Connect The Dots

One of the many things I love about Jesus is when He connects the dots. You know when you see a story come together and you know only God could have done it.
I want to share three of my most current stories.
First Story:
I have shared with you before how our church does a community outreach called 2nd Saturday. I was asked to lead a group of volunteers for The Children’s Home annual picnic. We supplied food and games and helped families who are raising other family member’s children for various reasons to just have a fun relaxing day that didn’t cost them any money. While I was there I noticed a young woman with 2 small children, they looked about 2 and 3 years old and she was very pregnant. I could see by her demeanor she was really stressed out and I wondered how she would cope with another baby.
Later while in the ladies room another guest from the picnic and I started a conversation about her situation and how she was raising her nieces 3 children and how difficult it was. I encouraged her as much as possible and allowed her to vent. Before I left for the day that same woman came back to me and said there was a woman at the picnic who was pregnant and didn’t want her baby. I knew in my heart exactly who it was. I asked her to ask the woman if it would be OK for me to have her name and number and I would have someone contact her that could help. I then prayed she would be willing to give a stranger her information. She did and I took the number to a friend who helps with adoptions.
A few months later that friend sent me an email that a beautiful healthy baby was born and going home with a loving couple who have been praying for a baby.
I had to laugh because once again God does things His own way. I’m sure no one planned that God would connect the dots of these 2 families from a picnic.
2nd Story:
I needed to go to my church and pick up a book a friend left for me at the welcome center. I was taking my grandsons to a vacation Bible school at a friend’s church so I figured I would swing by and pick up the book after I dropped the boys off.
Before leaving I went to grab my phone and realized it didn’t charge “for some reason.” I thought I knew where I was going so I left without it. When I got to the church there was no one there, I obviously missed something in the plan. I had no phone… so I had to drive back home to call my friend and figure out where I went wrong.
I thought about stopping at my church and getting the book but I was afraid I would run into someone and start blabbing and the boys would be really late so I passed by and decided to go by after I dropped them off at the right church.
I tell you all these details because I thought I was making the decision of when I would go get the book but unknown to me the Lord was doing the dot connecting for His perfect timing.
I dropped the boys off, went to the store then to the bank and then to my church to get the book. As I’m walking through the lobby a man sitting on a couch starts talking to me as if we were already in conversation. He’s telling me what he needs and who he spoke to last. It caught me off guard and I actually looked behind me thinking someone else must be in the lobby. I told him I didn’t work there and was just picking up a book and then realized it was an opportunity to help a person. I sat down next to him and asked what he needed. He said he was staying with friends and in his car and needed some gas money to get to a job he was starting in the next hour. I told him I had no cash but would follow him to a gas station and put some gas in his car. I asked if I could pray with him and he made a comment to the effect, that’s what everyone I talk to says, to which I replied was the best thing we could do. As we were walking out of the building we ran into one of the pastors this young man recognized so we stopped to talk to him. As we are talking to him 2 more men walk up that just happen to have a men’s ministry! They totally hooked this guy up with food, gas AND a place to live!
Once again God’s timing connecting the dots.
3rd Story: I may not have all the facts in order but it happened none the less.
A little more intense. Our Pastor was doing a message on Hell. We have services on Saturday night and Sunday. A drama was done using Facebook where a young man dies and goes to hell and reaches his best friends via facebook to warn them about hell and how terrible it is. He tells his friends how he had many chances to hear about Jesus and blew them off. He wants to warn them so they don’t end up there. (Go to gracefamilychurch.org to see the message, it’s worth it)
A man was at the Saturday night service and heard the message. This man’s daughter’s boyfriend, stay with me, had just died from a drug overdose the night before.
The man’s family sent an invitation to the friends of this young man who just passed away inviting them to church the next day. Sunday morning about 30 young people showed up thinking they were there for a memorial service for their friend.
They heard the message and saw the drama that really hit home for them. At the end of the service ALL of these young people went forward for prayer!!!!
They were then brought into a large prayer room to be given time to grieve and comfort one another. Many people from the church were also available to comfort and talk to them. Is God amazing or what!
These are just three of billions of times that God is connecting the dots in our lives.
Gems, don’t get discouraged the next time you’re not doing something on your timing. You never know when you’re being used for one of these dot connecting moments.