Coincidence or God's Grace???

Isaiah 55:8-9 says,

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Often things happen in life, that we never understand.   Every once in awhile, things unfold that help us understand prior events.  I believe these are times when God is gracious enough to let us peek at him doing his work.

Last Wednesday evening, very, very, very dear friends (I will call them Jim and Sue) saw the bonds of alcohol slavery squeeze the life out of Sue's brother, Bob.   After a year of being very intentional in Bob's life- allowing him to live in their home, giving him a job and food, taking him to church, giving him love and tough love (allowing him to sit in jail) and any other necessity imaginable, Bob took his own life... in their home.  I am sure you can imagine the devastation.

Late Friday evening, I got a call from Sue.   I was able to tell her what a great sister she had been and to assure her that she had done everything possible for him.  After talking for awhile, because even in a time like this, Sue thinks of others, she asked how I was doing with the adoption loss, etc...  I assured her that most of the time I was fine.  I went on to say, "It really just bothers me when I think about the rest of the travel group that I was supposed to be part of leaving Wednesday.  WEDNESDAY!  Sue, we were supposed to leave Wednesday!"

Wednesday is the day of Bob's viewing and funeral.

Paul (my husband) was asked to do the funeral.  Had we left when we were originally supposed to leave, we would not have been able to be there to help lay her brother to rest.  We would not have been around to love on them, support them, pray for them or share God's word at Bob's funeral. 

I realize there are 100's of other pastors around that could do Bob's funeral.  But, we have a spiritual bond with Bob and Sue that runs deep.  And, they asked Paul.  

God knew we needed to be here.  

We look forward this week to seeing God answering our prayers for our daughter.  We pray that this will be the week we see her precious face for the first time, we hear her name, learn what province she is from, etc....  We would ask that you join us in this prayer.  While we are eagerly waiting this great news, our very dear friends are living their worst nightmare.  This week, they will see the precious face of Sue's brother for the last time.  They will question what they could have done differently, what they could have said, etc...  So, please lift them up!  And, pray for Paul- that God would give him words to say and speak directly through him.