~A SWEET STORY OF COINCIDENCE?~

 I love reading inspirational stories that tell the life tales of others.  One of my favorite little books is one called SMALL MIRACLES compiled by Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal.  It came out in 1997 and the pages are filled with stories of extraordinary coincidences from everyday life.

I don't believe in chance encounters.  I don't.  I believe our steps are directed by The Most High and those seemingly random moments aren't really random at all.

I believe they are

God appointed and God anointed.

Today I'm sharing with you an lightly edited version of a short story shared from SMALL MIRACLES.  I think you can still find the books (a series of three) on eBay and I've also seen them in thrift stores.  If you ever start to believe the hand of God isn't on your life...think again!

"I was walking down a dimly light street late one evening when I heard muffled screams coming from behind a clump of bushes.  Alarmed, I slowed down to listen, and panicked when I realized that what I was hearing were the unmistakable sounds of a struggle...only yards away a woman was being attacked.

...I was frighted for my own safety, and cursed myself for having suddenly decided to take a new route home that night...

Although it seemed like an eternity, the deliberations in my head had taken only seconds, but already the girl's cries were growing weaker. I knew I had to act fast.  How could I walk away from this?  No, I finally resolved, I could not turn my back on the fate of this unknown woman, even if it meant risking my own life...

I'm not a brave man, nor am I athletic.  I don't know where I found the moral courage and physical strength--but once I had finally resolved to help the girl, I became strangely transformed.  I ran behind the bushes and pulled the assailant off the woman.  Grappling, we fell to the ground, where we wrestled for a few minutes until the attacker jumped up and escaped.  Panting hard, I scrambled upright and approached the girl who was crouched behind a tree, sobbing...

Not wanting to frighten her further, I at first spoke to her from a distance.  "It's OK," I said.  "The man ran away.  You're safe now."

There was a long pause and then I heard her words, uttered in wonder, in amazement.

"Daddy, is that you?

And then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest daughter, Katherine."

~~*~~

Blessings today as you remember our steps are ordered by the Father~

Love to you...