“This trail is familiar,” Mike said.

We all agreed. Even though we have only taken our kids to the Smokey Mountain National Park three times, each time we ended up taking the exact same trail! We had wanted to explore a new area, but God had a reason for our collective forgetfulness.
After some time, we noticed a knot of hikers halted on the trail ahead, pointing into the woods and taking pictures. Soon, we saw them, too, a mother black bear and her two cubs.

We were about to join the group and as we approached the family on our end, their little girl asked, “Is it a panda, Mommy?”

“Are you from China?” I asked.

They were and I was able to hand them a Chinese Four Spiritual Laws. They were as amazed as we were! God arranged for us to be on that trail, for me to have a Chinese tract, and for them to travel halfway around the world to meet us on a remote trail in Tennessee!

Surrounded by the beauty of God’s handiwork, the trees, the bears, and eventually, the waterfall, did not compare to the thrill of seeing His hand touching this little family with the Good News of His love and forgiveness!

The Lord often brings us together with individuals by design. We might view these as chance encounters, but they are “divine appointments.”