Life has been putting me through the wringer lately.  Actually, most of the time, I’ve been putting myself through the wringer via my own stupid choices.  But that’s neither here nor there.

I went to church Sunday feeling particularly empty of hope, joy, peace, energy, etc.  And as I sat on the pew (Do we still call it a pew even though it is a cushy chair hooked to two other cushy chairs? I don’t think that is a pew proper.  It needs a new name…  I’m sure Jon Acuff can come up with one…), not really wanting to be there, the band began to play David Crowder’s “How He Loves”.  As I sang the words just above a whisper, the Holy Spirit burst into my consciousness like Kramer entering Jerry’s apartment.  And He (the Holy Spirit, not Kramer) whispered a soothing message of His love to me.  It was one of those situations when you just know that God has orchestrated the entire morning around those few moments.  It simply cannot be a coincidence, not because I don’t believe in coincidences, but because the words of that particular song were the only words that God could have spoken to me that morning to make me believe His love for me is true.

For those skeptics out there, I will fill in a few more details.  My younger daughter was sick Sunday morning.  I could have been the one to stay home with her, letting my husband take our older daughter to church.  But I didn’t.  For those who are keeping score, God’s Blessing My Selfishness 1, Serving Husband By Staying Home with Sick Child 0.

But that’s not all.  I was late to service on Sunday, so “How He Loves” was the only song I was present for.  The worship leader could have not only not picked that song for that Sunday, but he also could have played it in four other song slots, if you will, and I would have missed it.  But he didn’t.  Instead, God purposely used that song as His avenue of choice to speak personally to me.

And the truth is, I have a thousand other stories just like this one.  When they start to add up like that, you just can’t call it coincidence anymore; you have to call it God.