FRESH THYME
Every time we go on vacation, we pray for encounters with people to listen, to learn, to bless, to pray for, to show kindness to, etc. And every time we go, we come with cool stories to remember, about people we met from all over the place, who were different from us, and who blessed us…or we had the opportunity to bless them! This past vacation was no exception…and most of them happened in one day! Let me tell you:
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The first encounter was with a man who worked on the property where we stayed, and he was the brother of the inn owner. He was different. And he ended up being my favorite of all the folks we met on vacation, because he was different. I don’t know how to describe him, but he was very chatty, had amazing adventure stories of his travels to tell, and was more than willing to help out in any area. He seemed to live simply and enjoy life, and that’s it. He blessed us, because he exuded a sort of peaceful and kind existence, apart from the busy chaotic world.
Another encounter happened at a restaurant bar, where we sat because all the tables were taken. We saw a couple enter the room and sit at a table, but then they got up and asked if they could sit by us at the bar! I must say they were interesting, and had lots to say. . She was a total meat eater – that’s it – only meat. And she talked about how it had healed her gut to eat ½ pound of bacon a day, and only meat – and how veggies and fruit were bad for you.. What? This couple was relocating to the northeast, but they were from our town! They seemed to need friendship, and we prayed for them that night, for their marriage and their journeys.
A quite eccentric older lady was our next encounter, and she owned an art studio in a small Vermont town. Her son worked there with her, and she was super talkative…and ended up inviting us to climb the stairs to her big reveal that was happening the next day. She had been married to a man of status for years and they had attended big galas and events and parties, to which she wore big outfits…and I mean big! Boas, block heels 8 inches high, sequins and color and feathers and more! She told us the stories of the clothes, which she was now selling to the public. She was a bigger than life kind of person, maybe too big for some – but we found her interesting. And we listened, for a long time…and we still smile thinking about Rita.
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One time during the week we washed our clothes at the cutest laundromat, thinking we’d do a puzzle book or read while waiting for the clothes to dry. But there was a widow woman there who lived alone and said she had very few friends, but she knew all about the little town where we were. She told us all about her life, where she’d lived, what to see while we were there, and she too never stopped talking. But it was nice to hear from her, and she seemed delighted to see us and chat. I’m thinking there weren’t usually people there to talk to, when she came to wash. We talked and were interested in her, and it seemed to make her evening.
One last story was a couple – on their honeymoon – that we met while waiting to eat in a restaurant atop a high mountain after riding the gondola. We had been chatting with them in line, and when we found out they had just literally gotten married a few days before, well – that was fun! They ended up being seated at the table right next to us in the restaurant, and when we left I felt prompted to tell them we’d pray for them and their marriage. I have no idea why, but that young wife is still in my heart, and I thought they were the cutest couple. I hope and pray their marriage is blessed, always.
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At home, in our busy lives, with our schedules and buying groceries and going here and there, I know that I get lost in all that busyness and fail to see those around me, much less sit and listen or talk to them for a while. But I hope that this practice of finding encounters in every day will seep into my normal life instead of just being so prominent in our vacation life.
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Encounters, it’s what we were made for. First with Him, then with others. And they’re most incredible when they’re different, hilarious, tender, exciting, stirring – well, you get the picture. They’re the icing on the cake of life.