MY LORD, WHAT A MORNING!

About a year ago, I met Tim, a young Christian, in Baila Coffee & Vinyl, a coffee shop in Old Town, Swindon.  He had overheard a conversation I was having with an even younger Christian friend, Zoe, and came over to say that although he hadn’t been eavesdropping, he was encouraged by the way we were interacting together, asked if we were Christians and he even gave us £5 towards our coffee - a random act of kindness from him during Lent, which really encouraged me.  Tim and I have continued to meet throughout the year and always enjoy catching up.  

He asked if I was doing the 40Acts during Lent this year, when I told him I was doing it loosely, but still giving our daffodils most days when I go into town - and was telling him about the young Mum I had given them to earlier in the week.

Today, there was almost a complete re-run of that scenario from last year when I was chatting with Tim - in the same coffee shop, when Sophie, a young lady sitting at the next table catching up with her emails, leaned over and said that she couldn’t help overhearing our chat, that she was a Christian too, and was so encouraged that God was so central to our conversation and working in our town.

Tim and I looked at each other and nearly choked on our coffee!  We then spent the next hour chatting with Sophie and encouraging one another.  Sophie works in Swindon and has just finished a training course to become a member of the Street Pastors Team, having moved here from Bournemouth, a place we are very fond of, as my older Blip friends will know.

I asked if they would mind being my Blip for today when Tim said we should have a photograph of the three of us - I confess that Tim took the photograph since his arms are much longer than mine!

We exchanged email addresses and Sophie is hoping to go to a Sunday Night Live event at Costa Coffee tomorrow evening, in which Tim is involved.  I’m hoping to meet her for a coffee sometime and she said it would be great for the three of us to meet up again.  WOW - here’s to our next meeting.

As much as you want to plan your life,
     it has a way of surprising you
          with unexpected things
               that will make you happier
                    than you originally planned.
That’s what you call
     GOD’S WILL.

P.S.  I also left one of my Post-it Notes at Baila - see my extras.