When something happens, we humans have a tendency to look back at it and wonder why. More specifically, we sometimes think back to the circumstances surrounding that event and mentally tinker with the timeline and try to imagine what might have been different if this fell one way (rather than the other) or if that occurred later (or even earlier). I suppose that’s just natural curiosity for the most part. It is also an integral part of the way we humans learn from our experiences as we consider how things might have come out differently when our actions are modified. These musings, and the lessons learned from them, can help inform our choices when similar situations arise in the future.
However, sometimes we look back and can’t help but wonder if someone else might be active. Maybe it seems like the details, viewed from our limited perspective, line up a little bit too neatly. When most other arenas in life seem to be quite random, it can catch our attention when we detect a more uniform pattern in the way our daily lives swirl around us. After all, we see numerous examples of this phenomenon. We instantly recognize that straight rows of trees were obviously planted intentionally by someone years ago and didn’t grow that way as part of some naturally occurring forest. If you spend much time outdoors, it becomes pretty obvious which trails were naturally carved by deer and which ones were built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. When playing a board game with friends we get quite suspicious if one of them starts rolling two pairs of sixes every time they tossed the dice.
In most places around the world, people aren’t content to simply ponder these types of events when they happen. They are ready to go the next step and assume there must be some sort of explanation even if they don’t immediately know what that is. Here in the West, we automatically assume someone set things up that way or pre-programmed some sort of system to arrange matters or some other logical explanation. For tribal or more animistic cultures this can often include the belief that some sort of spiritual power is at work – for good or for ill. They will even do whatever they can to influence these powers with rituals and totems and by venerating certain relics and mystical practices. Many Eastern cultures pay careful attention to undertaking important events on certain auspicious days or times in hopes that these unseen influences will increase their success.
As Christians, we know that God is active in the world today. His Spirit is with us continually as a guide. In the well-known verse from Romans, Paul reminds us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him…” and in the rest of Chapter 8 we see that Paul is not interested in this good simply being a by-product. The goodness imparted by God when He is “working all things” directly contributes to our becoming “more than conquerors” over all that which might separate us from His love (death, life, angels, demons, present, future, powers, heights, depths, anything!). So, that begs the question of figuring out whether or not something is merely chance or was it the providence of God?
I recently was reminded of this when Emily and I took a weekend trip to see our son in college. It was going to be a “regular, quiet” weekend here at the house. Emily had a work commitment Saturday morning, but it didn’t take much time. When she returned home, I asked her if she might be game for a last-minute trip to Searcy to catch that evening’s Harding Football game, hang out with Ben and Naomi for a bit, grab a hotel room for the night, and do Worship and lunch the next day with them. No grand plan, no itinerary to keep track of, and no commitments to meet. Just a fun getaway to sneak in a little time together before the Fall holiday season really gets going and things get crazy/busy again.
By the time we were driving back to Memphis Sunday afternoon, we couldn’t help but remark on just how many people we crossed paths with in the previous 30 hours. Of course, we got to spend some good time with Ben and Naomi, which was our priority, but by my unofficial count we had at least 25 separate “chance” encounters with people that included some sort of meaningful interaction beyond a simple wave and saying hello. Wow! Several of these interactions, completely unplanned by us, turned out to be very helpful with respect to planning for Ben and Naomi’s wedding in January. We even managed to setup a meeting in a couple of weeks to discuss our desire for mission work in Japan with a member of Harding’s Global Missions department.
So, back to our question: was it merely chance or was it providence? I’m not sure it is in our best interest to try and press that question too far. After all, our limited perspective and human tendency to overlook our own flaws might force an answer which is neither helpful nor correct. Caveats considered, though, I do think God was at work this weekend in the way we had opportunity to connect with people. I won’t go so far as to concretely, definitively pronounce that each interaction was heralded directly from heaven, since I have neither the wisdom nor insight to make such a proclamation. Further, I recognize the vital role that Faith plays in our lives here on Earth. When I lean into that Faith and start to trust God to work everything out without needing to understand it all myself, I suddenly feel less compelled to try and determine the issue of chance versus providence at all.
I will simply stick to what I know, and let God do His thing as He wills and wants to do it. It’s fun to think about all of the ways that God “works everything out”, but this side of heaven I don’t need to know for sure. In the meantime, I find comfort in Isaiah’s word that “God has me in the palm of his hand.”
~ Clay
Fowlers in Japan 