There are no Coincidences

I ordered my favorite coffee at the local shop and waited patiently for the gal to pour the hot, delicious liquid into a cup. I was not feeling my best after dropping my son off at school and was eager to get home to my heating pad in order to ease the pain in my neck and back. It was one of those days when you hope you won’t see anyone you know. “Jen..is that you?” I heard a voice behind me. “Wow, it has been so long…how are you? It is good to see you…”

That encounter took place almost one year ago with a dear friend whom I had lost touch with a few years back. Since reconnecting, we have enjoyed trail walks with our dogs, long talks, shared prayers, social gatherings with our husbands and a deep friendship with life long roots. I am certain that God placed my precious friend back into my life at a time when I really needed her kindness and love – after all, there are no coincidences.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

As we rush through the busyness of life, it is easy to brush off divine encounters as mere coincidences, missing an opportunity to hear from a loving God who seeks to interact with us daily. Last week, I was at my Dad’s house for a visit and enjoyed a lovely few days with him by the sea. It is always peaceful on Cape Cod and the beach is good for my weary soul. The new pain in my back had worn me down a bit and I was longing for some type of inspiration. As I mindlessly opened a small ceramic box on my mom’s dresser – mostly out of curiosity, since everything in her room had been cleaned out – I spotted a small piece of paper. I unfolded it and immediately recognized the handwriting…it was mom’s signature left-handed script. I gazed at the little scrap of paper and big tears welled up in my eyes. “I am a vessel of grace. Let Grace flow thru me. In all things are possible. I am living in healing Grace.“

God truly speaks when we are most in need of hearing His loving voice. I do not know when my mom wrote this inspirational verse but I am sure it was during the last year of her earthly life. I imagine that she felt called to visualize her own healing from the invasive cancer thus she made time to write down her healing prayer. I was struck by mom’s courage, faith and grace – she did not advertise her prayer, merely wrote it down on a piece of paper and kept it in a small box for only God to see. This was evidence of a woman deeply in love with a God whom she knew intimately. Despite her extreme pain and suffering, she remained faithful and hopeful, never giving up! For those who know God, there is no failure. Mom lived a life of being open to the coincidences and meeting God at every opportunity. Because of this, she was able to be a channel of His grace at the very moment when she needed Him most.

I tossed my bags into the car and headed out over the Bourne bridge with the sun at my back. As I gazed into the rearview mirror, I could see the reflection of the sea shining in the distance. “Goodbye mom, thank you for the reminder that God is greater than pain. I needed to hear from Him (and you) today. I love you and will be open to the coincidences that come my way.“