My daughter and I went to a vintage resale shop yesterday in Sioux City just to check things out and to have a little fun. In the course of that outing, I was reminded that it’s a small world and we’re more connected with others than we may realize.
As we were walking around, touching things, looking at price tags, and chatting, a woman carrying an awkwardly large piece passed behind me. “Oh, excuse me," she said. I turned and smiled as I replied, “No need to apologize, I was weaving so that it was hard to predict my path.” We both laughed. She immediately explained that she was starting a shop in Allen, Nebraska. She asked if I knew where that was. I smiled and responded that my father’s family was from Jackson, Nebraska. She asked his name, and I told her it was Charley Boyle. Her sister-in-law is married to a Boyle. We laughed; there were really only four families in Jackson originally.
Then she shared, out of the blue, that she was leading a bible study on Revelation. I responded that I’d just finished a study at our parish on Ephesians and was going to be doing an Advent study on Jesus’ seven “I Am” saying from the Gospel of John in anticipation of Christ’s coming. She noted that part of her favorite part of scripture study is the sharing of participants. I agreed and mentioned that we always begin with a prayer to the Spirit to guide us, to help us open the Word and discern the LORD’s will for us within those words. She said she’d never done that and would begin doing that.
Just then, a man walked past us and stopped our conversation by saying, “God bless you both. Have a great day.” We extended the same to him. And then he was off. She said, “I think we were supposed to bump into one another.” I agreed that it was providence. Then we said goodbye and went back to shopping.
My daughter couldn’t believe I’d struck up a conversation of that duration nearly 500 miles from home in a resale shop. I could, however. It’s a small world and it’s all within the LORD’s power and presence. Life is like that for me, a lot.
We share more with one another than we usually suspect. It can be based on geographical origins but the truth is that our true origin, the love of the LORD our creator, alone unites us all in our diversity if only we allow it shine through us. We are sisters and brothers, we are daughters and sons. We are family. May we live that reality daily wherever we are whatever we are doing.
Until tomorrow, let us all love well.
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