Testimony time.
I am fascinated by the significance of small random decisions. When I do something unusual and/or unexpected. Two recent examples.
I hate WalMart. I hate shopping. But need to eat something for lunch. Because it is Lent need to find something with no meat or dairy in it. So grit my teeth and drive the 1/2 kilometer down the road to the neighborhood WalMart for only the 3rd or 4th time since it opened. Granola bars fit the bill very nicely by the way. And who do I run into? A woman whose well known and much loved mother was killed in a car wreck back in November. Devastating loss to the family and to our church. I have been concerned about her dad but have not visited with him because he works in Washington DC. Turns out he has applied for a job at the university so may be back for good.
Seems like a small thing but here is the point. If I had not decided that day at that time to do something I never do would not have had to chance to catch up with a family whose lives were shattered five months ago.
This week headed over to Women’s Hospital to visit a member of my small congregation who was having trouble with her pregnancy and has to stay in bed until the baby is ready to be born. Okay that part is not unusual or unexpected. Driving back to the church office pass by a shoe store where I bought special inserts a year ago. “Well I did need new shoes and inserts for my trip to China might as well do it now”. Turn around go back and head into the store. Looks like only one person working so need to wait. Ah but the others were all in the back and a young woman is the first to come out and offer to help me. Do not normally announce to the world what I do but for some reason mention I pastor a small congregation for internationals and need good shoes for an upcoming trip to China.
“Oh yeah? My dad’s a pastor. Have you heard of (name)? He works for First Baptist. Started a mission church for the arts community downtown”.
I have indeed heard of him and of the church start. We get interesting postcards inviting us to their activities. That church start was in some ways the model for our second worship gathering. We certainly know First Baptist. For several years I worked with (name) who is now at First Baptist. Does she know him? Of course she knows him very well. You know he and wife just had a baby. Yes I know saw them a couple weeks ago at a wedding shower.
Here is the thing. How often do I buy shoes? How often do I drive through that part of town? Of all the times on all the days I chose to turn around to buy a new pair of shoes. Of the several employees working in the store that day who do I get? And what if I had not randomly casually mentioned my work? But I get to meet someone who is an important contact.
Yeah these two meetings do not seem momentous or life changing. But it fascinates me how what seems like a trivial random decision lead to a kairos moment that one senses was supposed to happen. We sometimes think of the providential hand of God evident in the life changing momentous decisions we make. I go to Wednesday night prayer meeting and meet a woman whom I did not imagine would be my future spouse. I pull an envelope out of the trash which leads me to the next eleven years of ministry in a state where I never imagined I would live.
But the providential grace of God is also evident in the seemingly trivial and ordinary. Buying granola bars at the grocery store. Buying a new pair of shoes on the way back to the office. Qohelet would understand and agree.
