When you're in need of a particular friend for a particular reason and they show up at your door, what do you call that? Luck? Coincidence?

Okay, but what if they live in another state? Now you have to factor in the possible twists and turns that their journey would have to take in order to deposit them at your doorway at the exact moment. Things like stopping for gas, traffic lights, car trouble, millions of events could put them off by a millisecond.

What if they were the only person who could help you with this … oh, let's call it a computer problem … because they were the one who installed the program to begin with?

If this is sounding like Twilight Zone, welcome to my world!

I was determined not to call Charles, my Information Technology guy. He was a dear friend who had gone through an emotional upheaval at a vulnerable time in his life and had moved to another state. I didn't want to add to his problems in any way. I sat on my hands, determined not to call him. And I prayed … a lot.

Wait for it … at the exact moment that I gave up and reached for the phone, Charles was standing in my doorway. I thought that I was hallucinating! He "happened" to be passing through town on his way to a business appointment. He dropped in to say "Hi" and catch up on old times.

After I regained my composure, I told him about my dilemma and the joy of seeing him. With his usual calm demeanour, he said, "Get up," as he sat down at my desk and fixed the problem in minutes. Then he was gone, leaving me to ponder the "God Thing" that had just happened.

Yes, I know that I could have phoned Charles, and he probably could have walked me through it, but God chose to use this opportunity to demonstrate how much He loves me/us, how much He is concerned with every little detail in our lives, and how close He is to His children.

I'm happy finally to get this story told; it took a while. I realize now that it wasn't only about Charles arriving at a specific moment in time. It's about God's timing — that's where it's difficult to put words to paper. God's timing seems so far removed from our daily lives, something we'll never understand with our mortal minds. I have let go, because to understand this experience would be to understand the mind of God.

It is enough to have experienced God's love in a very personal way. It is enough to know that the Creator of the universe loves me, loves all of us, and knows every little detail of our lives; nothing escapes His loving gaze.

Let's not allow red lights, long lineups, and other such delays to phase us any more, because everything is part of His divine order.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us always to remember that You are in control. Even though the situation looks and feels chaotic, there is order within the chaos. We don't have to figure it out but simply breathe in Your Spirit and enjoy the stillness. Amen.

Hurricane Zeta was less than 24 hours away from the small Mississippi town of Lucedale. The people didn't know it yet, but Zeta would bring Katrina-like destruction in the next few days. The town's population rushed to secure their belongings, while, on a major state highway, a car was positioned sideways in the road. To this day, no one knows why. An oncoming 18-wheeler hit the car dead centre, instantly killing the driver of the car. His only passenger, a six-month-old golden retriever named Lucy, leaped out of the mangled vehicle and bounded toward the dense woods along the highway.

Michael Baker, the driver of the ill-positioned vehicle, was 70 years old, the husband of my sister-in-law, Betty. He was a godly man who loved his church and family, a strong man with a gentle touch. The family mourned his loss, influenced, of course, by the COVID-19 restrictions. The church service was a little shorter, the hugs fewer.

As soon as Hurricane Zeta did its damage and left the area, George County coroner, Dee Ann Murrah, and her staff got busy looking for Lucy. They also had a town to clean up, but as Coroner Murrah said, "She's not 'just a dog'." She called Betty and had her send a picture of Lucy to put on social media to aid in the search. For a week in the challenging, dense woods of George County, Coroner Murrah and teams of townspeople searched for Lucy.

Eventually, the group spotted Lucy, alive, but covered with cuts on her body. Coroner Murrah took her home and called the Baker family to tell them the good news. Lucy returned home on Betty's birthday. God is good!

Coroner Murrah stayed heavy on my mind for the next few days. I knew that God wanted me to do something, but I didn't know what. I called her, introduced myself, and thanked her profusely for what she and the town had done. She was very vocal about having been motivated in her search by her Christian faith.

I won't presume to know what Jesus would do, but her actions reminded me of Jesus' teaching about the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine sheep to look for the one that was lost. When we are lost, our Good Shepherd, Jesus, doesn't think of us as "just one". No matter what we have done, He will find us, regardless of how long it takes or whether He has to travel to the pit of hell to bring us back into the light. Are we willing to join His team to aid Him in the search for others?

Psalm 139:7-8 – Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. (NIV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for never giving up on us. Your love is from everlasting to everlasting. You rescue us from the dark places and lead us in the way everlasting. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

It was a chilly Monday morning. After two days of anger at a particular situation in the media, I was on my way to work. I'd be useless at my job as a church secretary with all this mess in my heart. I needed to spend some time in the sanctuary praying before going into the office, but the Lord reminded me that we could talk right then. So, we did.

The day before, the Sunday sermon had urged the congregation to feel compassion for people. Even though I didn't feel any compassion for "John Smith", much less love and forgiveness, I had to start somewhere. Thankfully, our Lord can do a lot in a short time, and I felt Him urging me on.

As I drove, I began to speak the words, "I forgive you, John Smith," even though I didn't mean it. The conversation went something like this: "Lord, I am doing this because I love You, not John Smith. Eventually, I will forgive John Smith, so that it doesn't jeopardize my relationship with You, Jesus. And, at the least, I will try to feel compassion for John Smith." I concluded with "God, I know that this isn't much, but it's the best I can do right now." That was followed by many more of "I forgive you, John Smith", mostly through gritted teeth.

When I thought that the matter was concluded, Jesus wasn't finished with me. He said, "Now it's time to forgive yourself."

"Me?"

Jesus said, "Yes. You allowed it." He made me laugh when He said, "You know, coulda, woulda, shoulda." Then I saw a mental movie — I don't know what else to call it — of all the things that I could have done over the last two days to reverse the situation. I shoulda taken charge of my environment, and I woulda if I had thought of it instead of drowning in my anger, and I coulda done it at any point in time. But, I did not. The end result: deep, dark anger and bitterness toward one of God's children.

After fifteen minutes of talking with the Lord, filled with thoughts, emotions, and mental pictures, a calmness filled my mind and body. I arrived safely at work, my anger gone, John Smith forgiven, myself forgiven, and a note to self about what to do if/when carnal thoughts return.

Romans 8:8 – Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (NIV)

Prayer: Lord, we pray that You would make our hearts alive and awake when our sinful nature takes over. Help us to turn to You quickly and confess our sins of anger, unforgiveness, or whatever is boiling over, especially if the grievance is an old one, and especially if we are "right to feel that way and everybody says so". Lord, make our minds, bodies, and souls fit places for the Holy Spirit to dwell. Thank You! We love You, Lord. Amen.