Curtis Klingle

Preordination

A few mornings ago, I stopped by a local restaurant to grab some breakfast. Another man pulled into the parking lot alongside me, and we both noted that the manager had yet to unlock the door. We struck up a conversation while we waited and as we talked, I quickly realized that I was playing a role in yet another of God’s preordained meetings.

The manager opened the door a few minutes later and we went inside. This man, Glen, was waiting on a friend that he usually met with on Wednesdays at the restaurant. Because his friend had not arrived, I asked if I could join him. Whether I was an initial imposition or not, Glen never let on.

Glen and I spent the next hour talking about his life and his spiritual journey. He spoke about his lack of spirituality when he was a younger man, and how he did not have a relationship with God during those years. He told me of the resulting effects of that deficiency and the pain it caused him. He looked intently at me and informed me that in those days he was also very racist, and he would have never given a “white” man the time of day, much less have breakfast with one. We both smiled at this confession. I responded by informing him that I never thought of myself as being “white” seeing that I am Scot Irish. I added that my ancestors were usually thought of as being much less than other peoples. In fact, there was a time when the Irish were referred to with ethnic pejoratives such as, “an Irishman is nothing more than a black man turned inside out.” That elicited a chuckle from us both. Glen added that at that rebellious stage in his life he often got into trouble, thus, he didn’t care for the police very much. I started smiling and looked down at my uniform, and then looked up again to meet Glen’s eyes, and with a grin I added, “Well we have something else in common; I really didn’t like most cops either.” Of course, we both got a good laugh from my own confession.

Glenn told me of violent crimes he had committed and the fact that he even ended up doing a bit of time in prison for them. While I listened to his descriptions of all of these events, I noted how these things seemed so contradictory to the gentle and obviously sensitive man that sat before me. 

He spoke of his recent battle with that formidable foe: cancer.  I watched his eyes begin to glisten as he told me of his relationship with Jesus, and it was He that had taken care of him throughout his life and had brought about the recent healing in his body from that horrid disease. His words were heavily laced with emotion and the depth of his faith was evident to me. He talked of the richness of his relationships with his family, with friends, and coworkers, but especially that relationship he shared with his wife. His love for her shined through every word he uttered in his description and appreciation for her. As luck would have it, his wife, as though experiencing some sort of extra sensory perception, rang his phone while he was speaking of her. He answered the call, and she inquired about his morning, knowing he had gone into town to have a cup of coffee. I watched a smile begin to illuminate his face as he responded to her, “I’m talking with my new friend Curtis.” She, apparently, not wanting to interrupt, excused herself. They exchanged goodbyes and I heard him tell her, “I love you.”

As he ended the call, he returned to describing his love, devotion, and gratefulness for his wife, and those others that love him. He said, “My relationship with Jesus has changed my life so much. I find what I really want to do in this life, is to love. I want to love and to help people.” I felt my own eyes begin to moisten as the sincerity and emotion of those words filled my heart with warmth. There is no greater joy than to be in the presence of love.

We talked for a bit more, but I had to bring our meeting to a close. I told him I must bid him farewell and return to my duties. We both agreed that our chance meeting was not chance at all; our breakfast together had been orchestrated by the One that loves us both.

Glen needed a conversation of love and encouragement that morning. Unbeknownst to me, I needed the same. What are the odds of two strangers meeting at 5AM in the parking lot of a restaurant and having such an intimate conversation? I firmly believe that these interactions that we experience from time to time are preordained. I have also noted that they become much more frequent if I am walking with Him and expectant of these encounters. I am coming to believe that we really never meet a stranger if we are filled with love. Love is like a radar beacon, and it is constantly scanning for its own likeness. If we are walking with Christ, we cannot help but exude His spirit everywhere we go. This love affects everything we do and everyone we interact with. It can and does open a door into another person’s heart. I shake my head and feel a smile begin to appear on my face. I muse at myself because I am actually surprised when I encounter these moments.

As that Quaker missionary of old, Stephen Grellet declared,

“I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”

I too try to live my life in such a manner, always expectant of His preordained encounters.

C. Klingle