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From Rev. Brock Patterson
"Coincidence or God-cidence?”
Recently, while walking my puppy dog (or while she was walking me), a woman who was walking towards us began to smile and wave her hands. Apparently, she recognized us, though we weren’t sure that we recognized her. After some smiles, a hug, and “Woohoo’s”, she reminded me of who she was. When she said her name I immediately remembered her wedding, which I had officiated two years ago. She and her husband were back on the island, reminiscing about their special day. Within a few minutes, her husband appeared and joined in our conversation.
It was nice to see them. While LBK is a prime location for destination weddings, it’s not often that I’m blessed to reconnect with some of those folks. This couple is staying on the mainland in Sarasota and came back to LBK to remember their ceremony. It just so happened that while revisiting the site of their wedding, they saw me walking on the sidewalk.
That’s kinda cool. It’s even a little romantic. It might even be a special blessing from God. This couple lives thousands of miles away and the chances of randomly encountering me during their short trip would have been highly unlikely. Something pushed me out of the house at the right time. Something pulled them out of their hotel at a certain time, and something had to intervene in their drive across the bridge, through the traffic, and onto the island at a specific moment.
Some people might call this a coincidence. However, I recognize it as something else. I’ve served as pastor for long enough to see too many chance encounters and happenings just to attribute them to happenstance. I know God is involved. I know that, for some reason, God orchestrates things very carefully to intervene in our lives, even if we don’t recognize it.
Back to this couple in my story. I don’t know what they needed or what they had discussed before arriving on the island, nor do I know what their personal needs might be. But for whatever reason, God needed this chance meeting to happen. Was it for them? Was it for me? Or, could it have even been for you?
I don’t know. I do know that God works in mysterious ways. The more that I listen and respond to those sudden, unexplainable urges to move, the more that God surprises me with blessings. It ain’t a coincidence that we’re all here together in these moments. God needs it for something. Listen carefully. Try to pay attention. You might experience your own God-cidence today!
Come see us at the Chapel this week! (Can't get to the island? No Worries! Join us online, every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m.!)
God Bless. Brock
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