Coincidence? Or Grand Design?

I had a math professor in college, an eccentric fellow to say the least. As he hunched over and peered into the overhead projector to show us an enlarged example of the solution to his math problems, he would pause, look up with a conspiratorial squint in his eyes, raise his inky index finger, and say, "Coincidence? Or Grand Design?"

He was making a statement about how God has placed the universal truths of math, along with its recurring patterns, into this created world.

I wouldn't say these coincidences happen to me frequently, but from time to time they pop up without warning, and it's usually about something I'm teaching. Here's the most recent one.

I was teaching a lesson on Tuesday in Bible class to my 7th graders, and a piece of the lesson was directed toward Bible translators around the world. We discussed this for a bit, and then I referred to somebody from a particular organization who spoke in my church about this over a year ago. I walked the students through the process of how a translator might do the job in a different country. But for the life of me, in that moment, I couldn't remember the organization's name. The bell rang, and we went off to chapel. Since it's our Spiritual Emphasis Week this week, we have chapel every day. Of course my thoughts shifted during chapel to how the Spirit moves in our lives, and I forgot about our class discussion for a while.

That afternoon, I received one of those emails I get from random organizations once in a while. However, this organization didn't seem so random--it was Wycliffe Bible Translators.

What?! I hadn't ever received an email from them before, and now it was on the same day I had discussed it in class. They were asking for teachers interested in considering working in the organization. It was funny, too, because the email wasn't even intended for me--it was for my wife who also teaches (and who has a very similar email address as me).

That's not the end of my coincidence, though.

The next morning in Bible class we reviewed some material about Bible translation, and I shared with the students again about how the Spirit moves in mysterious ways. Then I told them about the crazy coincidence about how I found out the organization's name. Some of them were quite impressed. I shared with them that when we visited chapel again directly after class to be open to the Spirit's leading, and I left them with that.

We sang some songs and had an altogether wonderful time of worship. Our speaker for the week began talking, and about 10-15 minutes into his talk he told our group of middle school and high school students about his conversion story as a high schooler and his ensuing plan to work for...

...wait for it...

...Wycliffe Bible Translators!

My 7th grade Bible class was way on the other side of the auditorium, so I just sat up a little higher and checked to see if any of them caught the connection. After a couple of moments, one of the boys in my class popped his head up and looked over at me. We exchanged a knowing nod, and I sat marveling about what these connections could mean.

Some people would say they mean nothing; it's just coincidence.

But could it mean more? Maybe the Lord was speaking to me about working with Wycliffe Bible Translators someday. I couldn't even contemplate doing that right now, but maybe someday... It sounds really cool! Maybe since the mysterious email was addressed to my wife, it was meant for her (but of course we're a packaged deal).

But maybe, just maybe, it was meant for a certain 7th grader in my Bible class. I don't know. Maybe through our discussion in class, the random email, the mention of the exact organization in chapel where we hope the Spirit moves mightily, maybe through these coincidences, God had a message for somebody, maybe God decided to spark somebody's purpose.

Coincidence? Or Grand Design?

Positive Peer Pressure

At my Christian school, with the 7th grade Bible class I teach, students were "required" to volunteer. I know, I know, how can you require people to volunteer? That's an argument for which I really don't have a defense, other than this: service often must be taught.

In response to a discipleship lesson about what it means for students to carry their crosses, each student designed his or her own service. The requirements were few. Students needed to: 1) do something out of their ordinary, 2) work for free, and 3) use parents only for driving to and from the destination.

The first part of the assignment consisted of simply writing the action down on an index card and getting a parent signature of approval. Cards were brought in the next day and taped to a construction paper cross on the board, representing the carrying of the cross.

As we discussed the projects at the beginning of the period every day, students were forced to think through when and how they would complete the project. When hands went up to ask for the due date, I stated, "We'll figure that out later." I didn't tell them that I simply hadn't thought that far ahead.

After the following weekend, students represented to me that their project was finished by coloring their index cards with a crayon, a symbolic gesture which made the cross even more beautiful.

During the week, I continued to ask about the projects. A few people would come up each time and color in their cards on the cross. Meanwhile, students asked for the due date, but I still didn't have an answer for them.

During the next two weeks, almost all index cards were colored in. We began to discuss the projects in class, and it was clear that students were proud of themselves and their efforts at service. They were using their own minds, muscles, and merit to share something valuable with somebody in need. As color went up, more students felt left out. Hands shot up with the question, "When is this due?" "When do I need to finish?" And again I didn't answer.

Not all students finished without a given due date, but 90% of them got it done before it got to that point. And I think many students were motivated by others who colored their cards in early. For something like this, positive peer pressure made positive things happen!