Coincidence

Coincidence.

Coincidence is, "the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection." Do you subscribe to the idea of coincidence? Do you view it as totally random events or something generated by divine intervention?

Let me tell you my story. Over ten years ago my daughter was going to be confirmed. That Sunday morning I did what I always did sitting down in my usual spot at church.  Except for some reason I felt extremely thirsty and decided to get up for a drink of water. I had never done that before. 

On the way back to my seat I noticed an older gentleman dressed handsomely in his Army uniform. Now, to be honest I don't usually make it a practice to go up to a complete stranger and strike up a conversation. Okay, maybe in the line at the grocery store!   However, I literally felt compelled to approach him and start up a conversation. Now part of the pull might have been the fact that he appeared to be around the age of my father who had also been in the Army. Actually it was the first thing I said to him when I approached him. 

It wasn't long before his wife joined us, and as our conversation continued I learned that their grandson was being confirmed as well, and they had traveled from Florida for the occasion. I relayed that I had lived in Florida as a child during the late sixties because my father had been stationed there. To make a long story short, it turned out that they had lived in the same neighborhood right around the corner. But to make matters even more unbelievable, he had been stationed with Dad in New York as well, and we had actually lived upstairs from them. Their older son had been one of my running buddies, and it had been me that had raced home on my bicycle to alert them to the fact that he had been hit by a car and was injured. 

What were the chances? And even more remarkable what were the chances that I would just so happen to get up from my seat for a drink of water, and on my way back walk right over to him to strike up a conversation? It really was completely mind blowing. 

Coincidence or not?