God Incidence

Seen on All God’s People, Written By Julia Pferdehirt

Dear sisters,

A friend once said a new word – God-incidence. Not a chance occurrence. Not “good luck” or even a random act of beauty (and I love random acts of beauty). But one of those God-acts that catches us by surprise. Something we see His hand all over – but usually after the fact.

I had a God-incidence recently. Someone from Care Net (a ministry to people seeking healing from abortion experiences) called my church’s office looking for help last fall. Care Net runs a periodic bible study called Forgiven and Set Free (tuck that bit of information away). At the end of the study, they always invite a pastor to come and read some scripture, say a “few words” and close in prayer.

Now, we’ve all seen pastors do this (maybe or maybe not with “few” words). The Care Net folks wondered if Faith Community’s pastor could come. But, we don’t have a pastor. Our church is team-led.

Enter the God-incidence. The person who answered the church phone ran upstairs where I was just finishing a meeting. He said, “there’s somebody on the phone and it sounds like you’re the person they’re looking for”.

I picked up the phone. Would I come and do this ‘pastor’ thing? I would. In fact, tears came.

I had just completed a journey of self-examination using The Path, a book by Laurie Beth Jones designed to help you discover and put words to a “personal mission statement”. I’d been asking God to show me His purpose and calling for me. I’d asked Jesus to “name” me with His name for me.

The book posed a series of exercises, readings, questions, and both prayer and personal journals leading to a “personal mission statement”. The result of mine was “through teaching, encouragement, mentoring, and prayer, offer the healing and wholeness of Jesus to women”.

So, armed with an official-sounding personal mission statement, I went out into the world (or at least to another church meeting.) Then, Care Net calls.

I ended up doing the “pastor thing” at the Forgiven and Set Free Bible study. Holy Spirit showed me that the women and men needed to be cleansed and blessed. He led me to anoint their minds, hearts and hands with oil, saying “renewed mind, cleansed heart, hand freed to reach out to others”. I was afraid people would be offended – knowing what seems normal to me may seem strange or uncomfortable to others. But they weren’t. It was beautiful. I was blessed. So were they.

God-incidence!

This week I had the privilege of doing the “pastor thing” again at the most recent Forgiven and Set Free study. God kept speaking to me about identity. Saying, forgiveness isn’t just something that happens related to a specific sin or problem – in Jesus, forgiveness is who you ARE. Who He makes you by His blood shed for you. You just don’t receive forgiveness, you ARE forgiven.

Holy Spirit showed me a sheer, white scarf I’d been given. I was to cover these women and men with this symbol of purity and speak a “new name” – Forgiven.

Again, I was afraid people might be offended. I was afraid they’d be expecting a “pastor” and they’d get me instead. I forgot how God had set this whole thing up a year earlier.

But, my fears were groundless. God-incidence flowed. Nobody seemed to think the “scarf thing” was strange. I was delightfully surprised and blessed. I hope the women and men were as well.

So, sisters. Please tuck the information about the Forgiven and Set Free study in your toolbox. You’ll meet someone who needs to search through God’s word to be led to and assured of forgiveness in Jesus.

And, keep your eyes open and your wits about you. God-incidents are everywhere, just waiting for YOU.

Love, Julia

Seen at UnLtdHome. By Carol Williams, Easter 2006

So, celebrating this Easter tide I was musing over the amount of God incidences in my life over this last short period. I guess many people would call them coincidences. However, I know through very personal experience that God is working in my life all year, not just at Easter. I was reflecting on my way to the airport to meet a friend at 4.30 a.m. I know, consider it an ungodly hour if you like! I was thinking about business and having one of those time out reflective, holiday thinking periods with nothing better to do than watch the amazing moonset at that time in the morning. I think that was what got me thinking about all the God incidences that had occurred relating to my business this year. Just looking at what a wonderful world he created.

So, I arrived at the airport and wandered in about 6.45 ah, great! I thought, just time for a nice cup of coffee, before my friends flight landed. I had been praying about my business on the way up in the car, that God would show me a new direction. Anyway, So there I was in the coffee queue smiling and happy, feeling on top of the world. There was a lady standing next to me, she seemed very ‘present’ and she said, “oh, it’s been quite a morning”. there began a conversation in the queue which was to last for the next hour. She introduced herself by name, asked if she could join me and we had the most delightful hour, she walked me to the barrier while we continued to talk and she stood with me until my friend came through off the plane. She was charming, animated, interesting, lively, had some great stories, a joke and what’s more had a small degree of crossover into my own business. Her name is Claire and she was older than me and I think I would probably have a run for my money to keep up with just how much she does in her life and I have a seven year old to run after.

Anyway, we exchanged emails and I passed her a couple of leaflets which I had with me, always good to take your information with you wherever you go and even at holiday times. I sent Claire an email on my return to say how delightful it was to meet her and that it would be great to keep in touch.

I received a prompt reply, saying that she had met another lady in the airport, same day, who also worked with troubled young people and she had passed one of my leaflets to her and she gave me the other person’s email address saying that she had told her all about me.

I have no idea where this will all lead but I know that it will not be the last of it! More later. It is amazing how God networks people.

What I should also tell you was that before going into the coffee lounge, I stood feeling a bit vacant for a few minutes before walking over to a newstand. Now, I never read newspapers as a rule, too much bad news in them. I found myself walking all round the newstand reading the headlines. As I did, I asked myself “what are you doing here, why are you reading the headlines, you don’t read papers”? Then I walked over to the coffee lounge and stood in the queue. If I had not done that, I would never have met Claire and had the amazing chat and network link that we did. It was an appointment arranged by God, I have those happen all the time and so I say to you all Happy Easter!

He has risen, just as he said. Matthew 28:6