Perfect Timing - Part 2

Her name was Jenny (I later learned), a middle aged Afro-Caribbean lady already seated on the train from Nottingham and heading back to London and home.  I slid into one of the seats opposite and cast an eye over the cover of the paperback lying unopened in front of her.  The title, "Hearing the Voice of God", intrigued me and I wondered whether it was a Christian book or just a catchy title for something secular.

"May I read the blurb on the back of the book?" I asked, having already stated that the title was intriguing.  She slid it across to me and I noted immediately that the three commendations on the back cover were from Christian leaders I have had contact with in the past.  Before long we were talking like long lost friends and I discovered that Jenny was a member of a Pentecostal church in London and had been in Nottingham for a seminar.  I had just spent the last couple of days with fellow members of the Congregational Federation's Pastoral Care Board running the vocations weekend for students and others wishing to go on the Federation's role of ministries.  That had turned out to be exceedingly encouraging (there is so much good stuff happening in the CF these days).

After a while I asked if she would mind if I made a couple of phone calls.  She found her place in the book and our conversation ceased.  But a little while later she put the book down in order to drink some fruit juice.  It was my opportunity to pick up on the topic of the book.  We talked together excitedly about the way in which the Bible is a living book rather than a collection of texts.  We then illustrated this from our experiences, especially noting how the Holy Spirit often applies specific passages when they are relevant in our life.  We must have filled at least 20 minutes with animated discussion.

While we were only discussing the Bible to encourage each other and to share our enjoyment of both a living relationship with God through Christ and especially how God speaks relevantly into our lives, others sitting around us could easily have overheard our joyful discussion if they wished.  But that was not our motives.  As we neared Market Harborough I drew the conversation to a close and slipped a visiting card across the table saying "I'd value your prayers".  But as I bade farewell and moved towards the carriage door I saw that a man on the opposite side of the carriage and one seat away was reading  a small Koran.

Was he, I wondered, immersing himself in the Arabic text to block out our conversation, which he must have overheard.  How was it that of all the people that I could have sat with on that train, Jenny and I had been brought together and celebrated a common love of Jesus and God's incredible word?  Was it another case of perfect timing?  Just in case, will you please pray for the Muslim gentleman who for several minutes in his life had a doorway of revelation open to him?  I hope you will.