Nothing is a Coincidence

About a month ago, my roommate and I were reading a chapter out loud from Rick Warren’s book, A Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? The chapter was titled “You Are Not An Accident”. The first paragraph struck a chord in my mind. It was like hearing something I’d always known was true, but never had it laid out in such a factual way. I included the full quote on here because I want you guys to read this:

“Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this very moment. God prescribed every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature. He custom-made your body just the way he wanted it. He also determined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality. Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. He planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. The Bible says, “You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book!”

Wow… right? When I was younger, I learned that He had a divine plan for my life, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually started to believe it. I guess I had just never taken it as literally as Rick explained it above.

How would your worldview change if you started living your life and believing that every single thing that happened to you was all a part of God’s plan? You’d no longer consider being in the right place at the right time just luck or a coincidence. Every person placed in your path would be valued differently. Every place you were lead and opportunity you were offered would be looked at from a different point of view. Hardships would still be hard, but you would be more focused on finding the silver lining and seeing the blessing behind it.

Here’s some advice I’m also trying to take myself. Start living your life as if every single thing that happens to you is meant to guide you along the right path. Know that the people you need in your life – and the people who need you – are perfectly placed along the way. This post idea was sparked by finally making the decision to hire an assistant, and meeting Olivia Brown who’s in the picture with me above (we call her little liv, haha – more details to come!). She has been such a blessing and I know that God has been planning this one for a while now! I know I’ve hired her to work and learn from me, but to be honest – I learn just as much from her.

I got to thinking about other perfectly timed events in my life. Like the passing of my grandpa right before I moved home from Utah to live with my grandma for a year. Or going through a heartbreak that finally forced me to make the move to Chicago. And moving in with a roommate that pushes me to stay on top of my faith and live every day as a woman of God.

The Bible says, “From one man he made every nation, … and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live”(Acts 17:26). God never does anything accidentally, He never makes mistakes.