How many times have you said, or heard someone else say, "it was such a coincidence the way it happened"? Personally, I don't believe in coincidence. That indicates that things happen by chance, accidentally, for no good reason. I believe that everything happens as part of a plan, purposefully, and for every good reason (though it may not be discernible to us). I believe that God guides all those things that seem to just happen, from life-changing events to the smallest details. I call them "God-incidences". I'll admit that I didn't come up with that myself, I heard it from a speaker several years ago.
I've experienced God-incidences numerous times in my life. Actually, I've probably experienced them countless times without recognizing them. I try to be consciously aware of such events, but my humanness gets in the way. It's too easy to just flow through life without seeing how God has ordered things to follow His plan.
Have you ever been considering a new job? Eleven years ago I was. I liked the place worked and the type of work I did, but our small satellite office wasn't generating enough work to keep our 3 engineers and 2 planners busy on a consistent basis. I updated my resume as I spent days with little to do other than surf the internet and play solitaire (doesn't sound bad, especially if you're getting paid, but it gets old quickly). I thought and prayed about what to do for a few months. I liked the small privately-owned firm that had given me a chance to expand my traffic engineering experience and I was truly friends with the others in my office. And, as an engineer, change is not something I necessarily embrace, at least professionally. Then came the day when the firm's partners visited with a bombshell: our office was closing. We had 30 days to find a new job or move 250 miles away to the main office. God answered my question of whether it was time to move on.
There's the little stuff too. A song came on the radio the other day, and from the first few notes I thought to myself, oh it's that one that says "all you gotta do is turn around", I really like that song. It wasn't, but guess what was the very next song to come on.
I could go on, but I think you get the point. So, the next time you're running late and therefore miss the truck whose brakes go out; or you feel compelled to stop for milk on the way home and run into a friend who needs a shoulder to cry on; or whatever other unexplainable event occurs in your life, remember that God knows our hearts and knows exactly what we need at every moment. It's not about chance or luck or accident, it's about our Creator and Father directing things to complete His plan for each one of us.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Writing the Next Chapters...
It has been way too long between posts. All I can say for myself is that a lot has happened in the last couple weeks.
After replacing the water heater we have determined that only a portion of the wood flooring needs to be replaced in Amy's bedroom. That is such a relief. Now we just need to dedicate some time to getting it done and finishing up her apartment. She's still trekking upstairs every time she needs dresses or any other hanging clothes, not to mention the boxes with so much of her stuff still packed up.
Amy's boyfriend visited from Cincinnati for several days giving them more time together, and me a chance to get to know him a little more. They are so natural together. It's so nice to see her in all her silliness and craziness, and not afraid to show her true self. I like that he sides with me in calling her a brat, but with a smile on his face. We both acknowledge that we aid and abet her in being spoiled. Amy & Andrew continue to work hard at growing their relationship. At least the distance of 200 miles makes visits every few weeks possible, even with occasional unplanned trips (more on that later).
On the plus side, we had the plumber fix the downstairs shower when he installed the water heater, so Amy is no longer running up and down to clean up. New towel bars, toilet paper holder, and over the toilet shelves and she's got her bathroom pretty well set up too. Thanks are owed to Andrew who helped out with that. Not that we aren't capable of using a screwdriver and drill, I mean, come on I've been on my own for 23 years, I can handle simple tools.
In other news, my son Jerry and his fiancee Jessica recently found out they're expecting a baby. Which means I'm going to be a grandma! I am so excited and hope all goes well for them over the next 7 months or so, with a healthy baby come winter. They have their first doctor appointment this week and we should have a due date then. I am so looking forward to having a grandbaby to spoil, but refuse to let being a grandma make me feel old. Though my boss (who's five years younger than me) thinks it's hilarious and makes comments about how well I'm keeping up for a grandma. Ha! This coming from a man who had open heart surgery at age 35.
Back to the unplanned trip from Cincinnati. Amy got in a minor car wreck this past week. Unfortunately it was her fault, and the front end of her car was damaged way more than the other person's. That'll happen when a Ford Explorer meets a Honda Accord. Lacking full coverage and trying to save money we were on a search for used parts (hood and headlight...the bumper cover was knocked off but can be reused). So glad Jerry has enough skill and experience to do the repairs himself, short of any painting. Of course, after calling 20+ scrap yards nobody in the area had a used hood, but could gladly order a new one for us. Lo and behold, Amy located a used hood at a junkyard in Springfield, thinking that's only 20 minutes away. Turns out they means the City of Springfield near Dayton, not Springfield Township near Akron. That resulted in Andrew picking up the hood and driving to Columbus, and me meeting him to transfer it to my car. Yes, the hood of an Accord can fit in the back of a Kia Soul. I wanted the mini-SUV/crossover to be able to haul things, just never thought if would be car parts! And, as I told Andrew, he must like that girl an awful lot (to which I just got a crooked grin in response).
Most recent news is that I got new ink today. No, not for the printer (although we do need that too). I got a new tattoo on my left shoulder. It's my second one, and came 6 years after the first. I need to really feel strongly about something to get it permanently inscribed on my body. My first is a small heart with my kids' names in it on my right shoulder. I plan to get small hearts with grandkids' names as they come along. Today's is just as personal but in a completely different way. It's a road with a signpost, you know the old wooden ones pointing to different destinations. On the various signs are my favorite scripture references. It represents my journey of faith, and how these verses have guided me. This pic isn't great because it's still red from being new and I took it over my shoulder, but hopefully you get the idea.
After replacing the water heater we have determined that only a portion of the wood flooring needs to be replaced in Amy's bedroom. That is such a relief. Now we just need to dedicate some time to getting it done and finishing up her apartment. She's still trekking upstairs every time she needs dresses or any other hanging clothes, not to mention the boxes with so much of her stuff still packed up.
Amy's boyfriend visited from Cincinnati for several days giving them more time together, and me a chance to get to know him a little more. They are so natural together. It's so nice to see her in all her silliness and craziness, and not afraid to show her true self. I like that he sides with me in calling her a brat, but with a smile on his face. We both acknowledge that we aid and abet her in being spoiled. Amy & Andrew continue to work hard at growing their relationship. At least the distance of 200 miles makes visits every few weeks possible, even with occasional unplanned trips (more on that later).
On the plus side, we had the plumber fix the downstairs shower when he installed the water heater, so Amy is no longer running up and down to clean up. New towel bars, toilet paper holder, and over the toilet shelves and she's got her bathroom pretty well set up too. Thanks are owed to Andrew who helped out with that. Not that we aren't capable of using a screwdriver and drill, I mean, come on I've been on my own for 23 years, I can handle simple tools.
In other news, my son Jerry and his fiancee Jessica recently found out they're expecting a baby. Which means I'm going to be a grandma! I am so excited and hope all goes well for them over the next 7 months or so, with a healthy baby come winter. They have their first doctor appointment this week and we should have a due date then. I am so looking forward to having a grandbaby to spoil, but refuse to let being a grandma make me feel old. Though my boss (who's five years younger than me) thinks it's hilarious and makes comments about how well I'm keeping up for a grandma. Ha! This coming from a man who had open heart surgery at age 35.
Back to the unplanned trip from Cincinnati. Amy got in a minor car wreck this past week. Unfortunately it was her fault, and the front end of her car was damaged way more than the other person's. That'll happen when a Ford Explorer meets a Honda Accord. Lacking full coverage and trying to save money we were on a search for used parts (hood and headlight...the bumper cover was knocked off but can be reused). So glad Jerry has enough skill and experience to do the repairs himself, short of any painting. Of course, after calling 20+ scrap yards nobody in the area had a used hood, but could gladly order a new one for us. Lo and behold, Amy located a used hood at a junkyard in Springfield, thinking that's only 20 minutes away. Turns out they means the City of Springfield near Dayton, not Springfield Township near Akron. That resulted in Andrew picking up the hood and driving to Columbus, and me meeting him to transfer it to my car. Yes, the hood of an Accord can fit in the back of a Kia Soul. I wanted the mini-SUV/crossover to be able to haul things, just never thought if would be car parts! And, as I told Andrew, he must like that girl an awful lot (to which I just got a crooked grin in response).
Most recent news is that I got new ink today. No, not for the printer (although we do need that too). I got a new tattoo on my left shoulder. It's my second one, and came 6 years after the first. I need to really feel strongly about something to get it permanently inscribed on my body. My first is a small heart with my kids' names in it on my right shoulder. I plan to get small hearts with grandkids' names as they come along. Today's is just as personal but in a completely different way. It's a road with a signpost, you know the old wooden ones pointing to different destinations. On the various signs are my favorite scripture references. It represents my journey of faith, and how these verses have guided me. This pic isn't great because it's still red from being new and I took it over my shoulder, but hopefully you get the idea.
The times they are a-changing, but I'm embracing it with everything I have. Just more parts of the whole.
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