Today is Monday, October 17th, 2005; Karen's Korner #651

Jim and I are back after parts of eight days in Canada; seeing the sights in Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto. I don't want to impress everyone with the fact that we never miss church; that isn't true. But when we travel, our best memories are oten that of being a guest with some church family somewhere. On Sunday morning, I said to Jim, "I'd like to go to church this morning if we can find one." Sometimes schedules don't match and we don't find one that will work.
 
Do you believe in "God things"? I think what happened to us could qualify!
 
We were traveling from Kingston, Ontario to Quebec. We knew that church time would be some time between 9 and 11. In several small towns, we were too early. So we kept moving. In one bigger town, the church we went by had finished about 25 minutes earlier. Time was starting to get away from us. If we couldn't find a church service at 11 a.m., it would be too late. We were on the outskirts of Ottawa and we spotted a fairly new building on the opposite side of the four-lane highway. It was about 20 minutes until 11. It looked like there were people going in rather than coming out. We would try it! Down the highway, over the over-pass and back to the building. Kanata Wesleyan Church. Two church services - one at 9 and a second one at 11. We were just in time!!
 
When we travel, neither Jim nor I overly dresses up. We dress for all day. He had worn colored jeans and a sport shirt. I had on colored jeans, a turtle neck and sweatshirt. I have lots of sweatshirts, packed 4 for our trip. Might be colder in Canada. I wore the one I had bought when we traveled to New Zealand in February; it says "New Zealand" on the front.
 
It was a good worship service, pretty contemporary. Lots of singing; praise band and song leaders. Overhead projector with messages and songs. After a bit, we were to greet one another. About 350 in that worship service. When we turned to greet the people directly behind us, the older couple said, "New Zealand? Have you traveled their recently?"
 
In February was our response.
 
"We just got back from there," Harriet said. "We haven't been in church here for five weeks. This is our first Sunday back!"
 
Later in the worship service, Jim decided to venture out to our car to get a handful of my latest books to share with Harriet and Derek and with the "visitors' booth" at the back of the sanctuary. Derek, who was one of the ushers, followed him out to the car, chatting as they walked. "Would you like to have lunch with my wife and me?" he asked.
 
Sure, we had to eat anyway. After worship services, Harriet jumps in the car with Jim and me. Hard to find the best eating places in a town of 500,000. Derek meets us at the right place in their vehicle.
 
As we ate, we shared about a lot of different things. Our love for travel was one of them.
 
If you'd like to meet our new friend, Derek, watch "The Price is Right" on Monday, November 21. They had decided since they were traveling through Los Angeles to and from Australia/New Zealand, they just as well get tickets for the show. He was the seventh guy called to "come on down", but didn't bid right to get up on stage. Look for Derek from Ottawa, Canada.
 
Just the right church at the right time? Lively church with lots of worship and praise? Why had I worn that particular sweatshirt? We were sitting right ahead of someone who just returned from New Zealand? With lots of similar interests? Who just happened to want to take us out for lunch? And who is going to be on internationsl television within a month?
 
It's got to be a "God thing"; you just as well be part of a "God thing", too.......tune in!

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