Chance or Planned?

On a recent trip to the grocery store as I was browsing and in my own little world, I came upon a lady on one of the motorized carts. We exchanged a few words and proceeded on our own way – which happened to be the same direction. So, we continued to chat – stopped in the store trying to stay out of the way of other shoppers. She tells me her husband had passed 3 weeks ago. I convey my condolences and she proceed to tell me she and her husband had arranged to leave their bodies to science. He was in the Korean war and had shrapnel in his body – was told to never have it removed and he wanted his remains to be used to find out what the composition of the shrapnel was and to possibly help others. He was bed ridden for the end and developed bed sores. If there are bed sores on the body – they do not accept the body for research she found out. Being at a loss she didn’t know what to do. Their plan had been to donate their bodies, not bury or cremate them so this was an unexpected outcome. Someone that knew the situation told the owner of a funeral home and the funeral home took care of the body for free.
She continues to tell me she was shopping at a box store and had a cart full of things, some being large items and how a couple helped her load her purchases in the store then in the parking lot into her vehicle. They don’t stop there; they also follow her home and help her get them inside. They leave and later come back with homemade soup for her. I tell her see there is good in the world you just don’t hear about it in the news. She is telling me something and the tears begin to flow. I put my hand on her back and rub her back. She starts apologizing – “I’m sorry.” I tell her she has nothing to be sorry for and lean in and say a little prayer for her. She thanks me. Again, she says “I’m sorry.” I told her she doesn’t have to tell me anything – only if she wants to. She says I want to, I just can’t, still with tears in her eyes. I know she truly wanted to tell me more but couldn’t because of the newness and reality of the situation. I tell her that’s okay too. She gets herself together – at least for the moment and gets in line at the pharmacy. I continue with my shopping.
After I walk away, I’m thinking why am I even on this side of the store. I don’t need anything from this section. As I head to a different area of the store, I realize I wasn’t there for me. I was there for someone else that needed someone to listen, someone that needed to be heard.
Was it by chance I went that direction? I don’t think so, to me it was God’s plan.