A couple of weeks ago when I stopped at this quaint little diner, I received more than lunch.

To set the scene, I had my phone turned on — something I rarely do in public places. But I was expecting a call, so instead of vibrate, I had the ringer on.

Sure enough, as I was sipping my soup, the phone rang and I noticed a woman on the other side of the diner looking at me. I mouthed “I’m sorry” as I started my conversation, albeit not with the person I was expecting.

As I was eating my sandwich, the phone rang again. The woman again gave me that look and I again apologized at the intrusion. Again, it wasn’t the call I was expecting.

As I was finishing my meal, you guessed it, the phone rang again — an oddity in itself because no one generally calls me, and certainly not three separate calls in the span of a half hour.

This time, the woman came over to the table. I got up to apologize yet again, but she interrupted me. “Every time I heard the phone ring, I thought it was my daughter’s,” she explained.

Well, who knew. It seems this woman’s daughter and I had the same ring tone. But what’s even more odd is it isn’t a run of the mill ring tone. It’s Francesca Battistelli’s If We’re Honest. As she was putting on her gloves she explained the coincidence. Every time the phone rang, it reminded her of her daughter, who coincidentally, was also in the restaurant. She confirmed her mother’s story, then continued by expanding the conversation.

By this time we were sitting at the table over another cup of coffee. Her daughter said she “loved” that song and artist, although she admitted she had moved on to a new ring tone, Battistelli’s Giants Fall.

The conversation continued with the younger woman explaining she was a local youth pastor, with her mom giving her a supportive look. We had a very nice chat about our common appreciation of Battistelli’s music (and other contemporary Christian artists), our life’s journey, the upcoming Christmas season. It all ended in a hug, with the owner/waitress — who joined us at the table as the lunch rush waned.

It was another serendipitous example of people — strangers — communicating and lifting each other up (no prayers offered). It was perhaps just a one time encounter. But it was the highlight of the meal.

And to think, I thought it was just a ringtone.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Betting on the future is both an act of faith and trust.