doesn’t happen too often, not until last Saturday. My husband and I went on a small road trip to look at a used vehicle for me. We were to meet the seller at a Wal-Mart parking lot that was located half way between his home and ours, to look at this Jeep. They seemed to be a sweet young couple, though the husband look as if his years where harder on him than his wife. They had two boys with beautiful clear eyes, as if you could almost see ‘hope’ in them, especially the 18 month old.
What I mean about ‘clear eyes that you can see hope’ is that sometimes life can be hard on people and it shows in their eyes, they look tired and beaten down. But children, they always have eyes of hope and I love looking into eyes like that, eyes of hope.

Anyhow…

It was a little awkward at first to be examining a vehicle with the whole family buckled into it. But as my husband and the seller discussed the specifics about the Jeep I got a moment to talk with the seller’s wife, and even the eldest son had a shared few words (at least I think they were words). Just a side note, It has been a long time since I’ve been around little ones so I had to get re-acquainted with their language. She shared where she was from and even proudly showed me her tattoos that her husband painted on her. It was amazing how much compassion and love I felt for her and her family. I had even given her a little hug as we parted.

Though on the drive back home I couldn’t help to wonder what her life was like for this family. Did they have positive people in their life or where there negative people that try to push in on them? She had cracked opened the door for me to see her life, but I was imagining what things looked like with the door wide open. I found myself praying for them; it wasn’t that I had any kind of supernatural knowledge of what to pray about. I just prayed things that I know God wants for all of us. Even this morning at church I found this family on my heart and again prayed. And I have the feeling I will be praying for this family off and on throughout my life now that I have met them.

With all that being said, maybe there are reasons people cross our paths. A God divine reason. So I want to encourage you during this Holiday Season to slow down just a bit, allow God to make those connections. You never know, someone you just met might be lifting you up in their prayers.

Be blessed my friends,

g~