A "random" encounter I don't want to forget...

It was the Saturday after New Year's and we were visiting family in Nashville.

That evening we had plans to go to a winery to celebrate my oldest brother, Brian's 50th birthday.

A winery entailed a couple cocktails, so my sister suggested using Uber. Similar to a taxi service, but individuals (aka: drivers) use their own vehicles and evidently it is WAY cheaper than a taxi. Sound good to me.

The drivers that pick you up are at random.

Dominick and his sweet smile picked us up outside Renee's home. 

We made some small talk and found out that he was from Rwanda, a relatively small country in East-Central Africa. He came to the states in 2007 to pursue a degree. Now he is working 2 jobs to pay off said degree.

I was happy to hear one of his brother's lives with him, but he has not been able to go back to see the rest of his family due to costs. He wants to make a life for himself here, he said. Conditions in Rwanda are too unstable and so much more safe here.

Something I cannot totally wrap my mind around. Making the decision to move half way across the world, alone, knowing you may not ever return because life will be better... So easy for us to forget the freedoms and liberties that protect us in our great country.

He dropped us off at City Winery and that was that.

Well, we thought that was that.

Until we reached out to Uber for a ride back home and guess who got selected randomly once again???

You guessed it.  Dominick!

On this ride, Scott & I opted to share with Dominick about our story a little. And told him that we were in the process of adopting 2 little boys from Ghana.

He smiled.

He asked if we looked into vaccinations as there are many too consider. Further saying we would want to protect ourselves. And then almost as if something in him told him to stop. He immediately said, "But you do not have to worry about any of that. God will protect you. What you are doing, he will surely be with you."

So. Very. Sweet. 

He went on to say that he thought it was wonderful what we were doing...giving 2 boys an opportunity to life that would not be possible where they are at currently.

The conversation was warm. Was encouraging. Was random. Yet, not random at all.

Thank you Lord, for the way you place individuals in our paths at the most unexpected times to remind us how small this big world really is.