Coincidence?

It was day two of serving tea to the refugees at Tabanovce, the border between Macedonia and Serbia. It was a cold day. Raining too. I remember not feeling my toes and serving tea was nice...at least my hands could touch some warmth every 7 seconds while filling a cup of chai (black tea). " Talg? , Charien?" were the main 2 words spoken to many refugees stretching out their arms over the counter also longing for some comfort in the cold weather - a cup of warm tea (served with a smile :-)

While trying to serve as many cups possible in the quickest time to the people infront of me I looked up for a moment and noticed a lady behind the mass on her toes trying to catch my attention. She had a baby girl in her arms. Without thinking I just reached out my arms over everyone and she handed me her baby without hesitation. There I was holding this precious little girl, so pure and delicate and adorable. She smiled. I smiled.  It was a beautiful moment. Happy.

After that day every time we would visit the camp, I would walk into this family at random times. Not even at the place where we served tea. Their little family, husband, wife and baby girl, was always happy to see me. We would stop everytime and have the same broken Arabic-English conversation: " hello, how are you?".. thats it. The rest of the meeting would involve the three of us marveling at their precious little girl.

I left the camp one day and found myself thinking about these "random" meetings with this particular family. Were these meetings all by chance? Only a coincidence that we would see each other every time? Where does meeting people from nowhere and then THIS particular family or whoever in general "by chance" fit into my life as a believer? How does God see it and use it and was it in His plan for me to meet them? And now what?

Does coincidences happen ? If our lives were put together with coincidences would it not then be a series of random moments put together by time that make up days, months, years and eventually our lives. It would be that things JUST happen, people JUST cross our paths, we are JUST here?  Where would purpose be then? If we lived with a perspective or belief that things happen "by chance" or as coincidences it would be an empty life of "JUST" and it would deny God , His sovereighty, power over all and that He is in control of everything and everyone.

Definition: coincidence - " a remarkable concurrance of events or circumstances without apparent casual connection"

Note above: REMARKABLE
Synonyms - extraordinary, exeptional, amazing, astonishing, marvelous, wonderful, stunning, incredible, unbelieveable, phenomenal, outstanding

Above are all characteristics of WHO God is. He IS extraordinary, He is expeptional, amazing, marvelous , wonderful...etc. and so looking at coincidences in life itself, I believe that God Himself IS the "events or circumstances" without our connection or control in things. It is God all along the "coincidences" in our daily lives presenting Himself to us, wanting to use us and inviting us to partner with Him in building His Kingdom on earth, where we walk and go. He draws us closer to Himself through uexplained and unexpected places, people, events and things... coincidences? Yes. God ordained. We only need eyes to see and ears to hear them.

Rev 4:11 " Worthy are you, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created,"

And so I am excited for these refugee camp "coincidences" to follow in the week to come with this special family from Syria.

Zakaria, Yasma and little Yakin.

More on their story to follow...