Couple's daily calendar open for 'divine appointments'

They were in awe of the unexpected meeting. There stood the young woman they had lost contact with for almost a year, one the couple had thought of often.

For Lyle and Fran Cornish it was another “divine appointment” — an event that is never written on their daily calendar.

“In the morning each day we pray for a ‘divine appointment’ and that we’ll be open,” comments Fran thoughtfully. “Sometimes we’re so busy in our day that we can miss them.”

The retired Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) financial specialist and husband Lyle, a Vietnam Navy veteran, believe these heaven-assigned engagements can be as simple as answering a friend’s spontaneous plea for coffee and a listening ear — even when their day is filled to the brim. Or it could be as significant as the time they happened upon an acquaintance outside Trios hospital, a woman who had just received disheartening news. Their comfort came at the perfect time.

The Kennewick couple’s spontaneous encounters could fill a yearly planner. Each day they live purposefully, believing the people who cross their paths are there for a reason. One that stands out was a 2011 “divine appointment” that came full circle.

Her name was Crystal, a server at a local restaurant. She had caught Lyle and Fran’s attention when their church dinner group paused to say the blessing before the meal.

“When we prayed, the waitress bowed her head,” Fran remembers the young woman tableside. “Later, Crystal and Lyle started bantering and she said she’d just moved over here from the west side of the state.”

About two weeks passed and the couple intentionally went back to the same restaurant, hoping to connect with Crystal again. This time she wasn’t their server, but she stopped by their table with words that spoke volumes.

“I’ve wanted to get my son into church,” Lyle and Fran recall her saying. “Just talking with you guys made me realize I need to go.”

Their initial “divine appointment” had made a difference. Naturally, the two invited Crystal to their South Hills church and gave their telephone number.

“We told her that we would be watching for her and prayed that she would show up,” Lyle says about their promise to Crystal.

Months passed. No sighting. No phone call.

Still, the couple continued to pray that God would bless their new acquaintance. Then one evening in late January 2012, something happened that still makes them shake their heads in wonder.

A dinner out with friends brought them to a different restaurant. Much to their dismay the steaks they had ordered were so rare Fran and Lyle had to send them back – something they never do.

Later in the meal, the manager stopped by their table to ask if all was well. As Lyle and Fran glanced up at the young woman there was brief conversation – and then the moment of recognition.

“She responded with, ‘Lyle and Fran!’” the two remember their surprise at seeing Crystal and learning she was now faithfully attending a church, something she credited to them. “And if we wouldn’t have had issues with our steaks,” the couple says, “she never would have come to our table!”

Scheduled to work in the back office, the overwhelmed floor manager had called upon Crystal for help – and it just happened to be in Lyle and Fran’s section of the restaurant.

For this couple, it was another “divine appointment” booked on their calendar – and one forever written on their hearts.

Lucy Note: And how do you think I stumbled upon this story? It was another of Fran Cornish's “divine appointments” one morning at a local coffee shop.

If you have a story idea for Light Notes, email lluginbill@tricityherald.com. Follow Lucy on Twitter @LucyLuginbill

This story was originally published September 21, 2014 at 6:45 AM with the headline "Couple's daily calendar open for 'divine appointments'."