John 4:39-42

As we can see here, this Samaritan woman’s testimony is quite persuasive, and many from the village come out to see Jesus. I am so struck by the contrast: the Samaritans beg Him to stay, whereas in many other Jewish towns, they ran Him out and even tried to kill Him. That is how welcoming the truth is to some and how offensive it is to others.

One simple, out-of-the-norm conversation led to an entire town welcoming the Good News and believing in Jesus.

I have found that it is often those seemingly accidental—and at times inopportune—conversations that lead to incredible things.

On one occasion, I was flying out to a golf event, and they provided me with a first-class ticket—a rare treat. I had a book I had been meaning to dive into, and this trip was giving me the perfect opportunity to do so… or so I thought. God had other plans.

As I found my seat, I noticed I was sitting next to a young teenage girl traveling alone. “No big deal,” I thought to myself. I sat down, got my things settled, exchanged a few pleasantries, and reached for my book. Little did I know, I was sitting next to a girl with an insatiable need to talk ?. Do you know any of those?

I politely listened for a few minutes while looking for an exit from the conversation. When I finally thought I had found it, I grabbed my book from the seat pocket in front of me and began to read. That didn’t last long. She was especially chatty.

After about the third interruption, it dawned on me that God wanted me to speak with this girl. Begrudgingly, I tucked my book back into the seat pocket—somehow knowing it wasn’t coming back out—and turned my full attention to her.

Our conversation, which lasted for hours, resulted in her receiving the Lord by the end of the flight. I will never forget it. We exchanged addresses, and wouldn’t you know it—I received a Christmas card from her that year with the most beautiful note, sharing that she still loved the Lord and was serving Him.

You never know who God will bring across your path. We must be open to these heavenly disruptions, for God is inviting us to be part of His redemptive work in people’s lives. There is no better activity to be involved in, for “he who is wise wins souls” (Proverbs 11:30).