“Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”
This quote is by physicist Albert Einstein, a man who is well known for his many discoveries in physics and related fields.
Einstein’s words make me smile. To me, his description of coincidence is a light-hearted way of saying that our Creator knows all that happens in each of our lives. The Oxford Dictionary defines coincidence as “a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.” When we experience a coincidence, when something happens that causes us to say “What are the chances that that would have happened,” it can serve as a reminder of the presence of our Creator in our lives.
About two years ago I had such an experience. I had lived in an apartment for many years and I was a good tenant. So I was surprised when I received a notice of nonrenewal. However, the notice also included an invitation to continue to live at the apartment complex but to move into a different apartment there. The owner was having all of the apartments in the complex renovated and wanted to complete those that hadn’t been done yet within the next few months.
I was busy with my full-time job, with taking care of my grandson one day a week, and with many other commitments. So doing all that is involved to prepare for and make such a move was something I certainly hadn’t wanted to do at that time. But when I spoke with management, I was told that staying in my apartment was not an option.
When I told my daughter and son-in-law about my situation, they told me they would like me to live closer to them. Although I was and am with them and my grandson often, I hadn’t thought about moving to be nearer to them before. But when they suggested it, I immediately liked that idea too! So I found and moved to an apartment that is just three miles from them.
I believe that this coincidence of unexpectedly needing to move and my daughter and son-in-law wanting me to live closer to them was part of God’s plan for me. Being required to move out of my apartment led to changes that I’m very happy about. Among them are that, in addition to the convenience and time savings of a much shorter drive to be with my loved ones, I like my new apartment better than where I lived before. I’m thankful for the “push” our Creator gave me to make this change.
Of course, we all experience coincidences that are smaller in scope than the experience I’ve shared with you in this post. Large or small, coincidences often have the potential to lead to positive experiences in our lives. And often, to use Einstein’s words, they are caused by our Creator “anonymously” helping us as we take the steps of our earthly journeys.