My wife, Liz, teaches kindergarten in the city of Long Beach. Has for the last 13 years. She loves it and is gifted at it. This year she had a team partner who battled cancer the entire term. She was out much of the time as her cancer was stage 4. We knew she was married, with two gorgeous little girls, but not a whole lot about her personal situation beyond that. A couple of weeks ago, Liz received word that her team partner had passed away. She had been given only three months to live last August, but fought bravely for nearly a year before finally succumbing to the ravages of the disease.Coincidentally, in the last month or so, there's been a young man who has come to the church a couple of times for assistance. And also coincidentally, his wife was ill with cancer and they had two children he was trying to take care of. Unfortunately, they seemed to have little and he was in need of basic necessities, with which we were able to help him.
Last Sunday, thi
s young father came over to talk to me following our last service. He had his kids with him as he stood quietly, waiting for me to finish a conversation with someone else. Liz, standing next to me, told me that he looked familiar to her. She told him as he approached that he looked a lot like the husband of a woman she worked with who had recently passed away from cancer. A startled look came over him as he replied that his wife had also just died the same way. They continued to compare notes and quickly realized that his wife had been Liz's team partner!Two seemingly disconnected people...in seemingly disconnected situati
ons...in two different counties...over the course of a year. Their paths now melding before us in a random way. But is it really? I don't know where this path with dad and these beautiful girls may take us, or what part we might play in the days ahead. But I do believe that the randomness of God has a certainty and purpose to it beyond our vision. That what may appear to be chance or happenstance is often much, much more in the hands of the One who weaves things together for His purposes. And our job? Maybe it's to find intentionality in the randomness of life, and to respond accordingly.At least that's our intention with a dad and his daughters.
5 comments:
There really isn't anything random when it comes to God (I know you know that), but it never stops amazing me when I read these types of stories. It touches my heart and makes me smile. God will always provide people to love you when you are at your lowest.
I have been praying for her and her family for awhile now, how amazing is our God? No doubt why Liz is where she is and does what she does...
In the realm of Gods possibilies randomness only exists when humans try to change to plans he has. Try to explain what He does or "help" him to make the world better. I love the divine encounters God allows to happen. With God everything has a purpose and it's out come results in His glory. We are like the ketchup on His fries. We help flavor the meal but he grows the potatoes!
As I was praying last night for the Haitian people and listening to Genesis on the web, God in His great wisdom revealed a simple truth to me. While I was doing what most people do when they see such a catastrophic event take place, weeping and asking Him, "How can this kind of suffering take place?" He reminded me what he said to Moses and Aaron when they asked Him how they would be delivered from a man whose heart was hardened, who didnt understand His perfect love for him and his people. God said the He had to do things His way so that His mighty works among the people could be clearly seen. So that there would be no doubt that their deliverance came by His mighty hand. What great love he showed then that His sovereignty and strength would be revealed to them (The Hebrews and Egyptians). I know He is working the same things for the Haitians. I believe He is coming to their rescue in every way and that the overwhelming presence of love is being manefested in all the divine appointments happening at this very moment and I am believing that the restoration that will take place for them will be life, life in the fullest. Glory to God. Please joing me in steadfast prayer for this people.
In my last blog, I misquoted the book that my references came from, in my desire to write my thoughts about Him. It was not Genesis but Exodus:
7:4,9:15-15,10:1-2,11:9.
Gods love in Christ,
Phylly
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