The Great Conductor Cues Another 'Chance' Meeting

 

Ask, and it shall be given you. . . .

— Matthew 7:7a

           

            I've thought of God as a Father, a Shepherd, a Physician, a Teacher, a Fisherman . . . but here's a new one: a Symphony Conductor.

 

            I like it: captivating drama, arresting motion, flawless timing. You can't take your eyes off Him. He's there for you through the high notes, the low notes, the sweet notes, the sour notes.

 

            He points at you sometimes, encouraging you, urging you to play louder or softer, keeping you in rhythm, making sure you rest sometimes. In the end, when the beautiful music's been made and the applause sounds, it's for both of you. But the One you're playing for - the One you want to please with every beat of your heart -- is the Conductor.

 

            When people love the Lord like that, amazing things happen. They'll happen this weekend, when a whole lot of people who love Jesus are getting together in downtown Omaha. They'll be at the Luis Palau Heartland Festival, with the wise, funny, Argentina-born evangelist as the star attraction. It's a G-rated Woodstock for Christians. Huge crowds are expected. It's a "happening."

 

            The last time a big Christian "name" came to town, one of those amazing moments orchestrated by The Great Conductor "happened" to a couple of dear friends of mine, Kerry and Chris.

 

            The Christian biggie was Beth Moore, a Bible teacher from Texas with big hair and a ton of touching, tender stories. I was crushed when I couldn't go, but happy to know that Kerry and Chris, whom I'd introduced at an earlier Beth Moore event, were both going to be there.

 

            Though they are probably 20 years apart in age, they'd become fast friends at that first meeting. They'd even joined hands at the end of the speech, as directed by Mrs. Moore, and promised each other in a sort of ad hoc accountability partnership to keep up their friendship and to keep living for Christ. They hadn't seen each other since, and really wanted to connect. But they were both going with separate friends, and had neglected to get each other's cell phone numbers.

 

            Well, there were probably 15,000 people coming and going in the arena. Though Kerry and Chris both kept looking for each other all Friday night and Saturday morning, through speeches, songs and breaks, they never did link up.

 

            Chris sat right above a main exit, hoping to make herself more visible. She prayed for the 21 people who came forward to accept salvation, but couldn't see anyone's faces clear across the auditorium.

 

            Finally, the event ended. The last echoes of applause died away. The crowd was dispersing.

 

            Chris ducked into the ladies' restroom with her friend. They stood at the sinks, washing their hands, and were walking out when Chris was telling her friend about her OTHER friend, Kerry. She told how they'd said a blessing over each other at the last Beth Moore event, and how she'd been praying for God to find Kerry in the crowd for her. "Show her to me, Lord!" she had prayed.

 

            While Chris was in mid-sentence about Kerry, she heard, "CHRIS!"

 

            She looked to her left.

 

            "KERRY!"

 

            They were both speechless.

 

            The friend supplied the punchline: "And there she IS!?!?"

 

            They hugged the stuffin' out of each other.

 

            Turns out Kerry had JUST told HER friend about HER good friend Chris, and had asked, "LORD, just put Chris right in front of me . . . PLEASE!"

 

            Turns out her friend had been one of those 21 souls who professed their belief in Christ for the first time, thanks in part to Kerry's encouragement. It was Kerry's first evangelistic experience, and she was goose-bumpy with excitement. She wanted to share the moment with Chris, introduce her to the "new baby Christian" she'd helped midwife, and show HER that God is a Man of His Word, and all you have to do is ask. Really. 

 

            They kept hugging and laughing.

 

            Coincidence? Hah!

 

            They knew it had been orchestrated by The Great Conductor.

 

            I love it when "chance" meetings happen. Sooner or later, you find out there was a particular reason why you "ran into" that person. Often, you find out the other person had JUST been thinking about YOU, too. It's fun to wait and see what the Conductor had in mind.

 

That's what happens when you play along with His song of joy . . . with every beat of your heart. †