More Than a Coincidence

A couple of days ago I posted about “remembering”. In the final paragraph of that post, I spoke about Christ’s words at the Last Supper from Luke 22:19: “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE of me."

COINCIDENCE: a remarkable concurrence of circumstances without apparent causal connection; providence, happenstance.

Here’s why the word COINCIDENCE is my word for today. After I had my “remembering” blog ready to post the next morning, Mom, who is busy going through family pictures to sort out which one of us she wants certain photos to go to, pulled out this photo for me. Imagine my joy and delight. Those are my two when Ryan was three and Staci was six months old. As precious as that photo is – take a look at the words on the pulpit behind them “Do this in remembrance of me.” What an absolute confirmation of how Holy Spirit is so faithful to give me my blog for the next day! I don't believe it was a mere COINCIDENCE but it was a providential circumstance.

Albert Einstein once said “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” Actually, most of us are like children playing hide and seek, wanting to be found, yet hoping we won’t be. Once we understand the way life really works — the flow of God's energy that directs every moment — then we begin to see the amazing potential in that moment.lives.

When a coincidence happens, we shouldn't ignore it. We should ask ourselves, "What is the message here? What is the significance of this?" On Thursday, Mom’s home health nurse, Karla, came over to check on her. Here’s the “coincidence”. Karla was one of the precious gals in my Life Group here in Tulsa. Of all the nurses in Tulsa, Karla became Mom’s nurse -- which has been a blessing for both of them. Mom and Karen helped Karla get out of her comfort zone, and Karla has provided such tender loving care to Mom that we couldn’t have been more pleased to have her than if we had “special ordered” her. Karla has had some physical issues and needed a an electric bed that would raise her head. Mom is selling her electronic bed in her estate sale and sold it to Karla at a bare minimum -- blessing-for-Karla price.

The point is, we don’t have to go digging for the answers. COINCIDENCES may arrive as a sudden insight or an amazing God-moment -- that you look up toward heaven and say "Thanks God! I know you did that!" I choose to believe that God is behind COINCIDENCES.. A Biblical definition of coincidence is “what occurs together by God’s providential arrangement of circumstances.” The point is – we need to stay “in the moment” of each day, so that we can readily recognize God’s hand at work in our lives that gives us the HOW, WHEN, WHERE and WHY we met that person or we went that direction, or we received that phone call, or we were delayed in traffic only to arrive at our destination in God’s perfect timing so that we would see that person that was crying and you were there to comfort them.

There are no accidents or COINCIDENCES with God. And He has a perfect timing for everything He does.

"Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” Isaiah 46:9–10

Seeing the Unseen

My dear friend called to check in with me a couple of days ago when I was very sick with the flu. How did she know to call me on that day when I needed a friend to pray with me the most? She did, because she was "Seeing the Unseen in 2017". That was the slogan she and her husband had chosen for this year. Slogans aren't new for us. We like to get a "word" that we desire to be our vision and motto for the year. In 2007, she and her husband, and myself and my husband, celebrated the new year in together. We all came up with this slogan "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven in 2007". It was certainly befitting for the four of us that entire year.

I was telling my grandson and granddaughter (Braden & and his Ruth) my friends' slogan "Seeing the unseen in 2017". There are times, when in the natural, it seems like good luck, or coincidence or being-at-the-right-place-at-the-right-time when something good happens or comes our way. But for those of us who know, as children of God, nothing is just happenstance. We recognize our unseen God in our everyday of life.

We talked about how Braden had seen the hand of the unseen God when he thought he was getting ready to go into the Army's Special Operations Training, but ended up, instead, going to firefighter and EMT training because a friend of Ruth's brother -- at the right place at the right time shared thoughts and ideas that inspired and directed Braden to move a different direction. He did, and became both. Coincidence or fate? No, seeing the Unseen.

Then, Ruth was working as a neonatal ICU nurse in Mississippi and one of her neonatal nurse friends moved with her husband to Gwinnett, GA for a period of time and worked in a hospital there as a neonatal ICU nurse. Eventually, she and her husband moved back to Mississippi. It just so happened that Gwinnett, GA (of all the places in the U.S. to go) was where Braden took his firefighting and EMT school, and at graduation, continued to work there. Ruth's friend was able to refer Ruth at that hospital in Gwinnett and with Ruth's abilities, skills AND "seeing the Unseen" now works there in Gwinnett at the same hospital. Happenstance or "seeing the Unseen"?

At dinner last night, we talked about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing where my Ryan was running that marathon and had just crossed the finished line. Shawntel was in the stands directly across from the first bomb that went off at the finish line. Both she and Ryan were unharmed. Seeing the Unseen. We talked further about the young woman, Roseann Sdoia, who lost her leg in that 2013 bombing, and the fireman, Michael Materia, a firefighter, who was the responder who took her to the hospital. They were strangers at the time, but he has rarely left her side since, and they'll be married this year. Recognizing the hand of God -- "seeing the Unseen".

Like stories I'm sure that you can recall that you absolutely know that it wasn't fate, good fortune, coincidence or luck -- that there is no doubt the hands of God to have spared your life, given you that seemingly impossible, otherwise, job or home or spouse or other dream, if we could only but realize our Unseen God shows up for us when we least expect Him. Maybe we should turn that around and start looking for Him -- perhaps there would be so many more instances of seeing Him in our everyday of life.

2 Corinthians 4:18 "We do not look for things that can be seen but for things that cannot be seen. For things that can be seen are temporary, but things that cannot be seen are eternal."

Coincidences or Divine Appointments?

You've got to love it when a young person is willing to come to a slightly "mature" person ;-) for counsel. You know, they know, the wisdom that's inside them. Very, smart and wise young person. When I received an email from a sweet friend from my church, Megan, asking if I'd look over a project she's doing for her Senior year at Bishop Kelley, I was honored and pleased. She selected the importance of inner beauty for her project. Yes, extremely, wise young lady. But, even better, what seemed to be a simple appointment to review a project, turned into a God-designed appointment. My sweet girl Shawntel Wuerch and the boys were here with me in Tulsa which was perfect timing for both of us to review Megan's project. Sweet opportunity to talk about the inner beauty that God desires from us -- that beauty that comes from within and shines so brightly in our lives. Shawntel is exemplary in both inside and outside beauty. Divine set-up.

Before Megan came to my home, her Mom sent over this photo of Shawntel and Megan ten years ago. Shawntel was the guest speaker for our Women of the Church OfThe Madalene and that night she told her Miss America story -- about her road from a little town, Muldrow, OK to Miss America, how she entered simply to earn scholarship monies to attend college. But God had bigger things in mind for her, and He does for each of us as well. Just like the road to Miss America, with its twists and turns and ups and downs, being the journey God planned for Shawntel, a simple appointment to review a project just may be the "set up" for Megan that started ten years ago when she was excited to have her photo taken with Shawntel. Yesterday, Megan was wearing a Bishop Kelley soccer shirt. Shawntel asked her if she played soccer. Indeed she does, and of all things, her coach is my nephew, Troy Tokarchik. Who knew another little "set-up" to show we're in the same family!

What if each day we started taking note of the coincidences....er.... the divine set-ups, providential circumstances and appointments that come our way that point us in the direction of our God-given destiny? Megan had a project to do. She was impressed to do it on God's definition of beauty. What if this project is the "seed" that Megan is planting for her future? What if what we are doing today are the seeds we're planting for the difference makers and world changers God destined us to be?