Will you make an effort or not?

I've noticed that lately everyone has been talking about the whole 'two degrees of separation' thing. So I found it highly amusing when I sat down on the train and the guy next to me pulled out his bible the same time as I pulled out mine. I couldn't help but laugh and asked him if he was a christian which he answered in a surprised tone that he was. We got talking and it turned out that his father was a pastor at Ranui Baptist. I didn't think anything of it, but we were talking away and we ended up sharing little snippets of our walk with Christ. It was so unbelievably encouraging hearing this 19 year old speak about how he was brought back to God after walking away from him!! I got home and asked my Mum about this family and it turns out that they went to Bible College with my family. Talk about two degrees of separation!!

The point of the story is not that everyone in New Zealand knows everyone else in New Zealand. The point is, is that as i was getting off the train the dialogue went like this:
Me: Oh well, it was awesome meeting you!
Him: Yeah, I'll no doubt see you round.
Me: *laughs* Yeah, maybe.
Him: No, we will.

I stepped off the train completely puzzled by the whole experience. First of all, I knew God had placed him in that train for us to met. It was an earlier train than the one I normally catch and the only reason he caught the train was cause his car had broken down that morning. Second of all, this meeting had encouraged me to step out in my faith. To talk to strangers on the train. Its not like they can go anywhere while your speaking to them! And third of all, what did he mean about 'I'll no doubt see you round."

It suddenly hit me that he meant that we will in fact, as brother and sister in Christ, be spending the rest of eternity together. Then I remembered a conversation I had with God on the train a few days earlier when I saw another man reading his bible. I remember feeling so deflated after realising that I'm going to be spending the rest of forever with this guy in heaven, yet I didn't even know his name!

So lately I've been thinking about how much getting to know someone can actually mean. Whether it's a stranger, a work colleague, a family member, a person who you see everyday but never talk to. Just SOMEONE! Get to know them. Ask them questions that go below the surface. I mean, if they're a christian then your going to be stuck with them forever so you may as well get to know them now! And if they're not a christian yet, then God may have placed you in this position so that one day they WILL declare God's glory for eternity with you. Its up too you... Will you make an effort or not?