One evening last week or was it the week before, can’t remember, anyway, I was walking through my neighborhood by myself, as I often do at least three times a week. I walk for at least 45 minutes to an hour. It is my thinking time. My unwinding time. My time with God and with myself.
I passed a man and, as is the norm, he said, “Good evening.”
“Good evening,” I replied, and kept walking.
But then something happened.
It was as if my reptilian mind, that ancient, instinctive part of the brain, woke up abruptly and suddenly. A quiet alarm bell rang. I knew that face.
I stopped mid-step and turned around.
I called him by name. Surname first and then first name. He stopped mid-stride. He looked at me, paused for half a second, and said, “I knew I knew your face!”
We have known each other since we were six years old. Six. The age of scraped knees, primary school uniforms, and a world still small enough to understand. I had not seen him since we were teenagers. God knows how long that is now. Wow.
And yet there we were, standing on the sidewalk as if time had politely stepped aside to let us speak. We talked for ages.
What made it even stranger, or perhaps more beautiful, was this: he does not live in my neighborhood anymore. He doesn’t even live in the country. He was just visiting family. And at that very moment, he had turned back to the car to retrieve something. He said his laptop bag.
If he had not forgotten that item…
If I had walked five minutes earlier…
If either of us had been distracted by a phone call…
Right moment.
The following morning, I walked into my insurance company. I greeted the receptionist, told her what I was there to do. She sent me to see the representative I needed. I turned and I walked into a friend I had not seen since COVID.
Just like that.
No buildup. No planning. No “we must link up soon.” Just life placing us in the same square of space at the same second. And we began talking as though we had seen each other yesterday. Most of the conversation was about our children, because that is what time does. It changes the details but not the connection. Again, right moment.
Two days. Two unexpected reunions. Two reminders that life is rarely as random as we think. It made me reflect on the phrases we casually throw around:
“Right place, right time.”
“Wrong place, wrong time.”
But what if those phrases are our limited language and brain trying to explain something far more intricate?
Do we simply collide with people by accident?
Are we merely moving particles in a vast universe of coincidence?
Or is there an unseen choreography to our lives, subtle, quiet, deliberate?
I am not sure I have the answer.
What I do know is this: there is something deeply humbling about realizing that a missed turn, a forgotten item, or a delayed errand can align two lives again.
Serendipity feels light and accidental on the surface. But sometimes it feels sacred.
Perhaps life is both, structured and spontaneous. Perhaps God allows just enough mystery so that we remain aware, awake, and grateful. Perhaps some meetings are simply reminders: you are connected, your story is intertwined with others, and time does not erase what was real.
Or perhaps it is all preordained.
I don’t know.
But I am paying closer attention now.
Because if life is quietly arranging encounters, I do not want to rush past them.
And if it is coincidence, then it is the most beautiful kind.
Either way, I am grateful for the right moments.
They feel like small whispers from eternity.
I genuinely want to know your thoughts, and I’m sure others do too. Feel free to comment 👍🏽, but if you’re not comfortable sharing, please reach out to me through any medium. I’d be thrilled if you could share something, anything, and let others know. Your comments help me understand your perspective and often present a completely different view on the topic. They could even inspire another blog. 😉 And you never know how your comment might benefit others. Remember, life is meant to be lived, and you should always strive to live your best life. #lifeisforliving #liveyourbestlife #gratefulforlife #faithgreaterthanfear
See you next Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., Bogotá time.