I Met a Woman

I met a women at the market a few weeks ago.  Her kids were speaking English, and that gets you noticed around here (Any idea how I know that?).  So we stood, and talked, next to the eggs, which were in the freezer aisle.  In between my fleeting thoughts about the eggs being in the freezer aisle and the fact that you can choose your own eggs, one by one, because they are sold individually, I learned that she is an expat, new to Sofia, with 5 children.

Reading between the lines, I sensed immediately that she is lonely, misses her support network, and has mixed feelings about being in Sofia.  Yeah, me too. 

Se between the eggs and the ice cream, we connected over bags of ice in the only store in the city that sells ice.  We compared our children’s ages, spoke about our professions and our husband’s professions, and exchanged phone numbers.

The next week, we met at a park with a few more expat families, and one new relationship blossomed into four new friendships.

This week, we will meet again, with a few more families, to take the kids to the zoo.  I
think, however, that this is bigger then just seeing the tigers.

This I know because I serve a God who is all about relationships, I know for a fact that He is at work.  This open door is a connection, a road to ministry opportunities, friendships, and people.  People for whom God sent us to Sofia. 

One day, I will look back on this beginning and know exactly why we met that day in the aisle for eggs and ice.  I will look back and see every footstep carefully arranged by a loving creator.  For now, I will walk this path, pray for the people I am meeting, and share Christ when hearts are open. 

Because I am learning that we must always look forward, until it is time to look back.

Have you looked back and seen God working in ways you never realized at the time?  Feel free to share your story in the comments.  I'd love to hear it.