It’s been a weird month.
A few weeks ago, I got a phone call from my husband. He was at the car dealership taking care of a recall…and he just so happened to run into someone we hadn’t seen in twenty years! The pastor who conducted our wedding! (He was also my youth pastor in college, a man who taught the Bible in a way that made me want to read it).
He and his family’s Thanksgiving plans had changed due to a snow storm, so as God would have it, they joined us for Thanksgiving dinner! And what an honor it was to have them in our home!
What are the odds of such a chance encounter?
A few days ago, I was at my boys’ basketball game. It was the fourth quarter, we’re winning and I’m focused on the game…when a girl about my age walks over to me. She introduces herself and before she could get her last name out I knew exactly who she was! This girl was in my Sunday School class 40 years ago! It was great catching up with her after all these years!
What are the odds?
We all have a story to tell about a cool surprise encounter. In fact, God ordained moments are nothing new to God. He’s been planning them since the beginning of time.
In Luke 22, Jesus sent Peter and John ahead to prepare for His Last Supper…
” Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him. He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, A MAN CARRYING A PITCHER OF WATER WILL MEET YOU. Follow him…He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up…”
What are the odds?
God not only knew the man ‘carrying a pitcher of water’, He knew exactly where that man would be, what he would be doing and that there would be a large room ready and waiting for them.
These things don’t JUST happen, God KNEW they would happen.
God knows all things. It’s something I’ve been known to say, over and over again. When good things happen, ‘God knows all things.’ When bad things happen, ‘God knows all things.’ (On a side note, as I was proofreading my sons’ college entrance essay, I saw that he included that line! ‘God knows all things.’ Keep yapping mamas, they may not show it, but our children ARE listening!)
Back to my weird month…
Lest you think my life is made up of constant sunshine and roses waiting for me around every corner, it’s not.
This past month also included a number of unexpected, unpleasant and unwanted encounters too.
Situations that I thought were secure…weren’t. Phone calls, interactions & text messages have caught me off guard. But as my sister reminded me this week, God has already been where I am going.
God loves to yell ‘Surprise,’ and rejoice with us when the fun stuff happens but He also weeps with us and holds us close when unexpected drama or heartaches catch us off guard.
Whatever we are facing, I pray we never forget, the same God who knew the exact moment a man would be carrying a pitcher of water, the same God who sent my husband and my college youth pastor to the car dealership at the exact same time…knows ALL things.
God has a plan with the good times and the bad times. We may be caught off guard, but He never is.
-Binu
