It is a wonderful thing to be moved by the hand of God. Most of the time when He puts us in the right place at the right time, we are doing something quite ordinary and are often unaware of his divine intervention. Aware or not, God sometimes moves us like chess pieces in the long, complex strategy in which he works his will. Like chess pieces, some people play roles of more power and influence than others but, also like chess pieces, we have no power at all unless He moves us.
Today was our turn to be moved. My husband decided we should invite a couple from our church that we barely knew to go out for lunch with us. We wanted to get to know them better, but what we did not know is that 13 years ago today, their son committed suicide. Although they seemed to be coping well, especially considering it happened in their home and his mother was the one who found him, God must have known they needed some extra encouragement and someone to share with.
Last weekend it was my turn to be encouraged, when God led my new BSF leader to call unusually early, weeks before class starts. Just minutes before I had been praying--if a loud, demanding tirade can be considered prayer--practically daring God to DO something for my son and for me. My new leader called when I was beyond "fine". Didn't feel it. Couldn't fake it. Told her so. By coincidence of Big Bang proportions, she also has an alcoholic son, five years sober, who happens to live in Helena. She prayed with me on the phone. God nailed me in my mind, "I AM doing something." I apologized for my ugly prayer and realized that, if God sent help for me, when my life and future were not in peril, He was certainly doing something for my son. Sometimes encouragement stings a bit.
Our most powerful divine intervention was when God moved Ryan (our human angel) to turn his car around and go talk to us, parked by the side of the highway as we were taking our son to Rimrock for rehab. He had just said, "I will never believe in God because I can't see Him and He can't see me." I silently prayed, "Lord, show him that you are real and that you are good". At that very moment, Ryan pulled up behind us. Since Ryan (the reluctant chess piece) had spent several miles arguing with God about the importance of his meeting in Helena, God was answering my son's doubt and my prayer before either of us spoke them.
My first experience with being in God's right place at the right time was over 30 years ago when I dropped in on a new widow in our church just when despair hit her hard. At that moment, she needed someone to hold her while she cried. I had not felt led to go to her, I (clueless Connie chess piece) just decided to stop there on my way home. That was my first realization that God uses us even when we have no idea He is doing it. But today, we knew. At last week's phone call, I knew. On the road to Rimrock, all of us knew. God is the one who moves us.
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