On the Plane back from Marseille

Chris writes:

Toni mentioned a while ago that I had something to blog about our return journey, so here it is at last:

On the way back from Marseilles Toni & I were unable to sit together on the plane & I ended up sitting between 2 women who were both traveling alone. Shortly after take off we went through a very bumpy patch & it became clear that the young woman on my left was feeling rather nervous. I spoke reassuringly to her but things didn’t improve so I closed my book & turned to her to initiate a conversation in the hope of distracting her from her anxiety.

I initially asked her why she had been in Marseille & after a while she asked me the same thing so I told her about visiting Martin & Jenny. We chatted for a while then there was a lull in the conversation during which the woman on my right turned to me & said ‘Excuse me, I couldn’t help hearing what you were saying, I think I know those people!’

Amazingly it turned out that she did! Her children were about the same age as Amy & had been at the same school as Martin & Jenny’s children when they first moved out there. After M & J’s children moved school’s she had lost touch with Jenny. She had expected to run into her sometime but never had.

This woman was English married to a Frenchman & had lived in France for 15 years. She actually lives in L’Estaque, quite close to the church building. She was traveling back to England to be with her parents because her dad was dying. She was obviously pretty upset so I told her very briefly about Sarah so that she could see that I was able to sympathise as one who has experienced grief. Over a period of time I told her I was a Christian & we talked a bit about the ‘afterlife’. I asked how she would feel about Jennie getting in contact with her & she said she would be happy for that, so she gave me her ‘phone number.

By the end of the plane journey all 3 of us were chatting like old friends!

This all feels far too much of a co-incidence not to have had God’s hand involved. It seems to me amazing that there should be anyone on the plane at all who knew Martin & Jenny, & the odds of me sitting next to them can’t have been very high. Even then I could have sat next to her all the way home without finding out she knew M&J if I hadn’t initiated the conversation with the other woman in order to distract her from her fear!

I pray that God will continue to work in this woman’s life to reveal himself to her, & that Jenny will be guided by the Holy Spirit as she reaches out to her.

Chris