I was disappointed when our church canceled its river outing, so my dad suggested that we go anyway. We drove to a friend’s house to invite him to go with us, but he couldn’t go. However, my dad’s friend asked us to invite a friend who was visiting him. “His name is José,” my dad’s friend said. “And he’s having a rough time.”

Unexpected Encounter

Dad spoke to José, and the man’s face brightened. Dad motioned for me to come over and said that José would take us to the river in his truck. I had wanted to spend time alone with Dad, but I followed him to José’s truck for the ride to the river.

At the river we had a great time playing tag in the water. Then Dad saw José leave the water and sit down on the river-bank. Dad signaled to me that he was going to talk to José. “Stay near the shore,” he warned me. I watched Dad sit by José, and the two started talking. It looked pretty intense. I wasn’t having much fun alone, so I left the river and joined my dad and José.

Surprise Story

“When my wife left,” José said, “I just gave up. I was saying goodbye to my friends when you drove in. I was going to kill myself.” José’s words stunned me. No wonder he looks so sad, I thought.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you this,” José said. “But something’s different about you. I know that you’re a Christian, so I can tell you these things.”

Dad nodded, and I knew he was praying as he listened to José. I prayed in my heart too. Then Dad said, “José, I think our meeting today was no accident. God impressed me to visit my friend’s house because He knew you’d be there.” José nodded and sat for a while thinking.

Dad urged José not to give in to the devil’s suggestion. “It’s not God’s plan for you to die,” he added. “God wants you to give your life to Him.”

José said that he would let God have a chance in his life. Then Dad asked me to join them for prayer together. After we prayed, José’s face changed. It showed hope and peace.

As we rode back to our friend’s home, I remembered that I hadn’t wanted to include a stranger in our plans for that day. But I know now that meeting José was God’s plan—a divine appointment, Dad would call it. I asked God to help me recognize His divine appointments in my life and to make me more like my father, fearless to share God’s love with others.

Boys and girls, we don’t know when someone is having a tough time. But God knows, and sometimes He will ask us to speak to someone about God’s love. So listen for God’s voice and try to be aware that this might be God’s divine appointment.