I have a great story. But I’m not sure if I should start at the beginning or the end. You almost had to be there. But I’m gonna try and tell it the best I can…
Today Mark and I went to a celebratory coffee date with our wonderful friend and realtor Brian and his wife, Krista. It was Mark’s last day in Colorado (he came home for the weekend to surprise Abby for her birthday) and we wanted to meet with them one more time to tell them thank you and how much we appreciate not only the work that was done in selling the house, but in being such great friends. We met at a locally owned, off the beaten path coffee shop. We were lost in laughter and conversation when I felt a little tap on my shoulder and a sweet voice, “Excuse me…I don’t want to bother you, but…”
I turned to look into the beautiful face of a friend of mine that I met when we lived in Phoenix. Precious Lavonne. She has since moved to Georgia and and is now in Texas and we, of course, have since moved to Colorado. Ours is a friendship that has been done long distance with the exception of the year that we lived in the same state.
We met “randomly” in a coffee shop years ago and have had bonded hearts ever since. Having faced some similar circumstances over the years, our friendship has always been based on lots of prayer, encouragement, deep sharing, tears and laughter. There was an almost instantaneous trust that has remained even though we don’t get to talk as often as we’d like.
Her daughter is moving to Denver and they were here to help her and were on their way to Colorado Springs when they “happened” to stop at this random little coffee shop. She was just saying to her husband, “Jana just sold her house!” He looked over her shoulder at the table a few feet away and without missing a beat said, “well, Jana is right over there!”
We tried to catch up, knowing there would never be enough time, but the sweet and unlikely and “random” reunion was wonderful. If I’d sat at a different table or even a different seat, they never would have seen me, and we would have been in the same place at the same time without knowing it. If we’d gone to a different coffee spot, we would have missed each other completely.
MORE GOOSEBUMPS!!!! So out of the blue. So unexpected. So God. A chance to encourage and be encouraged. A chance to hug and rejoice with each other. All I could say over and over again was, Oh my gosh!!!! and look down and rub those crazy joy bumps that were now on both of our arms!
Lavonne (and anyone else, of course!) I will keep my eyes open every time I go in a coffee shop in Pleasanton. God seems to bring us together over caffeine!
Simply amazing…
Thank you, Jesus….
