Learning the Neighborhood

Hi, folks! I KNOW you're out there, even if you don't comment :)

We've been busy around here this week. It's our last week of school, so we're tying up the loose educational ends, taking final tests, finishing books. I'll be glad when my days are my OWN for a while.

Yesterday Adam, Julia and I took a little side trip to Brushy Mountain Bee Farm. It was a lovely drive, although mapquest took us on a bit of a goose-chase. This farm is a big production, one of the largest sellers of bee equipment in the country, and not too far from us! Adam bought a few necessary items, like materials for making more frames and some beeswax foundation sheets for his frames. Our picky little lady bees DO NOT LIKE the black foundation on some of our frames. Now they will get to nestle down into some real wax.

Anyway, while Adam was picking up his order, I strolled back into the farm store, where we'd examined some fun things like taper candle molds, and mead buckets, and soap making equipment. Adam had placed his order with the woman at the desk. I went to ask for better driving directions back home. And now a young man was sitting behind the desk. It was one of those moments when you begin to speak to a stranger, pause, stare at his face, KNOW that you've seen him before, and can't figure out WHERE. I braked in mid-sentence, and said, "You look SO familiar." He said, "My wife and I sell stuff at the farmer's market in your town." "Ahhh!" I replied. That made sense. I got my directions and said good-bye.

And posted on Facebook that I'd been there.

And a Facebook friend sent me a message and said, "Do you know Eric Brown? He works at Brushy Mtn., keeps bees, has an organic farm, and GOES TO OUR CHURCH." This friend and I are in the same denomination, in sister churches.

And it all clicked. Because (for those of you who are Christians), when I looked in that young man's face, I didn't just see a face I knew I'd seen before, I got a brief spiritual glimpse of a kindred spirit -- a brother in Christ. It was just a whiff, a momentary flash of recognition of something familiar. Have you ever met a stranger for only moments, but felt certain the common bond of faith existed between you? Those are divine appointments.

So, Eric and Melissa, (here's a link to their lovely farm blog) you may not know me yet, but come Saturday morning, I'll be looking you up at the farmer's market! I'm hoping to visit their farm, and maybe arrange the purchase of some grass-fed beef and free-range chicken. Oh, how I'd love to get away from eating Walmart's food altogether!

And I will assume, because God set up that divine appointment, that these are folks in the neighborhood whom He wants me to know.