Coincidence or divine providence?

I ran into a long-time CCSC friend, who reminded me of a story from the 1990s that made a strong impression on him.

A client had come to Emergency Services-Central needing food. His only mode of transportation was a bike with a basket that carried his food. A few days after visiting us, his bike was stolen, so he called, wondering if we ever had bikes donated. Our answer was a regretful "no"; this was not an item donated often.

And then an hour later the CCSC friend called with a bike to donate, asking that we give it to a client in need. I shared the client's story with him, and we then had this philosophical conversation about God's work in this world. The client wept when we called to let him know we had a bike, and a friend dropped him off to pick it up. It was a happy ending.

The story had slipped my mind until I ran into the donor who had not forgotten the new life his bicycle received and the providence in the sequence of events.

So what do you think: Is it wonderful coincidence or God's providence?

This was a happy Friday

On this particular Friday, a gentleman came in needing some personal hygiene items and clothing to stretch his budget for the month. Nothing else. When the volunteer pulled up his file, she saw that we had helped him a year ago when he was homeless. Back then, we helped with food and several other resources, and then connected him to our JobNet program. So he told her the rest of the story: he found a job, then got an apartment, and has now purchased a car. He told her how grateful he was to have found our ministry because we were the starting point in rebuilding his life.

And then a few hours later, a former client arrived with a donation, discreetly letting us know the help she received stabilized her, and she was now good. And wanted to express her gratitude by helping us to help another.

If you're reading this blog, you're most likely a volunteer and/or contributor to the ministry, so please know that a couple of happy people visited us on a recent Friday, and their happiness is a result of your investment of time, talent, and resources.