Coincidence?

It is beginning to become rather scary to see how divine intervention happens to work in my life. I continue to be amazed at how I meet people because of knowing someone I just met. This story starts in May of this year when we had a group from University of Washington staying with us. They were a girl’s La Crosse Team, which was competing in the Nationals in Scottsdale. I had received an e-mail from a leader of a Christian group on their campus about them being broke and needing housing for their event.

So as usual I volunteer and we have 20 girls spending a week with us. They slept on couches, the floor and a few beds. It was actually a lot of fun listening to them talk about a variety of things from commitment, pre-marital sex and future goals and careers. So we end up doing Ranch Market one day and going to Slide Rock. While we are at the Market we run into this lady, Kelli, that I end up talking to about what we do and why.

Kelli comes to church one night and hangs out with us afterwards. She then gives our info to a friend who is a pastor/community activist type like me. He calls and we talk a little and we are going to get together. I flake out because of too much happening with a painting project. He comes to church and we end up talking at McDonalds a little and then decide to meet in a day or so.

We sat outside Starbucks for a couple of hours while each of us shared our hearts and passion. It is almost funny to think that a White guy and a Black guy could think so much a like. The bottom line is that we share much in common and could benefit from helping each other out in specific ways.

This same thing just happened with Grand Canyon University. I had known Lance for a few years while he worked at SCA. I enjoyed having a few Jr. High Students help out for their mission week but never thought that this would go anywhere. Then I get an e-mail from Lance who now works at GCU and is overseeing the Spiritual Life Program. I now end up having interns, help with doing large service projects and the potential for some real help in the future with doing multi-cultural work.

I could continue with other stories to show that God is way ahead of me with planning and bringing people together to unfold His plan, not mine or Lee’s plan for South Phoenix. I am thankful for an ongoing lesson about trusting God in the face of lots of tough circumstances.