The conversation about traveling to Japan started decades ago when his best friend for over fifty years asked him to accompany him to Japan. He had always said no, but as the years went by it became evident that the challenges of getting older would limit their ability to travel the world, and the chance may never present itself again, so this time he said, “Yes, I’ll go with you.”
While in Japan he went for a hike and came across a woman on the trail who had taken a spill. A seasoned hiker himself, he had supplies in his pack so he stopped to offer her some first aid. She was not seriously injured.
He told her he was from Florida, USA. She said she was from Holland – not the city, but the country.
When he mentioned having previously hiked the Appalachian Trail, she quickly added that she had just read a book about a guy who had done that. “What is the name of the book you read?” he inquired before continuing, “My wife and I recently wrote a book about my trip.”
“Jingles’ Promise,” she said.
Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a copy of their book!
“This is our book,” he was holding up a copy of Jingles’ Promise. “I am Jingles,” he said smiling. They were both so moved by their having made this connection!
“How did you find out about the book?” he asked.
“A friend from another country in Europe told me about it.”
What are the odds these two individuals — he from Florida and she from Holland — would be hiking at the same time and in the same place in Japan?
They were standing on holy ground. They saw the significance. Even if they had been hiking there at the same time they likely would never have made the connection if she had not taken the spill.
They could both see clearly there is no “chance” experience….
Though he and his wife had done nothing to promote their book, here he was hiking in Japan and meets a woman from Holland — not the city but the country — who had learned about Jingles’ Promise from a friend in another country in Europe.
Amazing….
(ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF JINGLES’ PROMISE WILL BE DONATED TO HELP PEOPLE RECOVERING FROM TRAUMA AND LOSS.)