Its a small world

Yesterday I attended Church as usual.   Small Methodist Church in our community of 1,100 souls.    There are five churches in our town and the percentage of people who do attend church is not high so you can imagine what our membership would be.   We have around 40 active attendees.     Visitors are not common so when we have someone new there we all make an effort to say hello and visit with them.    The couple yesterday were an elderly man and wife who were making their first visit to our church.   They live in Moberly, Mo which is about 70 miles from New Franklin.   They were there to observe our minister who had applied for a scholarship to attend the seminary.    Our minister was talking with them and the older gentleman introduced himself and his wife.   The pastor knew someone would be coming so was not surprised.   

Being a small community church we don't often have new people join our church but we were so fortunate to have a lady who moved to the area visit our church and eventually join.   She has been there a couple of years and we are very blessed to have her.    She moved to New Franklin from somewhere in Texas by way of Columbia.   A friend of theirs knew of someone in our area who was selling some land and they were looking for property to buy to build a new home in the country.   The property was perfect and they made the purchase, built their new home and moved in.  

She was sitting directly in front of the visiting couple and after he and the minister finished their conversation she turned around and introduced herself.  She could hardly talk to him because of her emotions.   Seems her father and this gentleman were best friends years ago and she remembered him and his name.    Neither he or her father had ever been to New Franklin and indeed lived quite a distance from our town.   The last time she had seen him she was a young child.    They talked briefly before the service started and then met after church for a longer visit.   She had pictures of her mother whom he knew well.   It was a joyous reunion.   

It certainly is a very small world.