God-incidences

As my relationship with God grows, I feel His nudges a little more. I also start to notice things that just a year or so ago, I'd have written off as coincidences, albeit really cool ones. I've heard people refer to these as God-incidences, and I've adopted that term lovingly. I see more God-incidences in my life as well.

This weekend was no exception.

I serve at my church every other Sunday, shadowing a little girl who has special needs, but is very high-functioning. This week, she was sick. Unfortunately, her family isn't able to attend fairly often, and typically when I get the e-mail saying my services aren't needed, I quickly find other things to do with that time.

When the e-mail came through this week, though, I felt a big ole nudge from God, telling me to ask the kids' ministry if I could serve in any other way.

About ten minutes after I sent the e-mail, asking, I got an enthusiastic one back, asking me to please come in to work with another little boy in the 2-3 year old room with developmental delays. He had far more special needs than my other little girl, but I had such a good feeling about it that I read the email to B, smiling.

I showed up to church on Sunday and was greeted by the family, as well as by some very cool God-incidences. In a five minute conversation, we realized that the similarities between our families was eerie.

Our boys have the same dietary restrictions.

We live just minutes apart.

Two of our boys have the same name.

Two of our boys share the same exact birthday.

Two of our boys go to preschool on the same days, at the same school, in classrooms right next door to one another.

The other mom looked at me, teary, mouth open. She was clearly speechless, and I just smiled.

"Don't get me wrong," I told her, "I have huge goosebumps right now. But I've learned that stuff like this happens constantly around here. When you're open to it, you get to see it."

She told me that she and her husband hadn't been able to attend church together due to the very special needs of her little boy. However, she said that this week, they'd decided to go to church together and they'd figure it out somehow. The next day, they got the phone call that someone qualified to work with her son was available.

God-incidences are amazing.

Working with her son was a holy experience. At one point, he became overstimulated, but using my experience and some fervent prayers, I was able to calm him. I listened to God and used my knowledge to know when to push him to interact and when to let him hold back.

By the end of the service, we were holding hands, worshiping with all of the other kids in the room. The goosebumps on my arms were back, but I couldn't help but wink back at God, knowing that He is up to something.

The other interesting part is that because of some other personal conflicts, I'd been finding it increasingly difficult to continue the commitment I'd made with the first family. After a talk with the woman in charge of the kids' ministry, we were able to come up with a solution. I'm thrilled that both families will be covered and I'll get to serve with the little boy from now on.

Call it what you want. Say that the planets were aligned, that it was all just an awesome coincidence. I know the truth.

Namaste'.