While at Methodist Hospital in Rochester waiting word on the surgical outcome of our daughter, my husband and I decided to get a bite to eat. The food court seemed especially crowded (before covid-19), but a couple about our age invited us to sit with them at their table. We lunched and chatted together. The woman, a pleasant woman with a friendly smile, was to have a mastectomy the following day.
We could sense their concern and trepidation, and although we had not spoken of spiritual matters, my husband asked if we could pray with them. They both agreed.
Burt prayed for a successful surgery, a speedy recovery, and that they both would be aware of the presence of the Lord in a very real way. Then, we said good-byes and left.
Two weeks later ~~
Two weeks later, as I waited in the patient waiting area for Rene’ to get checked in for her appointment, a lady approached me. I looked up to a pleasant-looking woman with a friendly smile. The same woman we had prayed for two weeks prior!
We talked like two old friends. We marveled at the preposterous odds that we would run into each other. Then she said, “My surgery went well, and I am so thankful for your prayers. My husband and I were so pleased that you took the time to pray…”
Just then, my daughter was called in for her appointment. The woman and I exchanged a quick good-bye and an equally quick hug, and I followed Rene’ to meet with her surgeon.
Later, I thought about the meeting with the woman we had prayed for, and the unlikely chance of our two paths ever crossing again. But they did. There is a saying that must have been coined for such a time as this: When paths cross, it is meant to be. I recognized that God’s hand was directing our ‘chance’ meeting.
That meeting encouraged me of the impact prayer has on another person, and the reassurance for another woman that God cares and hears us when we pray. Isn’t it amazing how God directs our paths and guides our steps, and most times, we may not even be aware of it. I may not have recognized that if I had not run into the woman in the waiting area and hear how prayer affected her.
I am convinced that when paths cross, and if we have an opportunity to pray for one another – whether it be in a crowded eating area or one-on-one in private, we should make good use of the time. When paths cross, it is meant to be.