Last week while leading the Family Camp in Bethany Beach, Mary and I were returning to the Conference grounds from downtown Bethany. Being the week of July 4th. the sidewalks were crowded with people, the roads were clogged with cars and overall, it was an amazingly busy scene. The vibe was cool, however. People were walking hand in hand, leading their dogs on a leash, pushing strollers, children excitedly jumping up and down and shouting, “Candy Kitchen, Mom, I want to go to Candy Kitchen” or wherever it was they wanted to go. It was a busy, energetic crowd of people.
As we were walking along the crowded sidewalk, just before we were to cross the main road and enter back into the peace and quiet of the Conference Campgrounds we passed two couples trying to figure out the electronic ticket meter. I could see their struggle. We had experienced trouble with them earlier. It’s not rocket science, but we weren’t the only people finding how to use the centralized electronic parking device a challenge. Never missing an opportunity to talk to people I stopped and quipped, “Unless you have a graduate degree in electronics there is no way you can work that thing.” I could feel Mary wince as yet again I chatted up total strangers along the busy sidewalk. The two couples chuckled and said, “Right, we don’t have that degree so it’s a challenge.
After some friendly back and forth one of the ladies suddenly said “Are you Amy Buckingham’s father? “Yes”! I replied, totally surprised by the question. “Is she under arrest for messing with the parking device”? The lady laughed and said, “No, I recognized you. My son used to play baseball with Trevor. From there the conversation went on and we all enjoyed talking. As it ends up their son and Trevor had played ball years and years ago and they recognized me from attending the games. They were good friends of Blake and Amy and had lived in the same neighborhood Amy and Blake lived in. Wow! Encountering four total strangers in a busy town on a busy week, striking up a random conversation and having them be people who know you. Who would have thought? Not me, that’s for sure.
I can’t believe what a small world it is. To begin a random conversation with random people on a street in a busy little beach town three and a half hours from home on one of the busiest weeks of the year and have it end up being someone who knows you through encounter with your daughter several years back is beyond belief. What a small world indeed. It was fun.
It got me thinking as we walked away and crossed the street. I said to Mary, with humor intended, “Someday, I’m going to run into Jesus and start chatting him up and not know it’s Him. He will probably already have talked with Jack. Just then I thought I probably already have. I just didn’t know it. What do you think? Have you already randomly run into Jesus? How would you know? What do think about all this?
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:2