There Are No Coincidences

I want to share something that happened on Tuesday evening that many people would say was a coincidence but when you read what I write you will say “No, that was God”. But first some personal news and a prayer request.

I am in the hospital in Houston (Methodist, for you Houston residents). I sort of passed out on Wednesday morning while Judy and I were in the 59 Diner eating breakfast with a friend (not related to the food. The diner is a great place). 911 was dialed, paramedics arrived, and transported me to Methodist where I have been for the last 20 hours or so. They admitted me so I spent a sleepless night here. Knowing my doctor, who is very thorough, I might (but hope not) be here at least another day. Most of the nurses and technicians here are Christians. Some are well versed in spiritual warfare and healing prayer. Interesting.

The tests results all came back normal but I suspect they want to do some more. We’ll see. I could use some prayers, especially against the enemy who is messing with my heart (some atrial fibrillation – not related to yesterday’s ‘event’) and trying to discourage me. Also, healing for whatever caused my acute nausea yesterday. Thanks.

Now, the ‘coincidence’ that I want to share. On Tuesday evening Ryan and I, who I met with regularly when I lived in Houston, got together to catch up and pray. After about an hour of talking about what God was doing in our lives and prayer we decided to get some dinner. We walked over to the restaurant at the Art Museum, which is across from the church where we were meeting. It was closed. So after a few minutes of discussion we decided to go to a more upscale restaurant a mile or so away called the Raven Grill.

We got there and were shown to our table. Well, sort of a table. It was one of those arrangements where there is a long bench and a bunch of small tables. One person sits on the bench and the other on the opposite side of the small table on a chair. This arrangement means that you might be sitting right next to another couple on the bench. Do you know what I mean?

I generally don’t like this set up because if another couple is sitting at the adjacent table, you are literally less than a foot away from them with little or no privacy. It is a little too intimate for me. But for some reason we agreed to the table and Ryan and I sat down with a couple next to us. It is probably not so surprising to know that we got around to what God has been telling us lately and I shared the revelation about Bartimaeus and the Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10) that God had given me. I was, as usual, very enthusiastic about the comparison between the two (I will publish this in a future post — it is very cool. Check it out for yourself). The couple next to us was an older couple. Well, much older than Ryan but probably about my age or a few years older. We were still eating our meal when they got their bill and prepared to leave.

Just before they got up, the woman who was seated next to me leaned over and asked “are you a religious man?” I said “yes, I am a religious man”. And she said “I thought so. I heard you talking about Bartimaeus. I love that story in the bible.” She was very friendly and then she asked me if I would pray for her husband because he was going to have an operation on his shoulder the next day at the Texas Orthopedic Hospital in Houston. I think she was asking me to remember to pray tomorrow as he was entering surgery, but my belief is to pray immediately if someone asks for prayer.

I said “yes I will pray. But we need to pray right now” and she said “Oh good. I was hoping you would say that.” Ryan and I got up from our table, and laid hands on him. I proclaimed the Kingdom of God, and prayed for healing, success in surgery, and no infection — out loud with an emphasis on ‘loud’. I mean, not in a whisper. Jesus was with us as I prayed and we were all touched by His Presence. Hallelujah!

We sat down and the husband filled us in on where they lived, etc. Turns out they live in Galveston. He had lived with the pain in his shoulder as long as he could stand it and finally scheduled surgery. He told me his surgeon did several hundred of these a year and didn’t seem too worried. They attend the Catholic Church in Galveston but were connected in some way to several Presbyterian churches in that area.

Then he told me that as they were driving to Houston earlier that evening they suddenly remembered that before all of his other surgeries (he didn’t tell me what they were) usually someone in their church had prayed for them, but not this time. They really missed that prayer. Both were very moved and touched that God had arranged for a total stranger to pray for them that evening.

I don’t know if as they were driving up they prayed for God to bring them someone to pray for them. All I know is that God had Ryan and I meet on that evening (we were going to meet on Thursday, but at the last minute changed it to Tuesday), closed one restaurant, took us to another, and seated us exactly where He wanted us. He used my conversation with Ryan to get the woman’s attention and gave her the boldness to listen to our conversation and then the courage to ask for prayer. God gave me the instruction, the boldness, and the words to pray for them in the restaurant. Finally, He used the man to share their desire for prayer to make it clear, at least to me, that this meeting was not a coincidence. It was orchestrated by Him to bless the couple and to share with ya’ll one more example of His Awesomeness so that as we begin this day we can face it with a spirit of amazement at His goodness and presence. And of course, to bless me.

I wish I could end this post by saying that because of that prayer the man’s shoulder was healed that night, that when the surgeon operated he found a completely restored shoulder and didn’t have to do any work. That as they shared the story of the night before God would be glorified, and the surgeon confronted with a miraculous reality that would draw him into the heart of Jesus. That might have happened, but I probably will never know. What happened in the Raven Grill on Tuesday night was miracle enough for me. I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in a powerful, sovereign God who knew from before the beginning of time that a couple driving up to Houston for shoulder surgery would need prayer, and who put me right where He wanted me to fulfill His will to bless them and to write this post for your encouragement.

That is the amazing God we worship. Hallelujah!!

Grace and peace, in Jesus’ name,

John