It's Not A Coincidence - April 27, 2023

It’s been quite a while since I posted. I have been beating myself up a bit over it. So I’m thrilled to be back.

Life’s been a bit hectic since returning from the beach house mid-March. Unpacking two months’ worth of stuff, recording expenses in Excel spreadsheets, gathering documents for a now complicated tax return, and giving my body a chance to re-adjust has taken up my days. I thought that was enough to do, until I received an email from our beach house neighbor.

He is very involved in the beachfront community and wanted to let us know that we are showing as “non-compliant” in the county. What? Exactly what does that mean? He explained that we must register as a rental property, abide by certain rules, and of course, pay more taxes, this time a business tax. When I finally got to the correct web site, I found there was an application process you wouldn’t wish on your best friend. Needless to say, we’re still working on the list.

Then I got sick before Easter, and as it goes for me, I am still sick. So I really didn’t feel like writing. I didn’t have much energy for anything. At least, those were the excuses I gave myself. I didn’t feel inspired. I felt tired. Physically and emotionally. Until today.

This morning I did not feel like going to church either, still trying to kick the sinus infection. But I made myself get up for morning Mass and for the Weekday Witness class after. It’s where a group of us get to hear bible passages explained by our Parish Evangelist. He is a former seminarian and has a true teaching gift in helping us understand scripture. You could label it a bible study but it’s so much more than that. He is engaging, humorous and usually very entertaining. Through him I have experienced the bible in a new way and have learned more about my faith than I ever learned in Catholic grammar school. (Not knocking that experience as it was a good one.) As our Evangelist often remarks,

“Sr. Mary Gallagher never taught you this!”

Very true. The church is getting better at helping us grow in our faith.

Today I felt a pull to attend.

However, what I found when I got there was that someone needed me to be there for them. This is a woman acquaintance through my parish. Just yesterday, she asked a mutual friend how to contact me. And today, there I was. We stayed after class and talked for another hour. She suffers with chronic pain as well and needed a friend who understood. We threw around the word, “coincidence” but we both knew it was not. We spent the time sharing our circumstances and encouraging each other and made plans to get together again. We were both overcome by a “meant to be” kind of feeling. How wonderful that we have each other now to share the path we walk.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Jesus Christ.”

-Phillippians 4:19

Many times in life we cannot see God working. We wonder what the heck He is doing. Has he not heard my thousands of prayers? Why isn’t He answering? As our Parish Evangelist said today,

“God is not a vending machine.”

He gives us what we need, not what we want. It’s all according to His holy will.

But sometimes, we catch a glimpse of God working. Like today. My friend thought I was there for her. I felt she was there for me. After weeks and weeks of feeling tired and discouraged, this talk today has gotten me back to the keyboard. It has made me feel good to know I had something to give to someone else. It made me feel less alone, sharing my burden with a fellow chronic pain sufferer.

God doesn’t deal in coincidence. This was a divinely led meeting. Upon reflection, I realize I very rarely get what I want (and that’s probably a good thing) but I know deep down, I always get what I need. And that’s not a coincidence either.