I want to share a story that I cannot stop thinking about.
It’s a story about encouragement, the power of spontaneity, and what can happen when we truly allow divine promptings to guide our thoughts and actions.
West Edmonton Mall 2008
Now, picture this: Christmas Eve at West Edmonton Mall, 2008. The mall was filled with the regular hustle and bustle of the place plus the sound of sea lions, screaming kids, and me, playing Christmas carols for the crowds of shoppers. Back then I was still paying my musical dues, and while I was grateful for the gig it was not my ideal way to spend Christmas Eve.
My piano playing caught the attention of a man named Chris, who stopped to listen. He came up to talk to me during a break. People always like to talk to me (I don’t know why either), so that was nothing out of the ordinary. It turned out he was from out East but had found work in Alberta in the oil patch. He was away from family this particular Christmas and was obviously feeling lonely. He told me he liked my music and that he played some guitar himself. A really nice guy, and my heart went out to him.
As we were talking, I had a thought and didn’t hesitate about acting on it. “Hey, why don’t you come to my Christmas Eve party tonight?” I offered. Chris, taken aback, hesitated for a moment before accepting. When my Christmas carol set was over, we headed back to my house for the festivities. Laughter echoed, conversations, food, and drink flowed, and the warmth of the season was felt by all of us.
Around midnight, as the party began to wind down, my wife Darlene prepared a little bag of Christmas goodies for Chris to enjoy the next morning. I drove him back to his hotel, the Travel Lodge on Calgary Trail South. During that ride, we shared stories and bonded over music. He thanked me for the invite and I told him it had truly been my pleasure. We wished each other a heartfelt “Merry Christmas” before parting ways. And that was it.
Charlottetown 2023
Fast forward to now, 2023, during a holiday that my wife Darlene I took in September. One morning we had breakfast in Charlottetown and there were some street musicians playing as we ate. I didn’t care for all of them (street musicians can be annoying, ok?) but there was one guy playing some great East Coast music about halfway down the street, and I stopped to talk to him.
Like all street musicians, he had a cool story. It turned out he was a big part of making it possible for musicians to gig on the streets of Charlottetown. He also had a hat company he was very passionate about. We had a great conversation and I asked if he would mind if I posted about him on Instagram. So I took some video of him playing, I put a little Instagram thing out there and tagged him and just said, “hey everyone, if you ever need a hat or you want to hear some cool music from the East Coast, connect with this guy.” I told him I really appreciated what he was doing and we went our separate ways. He sent me a note on Instagram a little while later thanking me for the tag. I thought that was the end of it.
Until a few days ago, when I was at home sitting on my couch at 9:57 at night about to watch a movie with my son. I suddenly got a feeling. A hunch. I messaged him back on Instagram where we had been chatting. I said “Hey Chris!” (Did I mention his name was Chris?) And I told him I had a weird question for him. He said “Yeah, shoot.” So, I asked him if he had ever worked in Alberta. Yes, actually, he had. It was a long time ago though. In 2008. Why? I asked him if it was in the winter? Also yes. Did you go to someone’s house for Christmas Eve?
He said, “No way dude. Was that you? The guy from the mall?” I told him that yes, I was in fact that guy from the mall.
We both started giving details to the other person about that night. In case there was in fact some other mall guy from Alberta in 2008 and I wasn’t the right one. I confirmed I drove him back to his hotel when the evening was over. He confirmed he enjoyed Darlene’s bag of Christmas treats the next day. There was no question. Both of our minds were blown. The only musician I speak to in Charlottetown is the same guy that was at my Christmas Eve party. 15 years earlier!
This could be such a great story about coincidence to tell at parties. But I actually believe it is so much more than that. Chris and I were put into each other’s lives at these two points in time for a very good reason. For me, our meeting was a lesson in the power of encouragement. I was not having a very good time that Christmas Eve and Chris coming up to tell me he appreciated my music as a fellow musician made grinding my way through that evening that much easier. I knew firsthand how much a compliment from a stranger can lift someone’s spirit, and so I encouraged that guitar player in Charlottetown the same way a stranger once encouraged me. The fact that it turned out to be the very same stranger felt like confirmation that this is indeed how we should treat each other.
I think that Chris was affected even more deeply than I was by this whole experience. He told me that after that night, he regretted not getting my information so he could reach out to me later. He told me that being invited to our party felt like God taking care of him. That Christmas had felt so lonely, and he wanted me to know that the impact of a stranger reaching out like that had been so huge. He was grateful to get this crazy chance to tell me these things that he had carried for so long. Like I said, our minds were blown.
This experience has made me even more certain that it is important to be open to divine promptings in everyday interactions. It would have been so easy for me to thank Chris for his encouragement and go home to my friends and family by myself that night. It would also have been easy for Chris to say no to an invitation from a total stranger on Christmas Eve. And I could have walked right past Chris that day in Charlottetown or ignored the nudge to contact him again out of fear of embarrassment if I was wrong. Both of us listened to our gut feelings instead of doing the logical thing. In so doing, we allowed God to bless the other through us. This is so powerful.
In my morning reflections, I now include a desire to let the day unfold as God wants it to no matter what I have planned. I am trying to cultivate a heightened sensitivity to these moments when God calls me to step outside my comfort zone and reach out to a stranger in a way that the world might think strange. You really never know when a small act or word of encouragement will have the power to deeply change someone’s day or even life, and that is no longer just a platitude for me. I have lived it! And God graciously allowed me to see it through full circle, 15 years later.
My point is when you have the chance to lift someone’s spirits with a kind word or gesture, do it. You never know how that moment of kindness might come back around in the most unexpected and life-giving way. Because as Chris and I learned, the world is a smaller, warmer place when we go out of our way to make connections and share a little bit of ourselves with others.