His Timing Is Impeccable

Some people believe in coincidences.  Others believe that in all things, even the smallest details, God is aware and involved, orchestrating the details of our lives to bring about the greatest glory.

I fall firmly in the second group.

Within the past few days, I've witnessed three specific examples of "coincidences" or "God-incidences" as Philip Yancey has been known to call them.  Two seem very small and, quite frankly, insignificant, while the third has a much weightier feel to it.  But in each of these situations, I've been surprised and gladdened by the precise directing of life that the Great Conductor demonstrates and uses to bless us.

Example #1:  I was reading from The Story of the World (a history book) to Josiah and David, and we were enjoying the story of a fictional girl named Tarak who lived a nomadic lifestyle with her family and who was going hunting for lizards so her mother could make lizard stew.  Lizards are not something we commonly see here in our corner of Virginia; neither do we often think about or mention them.  It "just so happened," however, that at the exact time we were reading about hunting for lizards, Tobin came inside crying because he had lost his little plastic lizard (which he RARELY plays with) outside under the grape arbor, and he needed help to find it.  Talk about a perfect opportunity to act out a history text!  "Let's go on a lizard hunt!" I exclaimed to Josiah and David.  We won't soon forget about Tarak...and her nomadic lifestyle...and the way her mother made stew from lizards that Tarak caught.  :)

Example #2:  Yesterday Josiah, David, and I were doing our daily reading from the book of Proverbs.  It "just so happened" that at the exact time we were reading 10:27, which says, "The fear of the Lord adds length to life," Tobin was sitting on the floor by my feet, playing with a tape measure.  What a memorable visual aid--to think of stretching out a tape measure to add length and then comparing that to the way the fear of the Lord adds length to life.  I love the way God surprises me by connecting things much better than my efforts at creative planning are able to accomplish!

Example #3:  Yesterday I received a mysterious letter in the mail, written by Jeff and sent from his barber shop.  I was curious as to why he would send me a letter that way; after all, we do live in the same house and are able to speak at least a few words to each other every day.  ;-)  I opened it and was astonished to see that it was dated 2/24/2011.  And then I remembered...  Way back at the end of winter, Jeff told me that he had written me a letter and sent it in the mail, just for fun.  He was grateful for some special things I had arranged for his 40th birthday, as well as for the series on love that I did on my blog during the month of February, and he wanted to send a little extra love my way through writing an old-fashioned letter.  But it never came.  Days and weeks and months went by, and the letter never showed up.  We assumed it had been lost in the mail, and I honestly had forgotten all about it.  Until yesterday when the long-lost letter arrived, bearing no clues as to where it had been during the past almost seven months.  But here's the spectacular part:  Jeff and I have been wrestling through some things--separately and together--in the past couple of weeks that have really challenged us as a couple.  For a variety of reasons, our communication has not been great, and each of us was feeling some distance from the other.  Lest anyone jump to conclusions, I'm not talking major marital breakdown or anything like that, simply the disconnection that can happen between two people who are dealing with busy lives and stressful situations and are not successfully making a concerted effort to stay connected and unified.  And then--boom--this letter appears, out of nowhere, reassuring me of Jeff's love, reminding me of what an incredible man he is, and renewing my gratitude for my marriage.  We might look at that letter and say it arrived more than half a year late, but in God's impeccable timing, I'd say it was...

...right on time.

Which is how God ALWAYS works.