Random Events?

To the best of my ability I try to wrap up my work week on Thursday. I treat Sunday as a full work day, and then work Monday through Thursday, counting Friday and Saturday as my weekend. It's a good plan, I think, although it often doesn’t work out that way. Pastoral emergencies, family commitments, holidays and random things that can't possibly be imagined can all intervene as a week plays out. Working half a day, or all day, on Friday and/or Saturday seems to come around as often as not.

Yesterday I got an email asking for a phone conversation Thursday or Friday. Because of something unplanned that had come up I was way behind on Sunday's sermon and so I told him that Friday was out but I could talk Thursday, late in the day, say 4 PM. Next week would work out better, if possible. He took me up on 4PM, which is 6 PM in his time zone.

And so today I got up at the usual time, started the coffee, did my devotions and prayer, ate breakfast, and got to work. Checked my email, sent a note, and then picked up my study notes for this week's sermon and got to work writing things down. There were a few brief interruptions as Robin and the kids awoke, had breakfast and then left on their field trip. And then I got back at the task that is my highest priority each week.

When I had a workable first draft of Sunday's sermon done I went for a run, and then when I got back I cleaned up and had lunch. I sent an email to the guy who was going to call at 4 and told him that he could go ahead and call anytime it was convenient. I did a number of lesser things for work, he called, I did some other things and about 3:30 I decided to go pick-up the mail.

All mail delivery in Dulce is by post office box, and as I was leaving the driveway to go to the post office I remembered that we needed some milk, and so I changed my route. The store is right next to the post office, with a  driveway connecting them, and in my opinion a combined trip works best by stopping at the store first. And as I drove to the store the seemingly random events began.

First, as I drove past the tribal headquarters I saw someone walking out of the building to her car. I've been wanting to talk to this person personally for about 6 weeks and this was the first opportunity I had to make that connection. I slowed, the anti-lock brakes activated, and I missed the turn into the parking lot. Fortunately she was parked far away from the building and so she had just barely reached her car when I pulled in alongside and was able to talk with her.

Then it was to the store. Found my milk and then wandered over to the bakery, thinking a donut might be calling my name. No donuts, but I ran into someone I know a bit and said "Hi!" Then I remembered that there was a lot of seasonal illness in their family this week and so I stopped for a longer conversation before going to pay for my milk.

On the way to my car I ran into someone I haven't seen for a while. Our contact was brief as I called her by name, said it was good to see her, and we exchanged a side hug.

Then it was off to the post office, where the task of picking up a box at the window gave me an opportunity to finally learn the name of the new clerk. Going in and out of the building I also was able to greet two other people I barely know, but I do know them by name. I glanced at my watch and it was just past 4 PM.

So a simple trip to the post office led to the completely unexpected opportunity to personally connect with six people. For five of those people I know bits and pieces of their lives. All five of those people know who I am, as pastor of the Reformed Church, and they know where to find me should they need me. And all of this happened when I had planned to be on a phone call.

I could look at this section of my day as being a series of random events. Things that happened by chance and have no greater meaning to them. But then I recall my own faith story, and remember that it includes something that happened 14 years before I came to saving faith. Something that I thought of at the time as being random and inconsequential. At the time, and from my point-of-view, it was. But it was also something used by God in a powerful way, and for his glory.

And so tomorrow is Friday. I'm planning to sleep until Robin gets up, go for a run, have breakfast and then work some on my sermon. And maybe in the course of the day I'll see God use a seemingly random event to the praise of his glory. And there is nothing random about that.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.