Where is the strangest place you have ever met a life-long friend? You never know when just a simple act of kindness can turn around and bless you back for many years to come.
It was lunchtime one day in January of 1998, and my toddler daughter and pre-school son were whooping it up at the local McDonald's Playplace. We were with several other moms and tots on a weekly play-date. Of course, this was before McDonalds served salads and whole pieces of chicken, so we suffered through greasy burgers and "pieces parts" chicken nuggets with our kids. But children love chicken nuggets and french fries, and of course the little toys that come with it. So we moms sacrificed cuisine for the hope of long naps by kids who had played well and eaten enough.
Another mom was there with her two kids as well. No one knew her, but it became clear that she was interested in breaking in to our conversation. We soon learned that her family had moved into their new home on the day of a historic Detroit-area blizzard, her husband was busy with his new job, and she was looking for things to do with her kids during the endless freezing-cold Michigan days. We chatted, exchanged phone numbers, and encouraged her to call if she needed anything. That evening I shocked not only this husband and wife, but myself, by actually calling and inviting them over.
Fast-forward 10+ years, and the Johnson and McGonigal families are still -- despite job transfers that have moved both families around -- the dearest of friends. Mrs. Johnson and I have been key players in each others' spiritual growth; Mr. Johnson and my husband hash through work issues frequently over the phone . . . that is, when they are not talking sports! My son counts their son as a best friend, and the same goes for our daughters.
From their current home over 1,000 miles away, the Johnsons are coming next week to visit, and we can't wait. What began as a drop of friendliness has grown to an ocean of love between two families who are like family to each other.
You just can't possibly know what the Lord might want to use your smile for today. You could completely change the course of someone's life, or just their afternoon. You may just reap the reward of a lasting friendship. I dare you to try it!
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1 comment:
It was so great that you took the chance to invite those folks to your home. We moved to California a few years back and did not know a soul. The folks out there were so friendly, they invited us in their circles immediately. It meant everything to my family.
It's a bit harder on the East Coast to make those kinds of connections with strangers. Thanks for reminding me how important it is to connect with new families.
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