In a previous blog about my shift from believing in coincidences to starting to see God-incidences, I shared about coming to faith when God answered a question that I asked myself ‘What’s the best thing in the world I can possibly do for my newly born first child, Sion?’ The voice that spoke instantly into my head and my inner soul said ‘Follow Jesus!’. The irony was that as an atheist at the time I’d become interested in a Christian neighbour and her friends I had met who had undermined my negative perceptions about Christianity. To top it all I now had a voice answering a question I thought I had asked myself, telling me the answer was to follow Jesus! What was going on with those ‘coincidences’???
A few months later I’m now at our neighbour’s church and I remember distinctly praying to this God I’d just opened my eyes to, ‘Please let me see my children and their children and know they are safe and thriving?’
Roll forward 38 years, and now Sion and his wife have a most beautiful 14-month-old daughter, but neither of the proud parents are practising Christians yet. But, during a visit to their home in Bristol, my lovely daughter-in-law asked us whether we would be willing to take their smidge to church with us so she could see her uncle Rhys, our second child, playing drums. My heart skipped. What was going on?
So, Sunday 27th October 2024, we are filled with joy as our granddaughter and her doting parents accompany us to the morning service. The worship and message were powerful, and my granddaughter, who is just starting to toddle about, is standing there on the cover of the baptistry doing a jig! Her uncle Rhys is playing the drums, but I now realise that smidge is standing on the baptistry where I had had the absolute pleasure of helping baptise Rhys in January 2023.
During the service, Sion turned to me and said he had some questions he wanted to ask me about Christianity after the service. Unfortunately, I was held up from following him for coffee, but then I bumped into Andy, the pastor, who said he would go and introduce himself. By the time I get down, Andy is getting on like a house on fire with Sion and his wife, both of whom are standing next to Rhys. Sion had been quizzing Rhys about his deep faith when Andy arrived. God was pointing out to me He was arranging things in answer to my prayer 38 years earlier. He hadn’t forgotten and He had arranged everything.
Who knows what the future holds other than Christ, but I had a complete sense of joy as I realised God was underlining for me how He was keeping His promises to me down the past 38 years, standing faithfully beside me, my wonderful wife and children and their children.
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations”
Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV