Flat Batteries, God- Coincidences, and the People Who Enter Your Life

Back in 2008, in the quiet countryside of New Zealand, something unusual happened—three weekends in a row, my car battery went flat. Three times! What were the chances??

But as fate would have it, this ‘inconvenience’ led me to meet Ali and Sue Nicholls. Not only was Ali the local AA man, but he was also the pastor at the church in St. Arnaud.?

What started as a simple car problem ended up being the spark that reignited my journey back to Christianity.

Fast forward 26 years, and here we are in Romania, parked by the stunning Lake Surduc for a three-day break. On the first night, I forgot to turn off the inverter. The next morning, our battery was as flat as a pancake. Not even a flicker of life

I walked to the nearby farm, carrying jumper leads in hand, hoping for a little help. That’s when I met Cornel, a local farmer with surprisingly good English. As if by some cosmic joke, as Cornel came to help, his car sputtered to a stop too.?

He called his friend Florian, who showed up with a smile, and we all shared a laugh at the situation. Florian got Cornel’s car started, but our battery wouldn’t budge—it was beyond hope.

Off they went, on a mission to find us a new battery. And within a few hours, they returned with a heavy-duty replacement—just ￡66, and they made it seem like a fun adventure! With smiles on their faces and a twinkle in their eyes, they made the entire situation feel less like a problem and more like a story worth telling.

Needless to say,?

we’ll never leave the inverter on again.?

We’ll never leave the inverter on again.?

We’ll never leave the inverter on again.?

Got it? Yep, we definitely do.

ANOTHER? POLICEMAN? STORY

But here’s the twist—Florian turned out to be a policeman! Who would’ve thought? The universe, once again, had orchestrated a perfect meeting.?

As we shared stories, hours passed, as we reminisced on our policing days.? ?

Florian left, and a couple of ours later he returned with his wife, Jeni. They brought with them a basket overflowing with hand-picked treasures—whiskey, preserves, and homemade treats. Their generosity was overwhelming, and it felt like something beyond coincidence had brought us all together.

The next morning, they returned for morning tea, and Jeni, with her kind heart, brought another basket of goodies. She gifted Janelle a beautiful Romanian table runner, made by her grandmother—a precious keepsake, bursting with history and love. We were beyond touched.

We had little to offer in return, but we gave them each a silver Kiwi keyring, a token from our homeland. It seemed small in comparison to their gifts, but they loved it nonetheless.

And so, once again, a flat battery brought us more than just a solution to a car problem. It brought us new friends, unexpected kindness, and a deep reminder of how the universe, or perhaps something even greater, has a way of bringing the right people into your life at just the right moment.

I can’t help but wonder—where will our next flat battery lead us, and who will it bring into our lives?