Coincidence or The Hand of God?

I have a lot of good friends who are not Christian and do not believe in this whole God thing.  They think it is a fantasy world that we believe in.  These are very good and intelligent people, whom I respect and like a lot.  Being a Christian is not a requirement to be friend of mine.  A few of these friends really enjoy a good debate.  I keep sticking to the fact that it is called "Faith" because there is no proof, so it is a point less debate. 

Nancy and I have had so many experiences where the right stranger entered our lives at the exact right time and said the exact right thing - we struggle with how to explain other than a God moment.  If it happened once or twice or every once in a blue moon, then maybe a coincidence.  We have had it happened literally over a hundred times over the last five years.   We have examples from our time spent in the hospital, and we have the example of how our move to Brownwood is clearly an example of where God went before us and put us in the exact right place at the right time.   There are too many real life scenarios for all of it to be just a one coincidence after another.  

My First CT Scan after chemo

Nancy and I were at MD Anderson and I was about to get my first CT scan after my first four chemo treatments.   For a new cancer patient, these are very stressful and scary days.  You will find out if the treatment worked or not.  I know now that it is just snapshot of time, but back then I thought this scan would determine if I was going to live or die that month.  

We were sitting in the waiting area and I was enjoying nice smooth barium drink   and another couple was sitting across from us.  He and I were making the normal barium jokes (it used to be really horrible, but has greatly improved over the last few years).  Then he and I were called back.   When you get called back at MDA for CT scans, you change into scrubs and then get an iv needle hanging out of your arm.  Then you go to another waiting room.  

While this man and I were in the IV waiting room, he started telling me his story.   He was diagnosed several years ago and given only a few months to live.  He announced it at church and then they had a special prayer service for him where everyone laid hands on him, just like me.   He then went on to say that his wife had just completed a breast cancer battle right before he was diagnosed, just like me.  He didn't know anything about my situation when he was saying all this.   He main words of comfort was that he would pray for me and that everything will be ok, regardless of what the scan showed.  Then I was called back, and never saw that man again. 

While he and I were having this conversation, Nancy and his wife were having the same conversation in the lobby.   She also gave Nancy the same words of comfort.  Nancy and I walked away feeling of peace. 

Holy Nurse from No Where

During one of my many hospital stays, I was having a particular bad day and not doing well.  Nancy was very scared and worried.   I was sleeping in the hospital room late one night and Nancy was just sitting there with me, crying and very scared.   Then a nurse, whom we had never seen before, came in.  This was unusual.  We knew all of the nurses on the floor and they all knew me well.  It is not unusual for me to have the same nurse even after months have gone by since I was in the hospital.  So to have a nurse we have not seen come in was unusual.

She immediately could tell that Nancy was upset and went to great lengths to comfort her.  She was clearly of Indian decent but was a very strong Christian.  She told Nancy that God was present and with us.  That He was looking over me , and Nancy, and that we were not to lose faith and hope.  She then prayed with us and left the room.   We never saw that nurse again.  She was not our regular night shift nurse. 

The Elevator Experience 

When Nancy was in the midst of her battle, we had a particular bad day at MDA and got in the elevator.   Another couple entered the elevator and looked at us.  She said I do not know what you are going through today, but God loves and He is with you, and everything will be ok.   Then elevator opened and they left.  It was just a few words, but at that time those words were a huge encouragement to us.   As I have said before, sometimes we are the receiver of the Word but sometimes it is our job to be the giver of the Word.  Little positive experiences like the elevator has given me greater confidence to share God's love to strangers when I feel time is right.   So many times in the past, I had felt the urge to say something but just kept quite.  Not so much anymore, and it is has never hurt me.

There are many more...but then we moved to Brownwood

We made the decision to move to Brownwood when I asked Nancy the simple question of "if you had to raise to Ross by yourself, where would you prefer to do that at?".   She could have said Houston where we have so many close friends, find a lower cost home, remain at our outstanding church, etc..   She also had Dallas as an option given we have so many friends and family in that area.   Instead, she said Brownwood.  The more we talked about this, the more sense it made.   We realized not everyone would understand this decision, but we felt at the time it was the best decision.   Six months later, we know it was the best decision.  

Once we made the decision, we took action pretty quick to sell our home in Houston and find a home in Brownwood.   We didn't have a large selection of homes to choose from in Brownwood and our initial search wasn't very encouraging.   Then we found the perfect house that was for sell by owner and we were the first people to look at it.   

What a terrific decision that house turned out to be.  Not only for the house itself, but we had no idea at the time who lived on the block.   Once we settled in the house, we started looking for a church.   Nancy and Ross like to attend bible study on Wednesday night at Coggin Baptist Church.  Turns out the wonderful lady that teaches Nancy's women's bible study lives two doors down from us.  Also turns out that her grandson is Ross best buddy and stays with her after school everyday.  Debbie's husband Gary has also turned out to be a great friend that I know I can rely on for just about anything.  On Sunday's, we worship as a family at the First Methodist Church during their contemporary service.  This is led by their youth pastor, Scotty Crawfrod and his wife Emily.   Well, we soon discovered that the Crawfords life two doors up from us.   

We now know that several members of the Methodist church live on our street.   The funniest situation was when I accidentally left my drivers license at the pharmacy, and the pharmacy is very important to us!  Turns out that our local pharmacist ives behind us.  He was kind enough to just drop my drivers license off at the house and introduced himself.  

This has turned out to be a great move, the perfect house, and the perfect neighborhood for us.   We have already developed great friends who all feel that we were all brought together by God and that God put us here for a reason.  That is a great feeling.   

Coincidence or God Thing?

If these were the only experiences over the last five years, then may be just coincidence of running into the right people at the right time.  However, we have many, many, many more of these experiences.   So many, we have no explanation other than an example of God putting the right person in front of us at the right time.  I realize many of you will feel this is not a God thing, but just proof that there is a lot of nice caring people in the world - which is actually a good thought too.

I am convinced that God does have a bigger plan or all us.   That He goes before us and lays a path for us.   I also believe it is our will to recognize that path and follow it, or ignore it and try to blaze our own path.  I choose to seek God's path and just stick to that.