It's a God Thing

The other day, as I lined up for commencement, I was concerned about being placed on the left side of the procession rather than the right so as to be near the choir. Since I was playing my horn with the choir, this would provide fewer distractions and quick access to my designated performance spot. I went to the person in charge to look at the line up and she pointed out with excitement that indeed I was on the left side and even near the choir. I said, “Thank you, that worked out well.” Nearby I heard someone say, “It must be a God thing.”

I have heard that phrase frequently the last few weeks and have decided to address it. As my readers know, I do believe in angels and I also lean on the Calvinistic side of predestination. I have formed a type of hybrid philosophy that melds Arminianism with Calvinism, a blending of free will to act out our daily lives, God governed control over major events and ultimate destiny. With this, I believe God gives us freedom to make mistakes and conversely freedom to honor and serve him with acts of goodness and in worship. I sometimes wish for less freedom but in the end I am comforted to know that to an extent I control my own daily life.

Yet, there is no doubt that sometimes things just plain old happen over which we have no control. While God certainly has the right and the ability to manipulate, plan, and implement the events we read about each day, He also has the right and ability to allow humans to make their own mistakes. It also seems that sometimes things go well and sometimes they don’t. At what point do we claim that God is the author and illustrator of every event that happens? As I sit in this coffee shop writing this blog, I wonder if God decided where I would park, what I would drink, what I would think, write, whom I would see, and what events would happen today.

While there is no doubt that God could have planned that my location in the procession would easily allow me access to the choir, I wonder if He really did. Is God really concerned about these mundane events? Could it have been simply a nice coincidence? What if, hypothetically speaking, I had been placed at the end of the procession on the wrong side? Would this also have been a God thing at an effort to learn humility? What if, as we were processing down the long aisle, I looked down and saw a $1000 bill (which might cover our quickly growing gasoline bill). Would this be a God thing? What if my fortune at being placed near the choir resulted in sitting in a broken chair where I fell and bruised my lip and did not get to play my horn? Would this be a God thing?

Is there a time where we simply admit that things go wrong or things go right? Or do we look around and see the raging battle between God and Satan as they work to make small differences in the minute events that accompany us each day? But is it really fair to God to attribute His hand in things like lining up for a procession or getting a good parking spot at Walmart? Conversely, should we blame Satan for a stomachache or a flat tire or for running out of toothpaste?

As you can see, I have more questions than answers on this issue, but I also have to wonder if we are overusing that expression to an extent. Yet, whether or not that is true, there is no doubt that each of us finds comfort in knowing God is looking out for our well-being. While I might be a touch cynical about His involvement in our daily activities, I have little doubt that He wraps his arms around us and guides us through our life, lifts us out of the mire, and fills us with His abiding and steadfast love. Is he the orchestrator of every little event that occurs minute by minute? Maybe. Is He the guiding light and does His word give us a system of truth for our own decisions? Absolutely.