Miracle of Miracles...

So I have the most amazing story to share. I have never been so sure of God’s involvement in “divine appointments”, as some might say. In fact, I have often actually been somewhat skeptical of calling certain coincidences “divine”, not wanting to over-spiritualize reality, but this time there is no doubt in my mind.
When I was in St. Petersburg two years ago my team and I went exploring at a park just outside the city. We were goofing around, getting out some excess energy (of which I have a lot!), and not acting very Russian at allJ An older woman approached us with a kind of a sense of awe and asked us in English why we had so much joy. We stopped to talk with her and she proceeded to pour out her life story, how she had come to Russia with her husband after spending some time in England and now her husband had died and how much she hated life in Russia. She said over and over again that people were evil and she saw no joy in them, and that is why she was so thankful to have met us; it gave her hope. We found out too that she was a Christian and so we prayed with her, got her address, and promised to write. We knew at that time that that had been somewhat of a divine appointment and that God had shown himself through us to bless someone.
I actually did write to Aline and we corresponded for a while, but one time, I never heard back from her, figuring that things had gotten lost in the mail or that she had moved, and so I stopped writing. However I didn’t forget her, and I brought her address along, intending to write her and try the address again, hoping that somehow she may still be here and I would be able to see her again. Yesterday, I wrote on my “to do” list to write Aline, but time got away from me, and I didn’t get a letter in the mail.
This morning my team decided to go to an Anglican church in the city. One of my team members had connections with one of the people involved at this church and he had told them that we would come check out the church, and so we did. It was a smallish congregation, as most churches in St. Petersburg are, and the people were so kind and welcoming. Towards the end of the service, the pastor announced that we were going to have a special song sung by someone in the congregation, so we waited as this older woman came to the front and started singing. She had a bit of a rough start and was so embarrassed, but finally gained composure and sang this song straight from her heart.
As I was sitting there listening to her pour out her heart, I did a double take. This woman looked familiar, where had I seen her before? Why would I recognize someone at an Anglican church in St. Petersburg? There are over five million people in this city! I continued to study her face, could it be her? Could this woman be Aline? I disregarded that thought as impossible, no way… but wait… I tried to bring to mind the picture of her with her funny little hat hugging Paul and Nick, with a huge smile on her face. I tried to put that hat (from the picture) on this woman… it had to be… could it be?!! My heart started pounding and my heart weld up inside me.
After the service I knew I had to go ask this woman her name, so I went up to her and started talking, first telling her that her song was just beautiful, yada, yada, yada, and then asked her name. “Aline,” she said, “what’s your’s dear?” My smile could not get any bigger and my excitement could hardly be contained. I pulled up a chair next to her and began to explain who I was. I was Emily, did she remember meeting some crazy kids in a park two summers ago and writing to some of us? Did she remember us? It took a while, but then she remembered! “Ah yes, two boys and six girls! You were beautiful people!” She asked me their names again, I replied, “Paul, Nick, Stephanie…” She interrupted me, “Paul… big guy,” she said motioning his height with her hands and a huge grin on her face, “oh yes, he was so wonderful, and Nicolas… yes, I remember, I remember.” She clasped my hands, “Oh Emily, you are here and you remembered me! Oh you are so beautiful, such a beautiful smile, you are so different from this culture, thank you.”
We went downstairs to get tea and goodies and talked for a while. She continued to share with me how miserable she was here and how much she wanted to leave. She gave me her address and phone number and I gave her mine, and I will be visiting her. She is a sad and lonely woman, and I know that it is absolutely no mistake that I am here to love her in however I can. Pray for Aline if you have a chance. And pray that I am able to keep my word and that somehow bring some light and joy into her life. Pray that I continue to thank God for this incredible “divine appointment” and that I will not forget his faithfulness to any of his children. To God be the glory, forever and ever, AMEN!!