“Good timing.”
“Couldn’t have planned that better if I’d tried.”
“In the right place at the right time.”
“It just so happened…”
We have all kinds of sayings like this, don’t we? But how often do we stop and wonder why we happened to be in the right place at the right time or how it is that though things didn’t go according to our plans, they turned out even better than we could have imagined? Is it just a coincidence? Or is it a God-incidence?
Given that God is sovereign and omniscient, that he is all-powerful and all-loving, we know the answer. The same God who makes sure the birds are fed and the flowers are clothed is taking care of every little detail of our lives too.
I can think of plenty of God-incidences from my own life: The “perfect timing” of my now-husband Josh asking me on a date the month before our high school graduation…even though we’d known each other for years. The “couldn’t-have-planned-it-better if we tried” fact that although Josh had already embarked on a career as a mechanical designer when we got married, he had an “unexplainable” desire to learn Greek…which led our pastor, who “just so happened” to also be a second-career pastor, to encourage him to consider seminary. The “right place at the right time” job opportunity that opened for me as an editor with a small children’s publisher when we moved. The “perfect timing” of a check sent by a congregation who wanted to support married seminary students…that “just so happened” to be for the amount of a bill we didn’t know how we were going to pay. And (the one that still gives me chills) the “good timing” of our move to Texas that meant Josh hadn’t scheduled our former church to be in the city’s Christmas parade…the year a driver intentionally drove into it.
Coincidences? No. God-incidences.
I could go on and on…and those are just the God-incidences I know about. Think about how many things God directs in our lives every day that we don’t even realize! The things he keeps us safe from and the things he leads us to. It’s mind-boggling.
It makes me think of the book of Esther, where this young Jewish girl “just so happened” to become queen of Persia at the same time that an evil man named Haman hatched a plot against the Jewish people. When Esther was afraid to speak to the king on behalf of her people, her uncle Mordecai encouraged her: “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” In other words, “God has put you in the right place at the right time.”
Just like God put Mary and Joseph in the right place at the right time for Jesus’ birth. Although they lived in Nazareth, Caesar “just so happened” to order a census that required them to travel to Bethlehem—where Scripture foretold that the Savior would be born.
Coincidences? No. God-incidences.
So Scripture is woven through with instances of God directing the lives of his people. Our lives are woven through with instances of God directing his people. And that is why I love writing these God-incidences into my fiction as well. Take my River Falls series. In Pieces of Forever, when Ava’s dog is badly hurt, the nearest vet “just happens” to be the man who has come back to town determined to show her that he will always love her, no matter how scarred she is…even though she has tried to push him away. (Side note: if you want to see how that God-incidence plays out, you can get Pieces of Forever for only $1.99 right now!) In Songs of Home, Liam helps Lydia out of an uncomfortable situation in Nashville, but he’s moving back to his hometown the next day. Several months later, she goes to meet her birth family…in what “just happens” to be the same town. And in Memories of the Heart, Abigail has just decided that she needs to file for divorce when…wait, I can’t tell you that one! It would be a spoiler. But trust me, God’s hand is all over it. As it is in the next book, Whispers of Truth (available for preorder now!), as Benjamin and Summer learn that they couldn’t have planned things better themselves…even though they tried to take things into their own hands.
Before I sign off, one more God-incidence for you! Five years ago, I had just published my first couple of Christian romances, and I was an avid follower (which, for me, means lurker, lol) of Inspy Romance, wondering how or if I would ever be invited to join a group like this. And God-incidentally, it wasn’t long afterward that I received an invitation from Valerie Comer to blog here. Perfect timing? Yes! Coincidence? No. God-incidence? Absolutely!
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here getting to know all of you and sharing in the love of Christian romance. Thank you for making this a wonderful place to hang out. And if you’d like to continue to hang out with me, be sure to sign up for my newsletter, where I send out weekly updates on my (sometimes crazy and often full of God-incidences) family life, devotional thoughts, and of course book news. Oh, and you’ll get a free book from me as well. Sign up here!
And now I’d love to hear about a God-incidence in your life!
Valerie M. Bodden has three great loves: Jesus, her family, and books. And chocolate (okay, four great loves). She writes emotion-filled Christian fiction that weaves real-life problems, real-life people, and real-life faith. Her characters may (okay, will) experience some heartache along the way, but true to her tendencies as a hopeless romantic, she will always give them a happy ending. Valerie is living out her happily ever after in Wisconsin with her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband and their four children. Visit her at www.valeriembodden.com to get a free story.
When I moved to my previous house rentals were scarce (nothings changed) but a lady I cleaned for and friend had a house but 2 rooms were full of her fathers stuff. I could rent as long as one room would remain a storeroom and eventually I would get one of those rooms. It worked out well for us both. Then when she decided to sell my friend offered to buy a house for me to rent. She couldn’t help before but this time it was the right time. Without her I would have been homeless.
Its been really good getting to know you and I will miss coming each day. I know all the authors have to say goodbye but it feels tough knowing the end is coming and having to say goodbye to friends one day at a time.
There have been several God-incidences in my life this year that I am so grateful for and don’t take for granted. I cannot say what they are because it is personal to my family and we are trusting the Lord and his plan for us.
If I have had several of a personal nature, seeing them undoubtedly increases my faith in the Lord. The ones I remember most is that during my teenage and college years before I became a Christian (I converted at 19) each and every one of the close friends I made were strong Christians.
A once-in-a-lifetime early retirement incentive at my employer at just the time I was reaching the end of my rope due to stress, anxiety and exhaustion. I couldn’t imagine working there 7 more years till I could retire. Many years of prayers culminated in this amazing offer which allowed me to put an end to a long career with retirement benefits and move to the beach for a peaceful relaxing retirement! Thank you God!
thank you for being here today. yes so totally God on so many levels. I have many similar instances in my life. I know when I stay in touch daily with Him, I am blessed beyond measure all the time.
Isn’t it wonderful how God put people in your life who could encourage you in your faith before you even knew you needed that! Wow! I agree that it increases our trust in him when we look back and see the ways he was working on our lives when we didn’t even realize it.
Wow! That’s wonderful! God’s timing is perfect!
It’s so true! God is always working in our lives and blessing us beyond what we could even imagine, even when we may not realize how at the time. What a gift to be in his Word daily.
I’m already stalking you, too!! lol!! I think I’m stalking all of the Inspy bloggers, as I usually start when you start writing here, or the ones I was late coming here for, I signed up for as soon as I got here! One of my biggest God-incidences was becoming an editor/proofreader. There are many more, though!
Thanks for a great post. Since I already get your newsletter, I don’t have to say goodbye :-) I know I’ve got a lot of God-incidences in my life, but I just woke up and my brain isn’t wide awake yet :-)
Good morning, yes , there have been alot of God incidences in my life. One day when my daughter, my son in law and my 2 grandchildren I have with them had planned on a trip. Well, for some reason we left at a later time then we had planned, actually about 20 mins after. When we got on the road we came about to an accident that had occurred , the policeman were there and the ambulance was there already, if it wouldn’t have been for this great God incidence of us running a little later then we had planned , we would have probably been around this accident when it happened. God is Good All of the time. Have a great day and a great weekend. God Bless you and your family. Thank you for all the wonderful posts you have posted, I have enjoyed reading them.
Yay! I always like to be stalked by readers! :) I love that God worked things out for you to become an editor and proofreader, and I know you love doing it!
Yay! I’m glad we don’t have to say goodbye! And I can completely relate to the brain not being awake…I am so not a morning person. :)
Oh isn’t that just amazing! It puts the frustration of being late in a whole new perspective when we see how God uses even those things in our lives. Thanks so much for your kind words about my posts. I have so enjoyed blogging here!
Wonderful post! I’m going to miss this blog so much when it shuts down, but I’m sure God is going to do amazing things in all your lives.
I know I have had many God-incidences over the years but most are not coming to me at the moment. I do remember a couple of times we are usually early to everything but were running a little later than normal leaving the house a couple times and along the way, there were car accidents that would have been us if we left at our normal time. I’ve enjoyed the time time I’ve had here even though I found it more recently and I’m subscribed to your newsletters so I’ll continue to be in touch but sometimes I’m a lurker too.
God-incidence is such a great term!! Yes I/we have had many in our lifetime. One such series of God-incidences came when we had a very sick baby at the hospital and our refrigerator broke during that time. Our year old baby was sick on a Friday so we took him to the doctor. He had a puzzling red swelling rash and the doctor popped his head through the door at the back of the office, into the after hours/emergency clinic to pull in the doctor, who would be on call the next day, to look at my baby. (1)
The next morning he clearly was worse so we went straight to the clinic, and from there got sent straight to the hospital. After waiting hours to be checked in (they appropriately call people ‘patients’!!) we were starving so my husband went out to get two burgers and came back with mine and I started eating it – and my little boy chowed down on my burger too!
We ended up being there 4 nights, 5 days. We alternated nights which parent would stay overnight and which would go home and update our families (this was during dial up internet!) and check mail etc. Oh and it was also my husband’s birthday, Dec 5th, I had made a chiffon cake for the first time, that didn’t get eaten fresh. But it didn’t matter because we had so many people from the office bringing us meals, his bday cakes, etc at the hospital, we ate well.
The 2nd night was when I went home late at night to get some sleep, I remembered something I needed on the computer after I’d emailed our families and started getting ready for bed so I came back to the desk in my socks or bare feet and walked into some water in front of the refrigerator crossing to the computer desk.?!?! I found that things were thawing and melting in the fridge. 😣. (2). I admit my first thought, that late at night, was to just leave it and deal with it later but when I went back to my bedroom, all I could think of was “it’s garbage day tomorrow, garbage will be picked up early in the morning” (3). Alright alright, I threw out contents from the fridge, poured out the ice bin, and dragged the kitchen trash over to the garbage bin.
I grumbled at our bad luck of getting a broken fridge & having wait 2 days for it to be fixed while we had our child in the hospital but realized, no, there was no better time (!!) than while we were in the hospital! It’d have been worse to be home with a broken fridge and little one to feed but we were in the hospital with coworkers, friends and neighbors all bringing us food! (4) and (5) the fridge was fixed the day we arrived home. So amazing, I couldn’t have timed all that more perfectly.
Oh and since this happened in early Dec, later in the month my baby’s palms and soles peeled and I mentioned how odd that was, right before my cousin, a pediatric cardiologist in the army, came to visit my east coast family and my brother showed him pictures and cousin John immediately recognized it as a symptom of Kawasaki disease, which wasn’t diagnosed in the hospital (since it’s so unknown) but was what he had. So we were able to do a followup and ensure his heart was healthy (it was!) (6)
Soo grateful!
I love that word ‘God-incidence’. When I returned to work from maternity leave with my youngest child, it was to find the healthcare service I work for was being reorganised and my old team wouldn’t exist anymore. I had the offer of a transfer to a new team, and it has worked out so well for me, I have had the opportunity for a promotion and to work more hours, which has been a blessing to my family.
Thank you and all the bloggers for everything you’ve shared with us here, I have signed up for your newsletter.
Thank you so much, Megan! We are all so grateful to have been part of this blog and to have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful readers!
I know what you mean–I’ve often thought I should keep a record of those God-incidences so I would be able to remember them! But there are just so many ways that he directs our lives that it would be impossible to write them all down (or even to know them all!). I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed your time at Inspy and that you’re subscribed to my newsletter (and I’m also glad to know I’m not the only lurker!). :)
Wow! What a series of events! I love that you were able to look at it as God’s perfect timing that the refrigerator broke while your baby was in the hospital and you had plenty of food from family and friends! And that you had just the right person in the family to know what your baby had. What a blessing how God works these things out!
Oh wow! What a perfect example of a God-incidence. I’m so glad the new position has worked out well for you and your family! Thanks so much for signing up for my newsletter!
I love that term–God-incidence. I know I have had some in my 72 years, but cannot think of any now. I know there have been several times when His angels have surrounded me and kept me from death or near death. God is good, all the time.
I also subscribe to your newsletter and look forward to it every Sunday. I think you might have introduced me to Inspy. Thank you.
Thank you so much. I love your postings as well as your newsletter. There have been many in my life. I would have to say that the biggest is the morning there was a fire in the apartment/townhouse next to ours. The unit was empty at the time. Our dog woke me up. I tried to go back to sleep, but he would not allow me to. I went to the bathroom, read my devotions and was going to go back to bed. When I made it to the hall, there was smoke at the landing. I hurried and changed clothes. When we made it down the stairs, there was not any smoke. I hurried to get the leash on the dog, put on my coat and grab my purse.
As we were leaving the apartment/townhouse to go across the street to my Mom’s I could see the fire in the other unit. I also saw a man across the street walking toward the corner. As we crossed the street and walked on my Mom’s porch, she was there opening the door. The man that I had seen heading to the corner had woke up my Mom telling her that her daughter, Debbie, needed her. We are the only ones to see the gentleman.
Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
I didn’t used to wear my seatbelt many years ago and I remember getting off of the expressway and I swear I heard this loud voice telling me, ‘Put your seatbelt on Now!’ I ignored it and 2 more times until I just couldn’t anymore, I hurried and clicked it on.
Not more than a few minutes later I reached an intersection and a car blew through it turn left and right into my driver’s side. That impact pulled so tightly and locked completely in place. If I hadn’t had a seatbelt on I would have flown straight through the windshield and more than likely not have made it.
I was so shook up that I just sat there until help came. I was realizing that God had just saved my life.
Yes, he’s good all the time! It’s amazing the ways he spares us from danger on so many occasions. I’m so glad we get to connect through my newsletter each week. It’s one of the great blessings of this author journey!
Oh wow! What a blessing that your dog wouldn’t let you go back to sleep! I’m so glad God used just the right combination of circumstances to get you out of the apartment safely. Thanks so much for your kind words about my newsletter–it is such a joy to connect that way!
Oh my goodness! That’s a powerful example of God at work in your life. I’m so glad you put your seatbelt on and were safe even through the accident. God is good!
Yes many incidents like that. Most notably where there has been an accident or disaster and somehow something happens and I am unable to be there thankfully. When I was little it was God guide my fingers, guide my toes, get me there on time (else Mum would be upset by the tardiness) so if I’m not on time (which I was raised to believe was a sign of respect for yourself and others) now then something is afoot and I trust God to keep me safe along with guidance in other areas of my life whether I understand it at the time or not. I know God provides and though I might not know how it will manifest I know it’s my part to be aware so I can grab the opportunites that are presented and persevere through the ones I may not appreciate but hindsight usually shows me why they occurred. Thanks for a great post.
can’t think of any
Thank you for sharing this, and for all your time here throughout the years. This blog will certainly be missed!
A God-incidence in my life would be my time as an exchange student. I remember one of my friends telling me that had I gone a semester before, we wouldn’t have met (and he, his fiancee, and his church were the people who helped me the most during that time.)
Yes, it’s so hard not to get frustrated when we’re late for something, and yet God can use even that for our good. I love what you said about whether we understand it at the time or not because so often we don’t–but he does! It always amazes me to look back over my life and recognize how God worked in ways I never recognized at the time.
It can be tough to see them because we don’t always even realize what God is doing in our lives!
Oh wow, it sounds like God’s perfect timing that you went when you did! It’s amazing that he puts just the right people in place at just the right time.
It has been a blessing to blog here and connect with you!
I can’t pull any specific ones to mind right now, but there have been many God-incidences in my life!
Definitely have had some of my own
I can understand that! It’s amazing how many things God does in our lives!
Oh yes! Isn’t it amazing how God does that!
Back in August I was visiting family in a neighbouring country, and on the way back from an excursion, a tire rolled off the car and we were left stranded.
Luckily we already drove by the cliffs (the roads up the hills/mountains are really narrow, and there’s no fence to keep you from falling down if you’re not driving carefully) and the place where the car stopped was in between two villages, so eventually someone drove by, stopped to help, then people from both villages came to lend a hand and we made it home 4ish hours later.
I wasn’t scared, even though I knew we could’ve died if the tire chose to roll off just a few minutes earlier when we were driving by the cliffs. I just knew God was with us and everything was going to be okay. I felt that He intervened and that’s why the tire held on long enough to get to a safer location :)
Absolutely! Take care :)
Wow! What a powerful reminder that God is always watching over us! I’m so glad he let your tire come off at just the right time, when you were out of the cliffs and that there were people nearby to help!
Thinking on it. When we moved into the town after dad had a stroke we had 2 weeks to move and mum and dad had gone to every realestate places and not rentals. The last one said none then just before they were going to leave they said hold on one had just hit the books. We believe it was God’s timing and not just a coincidence.
Kind of the same thing happened – “our” house went on the market the very morning we went out to look at houses and we saw the sign for this one just past the one the agent had printed up the night before for us to look at. Well, it was perfect. (we’re still here in this house!)
I can’t think of any right now but this post was such a good reminder that God is always working and always in control
Thanks so much! It’s a reminder that I need often–and I’m grateful he provides it in many ways! :)
I’m so sorry I didn’t see your first comment the other day! (I was using my phone, so I think that was the issue–so glad I saw this now!) These are great examples of God’s timing! It always amazes me to see how he has all things in his control, right down to the timing of a place to live coming on the market!
I know what you mean about saying goodbye–it’s so hard to think that we won’t all be hanging out here after this. But I do hope you’ll stay in touch other ways! It’s been so wonderful getting to know you!
I’m so sorry I didn’t see your comment the other day! But I’m so grateful you shared this. Yes, there are some very personal situations that God works out for our good and his glory. I’m so glad to know he has a plan for each one of us!
Already a subscriber and we’ll definitely hang out together :)
Wow that is a great Godincedance.
I know without my friend I don’t know where I would be as most houses are out of my range and while I was given plenty of time if I hadn’t rung when I did I would have been given 4 weeks notice with in a week or so.
Thank you and I admit I had some not the best thoughts then I thought maybe it was cos of how you interact with word press. Its interesting that all three times (was was 8 the first time) there were no housed I could rent. It shows God does care although I do know he allows some to go homeless too. when I next move in about 10 years I will be able to go to a unit at the aged home which is a help to know.
I am sure I will see you around the traps.
Yes, WordPress is not my natural environment, lol, and then add in doing it on mobile…yikes! But I’m glad we connected in the end. :) And I appreciate your comment that God does allow homelessness too. Sometimes I struggle with understanding how he could work that out for good–but I don’t have to understand it, I just have to trust that even in those situations, he knows what is best. I’m so glad he provided a place for you at just the right time and that you know where you’ll be able to move to next as well. I’m sure that’s a comfort as you look to the future!
A perfect example of God’s perfect timing! :)
Definitely! I’m so glad we get to keep hanging out together!