A stop at a bathroom during today's errand excursion left Cindy alone for a few moments. Those of you who know Cindy know that pink and frilly things often catch her eye, and by the time I exited the bathroom, I found Cindy exclaiming joyously over a pink shawl she found in a recycled kimono shop. In just a few moments, the two shopkeepers were digging through discount bins with us, pulling out dazzling red silks and pink kimono jackets. The general upheaval seemed to attract attention, and soon I found myself conversing with a little old lady about everything from music, her relatives, life in Fukushima, etc. Cindy, seeing the red silk, gave an entire discourse on Jesus and the meaning of Christmas. :) We spent a good half hour chatting, enjoying the silk, and discussing "dressing up" with a gathering of ladies who were wandering by and who stopped to enjoy the spectacle two foreigners were making in the kimono shop. :)
We left with a shocking amount of silk for about seven dollars, but our laughter and smiles on the way home were more from the conversations had in the shop than from the good bargains. We were invited to stop by and visit the shop again whenever we were wearing our Japanese attire, and Cindy promised to bring flyers for things happening at church that the ladies could join.
A few weeks ago, when we went wandering, we got into a discussion about who the true God might be with a shopkeeper selling mountain vegetables. Today felt a little bit like that--and I raise my eyebrows up to the sky and grin at some of God's "chance" encounters.
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