Unexpected Blessings

Today I met a good friend for the first time.

Jon Swanson writes 300wordsaday.com. It’s the blog I read each morning even if I don’t have time to read anything else. Jon helps me understand what it means to follow Jesus in a practical way.

We met via the blog a couple of years ago. He’s been kind enough to let me write some guest posts. We’ve shared some really wonderful conversations.

Jon and I are friends.

So when he mentioned a while back that he planned to be in Iowa at the end of September I suggested that our paths might cross. We kept the idea alive, and today he and his wife used my GPS tracker to locate us on a back road in southwest Iowa.

We chatted and shared a simple picnic in a farmer’s driveway. It was perfect, the sort of unscripted episode that can only happen among good friends.

Today will be among a handful of very special days on this amazing trip. We finally met our good friends face-to-face.

* * * * *

Our encounter with Jon and Nancy was one of many unexpected blessings we’ve experienced. Comfort Suites in Burlington is among several hotels that have generously offered discounted rates. Today we needed tires changed—Bickel’s Bike Shop did that and some other minor repairs and refused payment.

I couldn’t possibly list all the instances of unexpected, unanticipated blessings we’ve already received. I believe it’s proof that people get what this is about. In a world of cynicism and selfishness, people respond to hope.

I believe we’ll encounter many more unexpected blessings before this journey concludes. I won’t be able to tell you about most of them.

I believe every one of them changes the world in ways we’ll never see.