“It’s not a Coincidence, it’s God!”

The more I come to terms with the realization that God is present in every facet of my life, the more prominent He becomes.  It’s as if He’s saying to me “YES, it’s me!  I’ve been here all along.” 

Finding my way to God and reconnecting with my faith over the last year has been the most empowering, enriching, and humbling experience of my life.  I now see things with such clarity; things I may have overlooked or may have seen before but didn’t really “get” because I wasn’t making the connection that everything is a result of God’s intervention in what I do, feel, and say.

Even more amazing is the fact that I am used as a means to communicate God’s message to others.  I now see that not everything I come across in my day is meant for me to keep.  Some things are meant to share with others and when I pay attention, it’s so clear to me that a picture that triggers a memory, or a scripture I come across on a social media site is meant for someone who may have shared a struggle, a fear, or some type of need with me and needs uplifting. 

I’ve also learned that the Bible and the message delivered to me every Sunday is full of truth.  God really does place you in every station of your life with perfect timing, the people present in it really do hold a purpose whether you like it or not, and if you walk in faith, it will all be resolved according to His plan; which means we really don’t have anything to worry about.  Do you know how liberating it’s been to hand over my doubts and stressors over to God and say “Thy will be done”?

I feel like the woman in the Claritin commercial who has a veil of haze lifted off her eyes and sees everything so clearly for the first time; let me give you some recent examples of what I mean.

My first bible study with “Sisters in Christ” was an eye-opening incident that left me speechless; which if you know anything about me is virtually unheard of.  As we went around the prayer circle and shared stories about who each of us was; the fact that God had hand-selected the members of our group was evident. 

It began to unfold right in front of me and it was like God was just showing off at how, as Pastor Miles puts it, “coordinated” he is.  One by one, the stories washed over me and the connections were shocking.  It began with a beautiful, curly haired woman with a soft voice who shared her pain over whom she referred to as a “prodigal son”; a young man who had strayed away from her along the way and who she was fighting to reclaim.  Next up was a blonde, college-aged woman who shared her pain over the loss of her beloved grandmother and whom she had cared for in her final days.  Then, a middle-aged woman expressed desperation over raising a son with severe depression and ADD who refused to take prescribed medication and attend counseling sessions. 

At this point, let me share with you the fact that one of my grown sons is also in a very bad way and not in communication with our family.  My son suffers from depression and ADD and refuses to take medication or attend regular counseling sessions.  Let me also tell you that my grandmother who cared for me from the age of two, died after an eight month battle with stomach cancer at the age of 84.  And, it was my great honor to care for her in her final days.  How was it that three other women in the room all knew what was in my heart and could relate to me in a way that very few others can?  Easy; God had brought us together so that we could uplift each other and pray together.

It doesn’t end there.  I had been in search of a bible verse to memorize that spoke to an area of weakness for me so that I can use His words in my time of need.  I was struggling with finding just the right verse.  Then, one night out of the blue, my husband says to me, “Did you get the text I sent you today?”  I grabbed my phone and took a look.  He had sent me the following verse from Colossians 3:23; which says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters”.  There was my verse and exactly the words I needed to keep me strong during the day.

So you might be saying, “So what, coincidences, it’s  just all happenstance.” I choose to see God.  He had decided to put these women in my life. He had chosen the verse that I was to memorize and He will continue to put His message in front of me. 

As I’ve said, He is present in every facet of my life and I love it.  I can’t believe that I went so long without “this” in my life and I want to share what I now know to be true with everyone I come into contact with.  I can’t keep all of this joy and wonder and love all to myself.  Because, that’s the great thing about God; the more you share Him with others the bigger a blessing He becomes to you.

So, pay attention; what’s He saying to you today?

“My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” – Exodus 33:14