Tag Archive for: God-incidence

Twice is Nice

This morning, I’ve got a bit of a spiritual plot twist to share.
See our pictures….
They’ve got something lovely in common….
Well, yes us of course….… but there is also something else.
Mason Sowards, arrived in the Belgium Netherlands Mission as a new missionary back in September 2023, and Monic and I had the privilege of being his mission leaders.
Fast forward, and now back in Scotland, we find ourselves again with a Sowards missionary, this time Eliza Sowards, who was recently transferred to Dunfermline.
Yep….. Cousins!
Two different missions.
Two different countries.
One shared surname.
And somehow, both ended up serving with us.
Coincidence?
Maybe.
But I prefer to call it a God-incidence.
Both of them head home next month, and we can’t help but feel so lucky to have been part of their journeys, on both sides of the North Sea.
As the scripture says:
“The steps of a good man (and woman) are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” – Psalms 37:23
Well… apparently, so are transfers. 😄
So, here’s my question:
What are the odds that two cousins from the same family would both get stuck with us?!
Or better yet, what are the odds we’d be lucky enough to get to be with them both?
How many ‘coincidences’ does it take before you start calling it divine design?

Meant to Be

Back in mid-December 2024, I met Ella Henricksen for the first time at BYU, in Provo, Utah.
She was a little excited about a possible internship in Scotland.
What I didn’t know then was just how much of a blessing she’d become for me personally.
Ella was set to become the first intern I was responsible for placing in Scotland.
It was a tall order with an extremely tight deadline, to find her a placement by mid-January, with the Christmas holidays in between.
The clock was ticking.
I’d found a willing museum in Edinburgh, but we soon faced challenges with HR and logistics when she arrived in Scotland, that left us scrambling for a plan B.
In those moments of uncertainty, what unfolded felt less like chance and more like divine help.

Plan B

I was hesitant at first to ask Ella to help with something so personal (Plan B) – the final editing of my own book, on top of her podcast work and a few tasks for the FoRB Foundation.
But the more I considered it, the more I realised she was exactly the person I needed.
Ella brought great editorial insight, discipline, and a sense of calm competence.
We met for lunch, mapped out what was left to do, and she got to work.
From there, something special grew, not just a productive collaboration, but a genuine friendship rooted in mutual respect and shared purpose.
We enjoyed many wide-ranging healthy conversations, which became a highlight of our time together.
Ella has made a real difference.
I know she’ll miss Scotland, and truth be told, I’ll miss her too!
As she heads back to the U.S. today, I’m grateful for the way everything came together, even those early setbacks seemed to have purpose.
Some might call it coincidence, but I’d say it was more of a God-incidence.
Thank you, Ella, for all you’ve given. 😊
What unexpected help have you been grateful for?

God-incidence

For those of us who have put our faith and trust in God, there seems to be a lot of “coincidences.”
I believe that God puts people in our way for a reason and He was at work again this week, with my dear friend Derek.
We were talking about recognising “hand of the Lord” moments in our life, when he introduced me to the term “𝑮𝒐𝒅-𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.”
It was the very first time I’d heard such a phrase.
“𝐆𝐨𝐝-𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞” – A happening exceeding happenstance.
The hand of the Lord, divine design, divine signatures, divine appointment, divinely orchestrated, providential coincidences, or even… strikingly juxtaposed events!
I encourage you to reflect on the sheer ‘coincidences’ in your life.
Could they be ‘God-incidences?

You decide!

Does any of this sound familiar?
“That is simply not possible.”
“Wasn’t that just perfect timing?”
“And you just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
“I couldn’t have planned that better if I’d tried.”
“It just so happened that in that moment…”
God doesn’t work by coincidence.
I believe in God-incidence.
And this is not a faith specific phenomenon.
It occurs in all faiths and beliefs.
And yet, it baffles believers and sceptics alike.
I also believe all things are crafted by God — including time.
He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent!
Nothing is random with Him.
If you are devoted to Jesus Christ, I am sure you’ll notice God-incidence, yet many will argue simply human coincidence.
However, I know that Jesus Christ is a loving God and He has intentional plans for each of us.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” – Psalms 37:23
Let’s expect Him to be at work, in our day, every day!
Look very carefully at your own life today.
Watch and see those God-incidences unfold…