Monday, August 16, 2010

"God-incidences"

"What a coincidence!" We exclaim easily and readily when discovering that a co-worker was born in our hometown, or a neighbor shares the same birthday as ours, or a long-lost friend turns up at an event we are attending. Coincidences are, for the most part, fortunate occasions, ones that precipitate conversation, interaction, and leave us feeling we now know the other person involved in it better than ever before.

While we know that all our comings and goings are in the hands of our God, there are some coincidences that propel us toward a new and unexpected experience that will change our lives for the better. These, I like to call "God-incidences". I learned this phrase years ago from a wonderful church secretary at my previous home of worship and it struck me powerfully then and continues to do so. In fact, I now see all coincidences, large and small, as witness to His great love for us.

My latest "God-incidence" happened when I was praying for and communicating over Facebook with a good friend whose air-conditioning unit was on the blink and there wasn't money to fix it. When my friend and her husband successfully resuscitated the unit, she e-mailed me; my response was "Alleluia and Amen!" (You would respond this way, too, if you were living in "Hotlanta" where we haven't seen below 90 in weeks!). She posted back: "Did you know I always end my prayers with 'Amen. Alleluia'?" I was floored; no, I had no idea, but God certainly did, and this exchange has brought us even closer in our friendship.
Though this might seem like one of the small "God-incidences" that happen, it doesn't make it any less meaningful.

This does bring me, however, to want to share with you what I consider to be one of the largest "God-incidences" in my life: finding Danny. Yes, we "met" on E-Harmony, I having joined on a dare, and for him, as, what he imagined then, a last ditch effort, but we were, most definitely, brought together by God. This became more and more obvious to me as our relationship grew in love and as I watched other friends who tried E-Harmony becoming more and more frustrated with dead end "matches". As we learned later from each other, Danny and I did not take more than a passing interest in any of the other candidates and focused on each other almost immediately and within a very short window of opportunity. We had our first "live" date on October 18, 2003, and were married on April 2, 2005. Every day we have shared, whether rough or smooth, has been an infinite blessing to both of us. How else could I, living then in Norcross, meet a man living in Kennesaw unless God's intentions were in it?

Take a moment today to think about the many blessings you have experienced over the years. Were the people you met, the places you traveled, the career you chose, the person you married coincidences or "God-incidences"? When Jesus is Lord of your life and your will is to do the will of God, there are miracles around every corner. Don't miss out on your next "God-incident"!

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