If you had caught a glimpse of our animated conversation, you might have wondered what we could possibly be talking about that created such energy and excitement.

He was a twenty-something Amish man and I an old(er!) woman who is … well, something other than Amish. We had never met before. And we knew nothing about each other until, in talking about moving and looking for a new job, he told me he’s not certain where he’s going or what direction his life will be taking. He continued: He is walking by faith, certain only that he is relying on God the Father to direct his path, looking to God as the compass and author of his life’s goals.

BING! We had an immediate and strong connection, because I have been traveling the same path. We are not at the same place on that path, nor do we travel in the same way. But we are on the same path.

In life, we “connect” with many people we meet, for many different reasons. For example, most of those who know me know that I’m a “Maine-iac.” I love to talk and do all things Maine. I admit, it’s a pretty strong compulsion. And when I meet someone else who lives in or travels to Maine, we’ve got a “connection.”

But that connection pales to what I experienced in this conversation. It is rather amazing to me, really, that a young Amish man and I who am SO not-Amish (for all kinds of reasons) would find a thread, a tie, a bond that left us both smiling and feeling inspired.

We have almost nothing in common–except the one most important thing–we draw our life from the same Person. The Spirit of the Lord we follow dwells within.

God planted his Spirit within all those he chose and adopted:

But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

That’s the New Living Translation. The New International Version says we were all given one Spirit to drink.

That was written by the apostle Paul to an early church. He spoke of Jews and Gentiles, slave and free, all being given the same Spirit, being brought into one body.

If we wrote that today, what might we say? Conservatives and liberals, Amish and Catholic, Americans and Chinese? All made children of God and given the Spirit of God.

That short little conversation came at a time when I needed just a little extra push, just a word of encouragement. I’m taking this inspiration as a gift of the Spirit within us both.

Scripture: 1 Co 12:13