I had a great experience today with my wife and students at
Six Flags. The temperature was right,
the breeze was right, the lines were right, the Mr. Freeze roller coaster running
backward was very right, but God's timing was absolutely smack-you-in-the-head
perfect when He led me to someone in need using a full lunch table.
After riding several roller coasters, it was clearly time
for lunch. As we stood in line at one of
the many excruciatingly slow pay-a-lot-for-a-little burger joints in the park,
I found myself becoming impatient for a place to sit. When we finally paid for our paltry burger
and chicken strips and made our way to the only available table, my three
students had already camped out leaving only one seat. Of course, being the gentleman (and good role
model for the two boys with me) that I am, I offered the seat to my wife and
began to scout a suitable place for me.
The only open spot around was at the table right next to ours, a table
that was occupied by a woman studiously pouring over a giant text book with her
laptop next to her and her tunes in her ear buds. I politely got her attention and she motioned
for me to have a seat, but that was the extent of it, so I sat and ate the
three-bean salad I brought in for myself and engaged in small talk with “my”
table right next door. As we ate, my
table and I chit-chatted merrily and the woman across from me busily scribbled
notes on a worn yellow legal pad and highlighted and underlined in the text
book. Being a curious fella, I tried to
steal a glance at her text book and was excited to see that it was an
upper-level biology book. However, even
more than the biology book, I was excited to see another book in front of her--
a worn, brown leather Bible.
Immediately, though she showed no hint of the same, I felt
an overwhelming urge to speak to this woman, but didn’t. I’m not good at initiating conversations,
especially with strangers, as I always think I’m going to sound awkward or
stupid, so I just sat there and continued to talk with my table. My mind, however, was definitely back on that
Bible. Finally, as my group began to
finish their meals and make like they were ready to leave, I thought, “Awww, to
heck with it” and broke into her thoughts by asking, “Are you the teacher or
the student?” She said she was the
teacher, and we fell quickly into a conversation all about “teacher
stuff”. After a few moments of this
banter, I mustered the courage to breech the topic and, indicating the worn
Bible said, “I see you’ve got the best book of all with you.”
And suddenly all awkwardness and pretense vanished.
In some strange, twisty working of what I like to think of
as God weaving all of us together in a big, beautiful tapestry, It turns out
that this woman and I had a ton in common.
We had both been teaching the same number of years, we both taught
science, we had the same last name, she knew folks that attend my wife’s
school, we both have sons, and we were indeed both Christians educators, even
though she taught in a public school on the other side of the river. It was as if the two of us had known each
other forever and she was suddenly so comfortable telling me about how she
keeps her Bible out on her desk and plays Christian music in class (at her
students’ request), and about how her students can see something different about
her that they like. It turned out to be
a great conversation, and as my people prepared to leave, I asked her if it
would be okay if I could pray for her.
And that’s when I knew God directed me specifically to her.
She immediately grabbed my hand and asked if we could pray
for her son who is deployed in Afghanistan, and just as quickly my people
gathered around and I led them to lift her up before the Lord in prayer. We thanked the Lord for her years of service
to children and his years of service to his country, we petitioned the Lord to
prepare her heart even now for a safe and effective school year this fall and
for Him to put a hedge of protection around her son and bring him home safely,
and we praised a mighty God who could engineer the meeting of two strangers who
were kindred spirits with so much in common over a full table at an amusement
park.
As we finished praying, she gave my hand a firm squeeze and
we said our goodbyes, and as we walked out of the restaurant and on toward the
next ride, I couldn’t help but reflect on how good the Lord is. I have been down so many times with no one
reaching out to me, yet here He takes me out of my comfort zone to do that very
same thing to a perfect stranger. Yes,
the rides were great and I enjoyed my time with my wife and my school family,
but what I really came away with from the day with was the reinforcement of the
fact that when I am sensitive to the Lord’s leading, amazing things
happen. No one goes to Six Flags to grow
spiritually, but I’m awfully glad it happened to at least two people in the
park this day.
