Coincidence? No.

I saw in the church newsletter that her birthday was coming up soon. I didn't know her very well, although she and her husband occasionally visited our church during the past year. When her husband died tragically from injuries sustained in a vehicle wreck, she asked my (at that time) husband and me to sing at his funeral.

I hadn't seen her in weeks since she lived on a ranch far from town. We knew she would probably move to another community since the ranch was so isolated, but I couldn't seem to get her off my mind that day. I kept thinking about how everyone is around immediately following the death of a loved one, but the weeks and months afterwards of being alone can be a very difficult time. I decided to write her a letter and wish her a happy birthday.

I hadn't even come close to feeling the kind of pain she had been going through, but I did tell her what I sometimes would do when life got a little overwhelming for me at times. There a few things like swinging on a swing and simply watching the sky or nature to empty one's mind for a bit. Watching tumblebugs do their jobs in one of the worst working environments also fascinated as well as disgusted me. They don't seem to mind their situation, though, and watching them and other insects do their work also helped to soothe my mind for a while.

Mainly, I just wanted her to know I was thinking about her that day. I looked at a framed verse on the wall beside my bed. Some dear friends had given it to me a while back, and it was one of my favorite verses. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy, think on these things. Philippians 4:8.

I thought that was wonderful advice, so I decided to wrap it up and send it to her, too. Not long afterwards, I received a letter from her that said:

You have no idea what your letter and gift did for me that day. I was driving down the ranch road having a good cry, feeling very alone and sorry for myself. I told the Lord that He and everyone else had forgotten me, and was just a little angry about the whole situation. Then I got to the mailbox and pulled out the package you had sent. When I opened it up, I sat there and cried all over again, but for an entirely different reason. God hadn't forgotten me at all!

God's timing is amazing. It wasn't a coincidence that I just happened to be thinking about someone I normally didn't think about on any given day. It was God prompting me, although I didn't realize it at the time. I saw this lady one more time some weeks later when she visited the church. She came by the piano and hugged me and thanked me again for the letter and gift.

Do you ever get a thought to do something for someone? Does someone keep coming to mind at times? Those are usually little promptings by the Lord that this person needs our help, encouragement, or prayer. We'll miss a blessing if we don't act on it.

All too often coincidence or luck gets the credit when it was actually God working in someone's life. We just have to open our spiritual eyes to see that it was Him all along.

*  *  *

Written in 2001