There is a spectrum of views of God, extending from the enchanted Medieval Christian, who has no trouble seeing God in all he does and all the world, to the Enlightened Deist, who only vaguely acknowledges the notion of God. As I examined my own view of God, I often found myself leaning closer to the latter, though unwillingly.
This is a fault of mine, and one common in our modern era. Naturally, I'd like to recognize the hand of God in my life, but the constant cultural messaging of a deterministic universe in which coincidences are a result of overexerted pattern-recognizing brains seems to infect my worldview, creating a jaded godless cynic out of me.
This article is late, much to my editor's dismay. I do, however, have an adequate excuse. As I write this, I'm seated on the most crammed plane of my life, on my way to tour colleges in Ireland. I'm excited at the prospect of Irish university, and the tuition costs speak for themselves. The sticking point for me, however, was the housing crisis, which has driven the cost of living through the roof in Ireland.
Yet, as I was boarding the plane, I befriended a woman with a friend just down the road from one of my prospective universities. A landlord, no less. One with a room to rent. A cheap room in the perfect location.
I do believe God intervenes in human affairs. I believe science, while effective at predicting the motions of the planets, and categorizing all manner of flora and fauna, is far from disproving God’s Providence. Human behavior remains entirely unpredictable, and God's hand remains a possible factor.
I don't know if God introduced me to that woman. I'm not sure if I'll end up needing her help. Perhaps I'll go to a different school, or find a different apartment. I do, however, believe that God actively intervenes in the lives of his children, and I affirm Romans 8:28, that "all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord." No matter how many messages that I receive contrary to this, I know that this is true and forever will be. And so, I must entreat to remember this daily as I go through life, ever knowing that God is at work and will ultimately work everything for His glory according to His good purpose.
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