Last Tuesday I attended the Christian Community Development Conference near Stuttgart. Matthew Soerens was speaking on the topic of the Church and Refugees.

I got on a train at 6:30AM to head to the conference. The train was full and people rushing every which way. As I sat down, I opened my journal and kept my head down for most of the trip. I did notice the guy sitting across from me. Businessman, talking on two phones, nice leather briefcase, suit, looked Middle Eastern. He was busy and it was too early for anyone to talk.

As I got to my stop, I called Angela because my directions on my iphone did not download properly. I was scrambling and rushed. I finally found the right ticket booth but I did not have the right bills to pay. The train is leaving in 15 minutes. I hurry to buy a water to get change for the ticket.

I get the ticket but it does not say where to go to board the train. I have to choose between 16 different platforms. In utter despair, I looked at the guy next to me and say, “Do you speak English?” He does. Thank you Jesus. I make the train with 2 minutes to spare.

I get to the next stop to find a bus. Yes, I do not speak or read German. I call Angela again. Help me with the next step. She gives me the name of the bus stop. I walk around until I find a stop that looks like it could be mine. I look at two guys and say, “Do you speak English?” They do and they are going to the same conference.

Conference is great. More on that another time.

I can only stay for the day. So I reluctantly take this oh-so-crazy path back to my family. I go to the first bus stop and wait. And wait. And wait. Then a car pulls up and says get in. It is a woman that I met at the conference along with a new German friend. The new friend is taking the same route back as me. When we get to the train station, he tells me that our train is cancelled. Not postponed, cancelled. I would have never noticed or known since it was all in German. Thanks Roy!

As I get to my final train, after 2 hours of delay, I call Angela to tell her my delay but I will see her soon. In the middle of the conversation, I notice a guy walk up to sit down next to me. We are the only two people in the part of the train. I look at him and he looks at me. I realize that this is the same exact man as from 6:30AM. It is now 10:00PM. I say, “We were on the same train together this morning.” I tell Angela this info then the phone cuts off. I am out of minutes and cannot talk to her now.

I overhear the busy businessman on the phone. He is talking Arabic and apologizing to someone. After his call, he realized that my phone call was cut short and offered his phone to connect with Angela. I mentioned that he was speaking Arabic and asked where he was from. Iraq he says but lived in Germany for 20 years.

We proceed to talk about his delay and my delay. How he was only in Germany that day due to business. Morocco the day before and Turkey the next day. How I was just traveling that day. We both agreed it was weird, strange, and quite possibly God-oriented.

I asked him if he thinks that God brought us together for a purpose. He said maybe. I said I definitely think He did and here is why. After a long day and desiring much sleep, I asked God to give me wisdom and strength to share my story and more importantly THE story with Adam.

We talked for nearly 2 hours. It was Adam’s birthday. 56 years old. I shared many stories from the Word including the need to be re-born as Nicodemus. I was timely. I even asked Adam what is keeping him from accepting forgiveness and making Jesus King of his life.

Adam let me pray with him. We hope to see each other later this month to meet his wife and kids. Adam is still far from God but at least, I believe, a little closer than the day before.

Will you pray for Adam? He wants to see Jesus. I told him to expect to see Jesus in a dream oh so soon. May it be tonight King Jesus.