It’s incredible when God’s timing becomes evident. This article will be published the day before Thanksgiving. I promise that I didn’t plan that. Our traditional Thanksgiving meal is turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, rolls, cranberry sauce or relish, and pumpkin pie for dessert. The Passover meal in today’s passage also had traditional elements.
“On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrifice the Passover lamb, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare the Passover so that you may eat it?” So he sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” So the disciples went out, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.” (Mark 14:12–16, CSB)
God’s timing is impeccable. A man carrying a jar of water. A room furnished and ready for a sizable gathering. Those sound common until you consider that it was generally the women who carried the water jars while the men labored. So, for a man to be carrying a jar of water at the same time the disciples walked the streets of the city is something. And for that man to be connected with a room large enough and furnished for the disciples is also amazing.
The Passover meal preparation was similar but different from Thanksgiving. On the tables were lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, a mash of fruit, nuts, and honey, roasted egg, and wine. Each of these is to remember aspects of the slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt and the miraculous release. While we may put up autumn and Thanksgiving-themed decorations, they thoroughly swept and cleaned the room of all traces of leaven or yeast.
We often expect God to move in our lives in big ways. Sometimes he does. Mostly, though, He moves in small, seemingly insignificant, coincidences. He intersects our lives with others’ at just the right moment in ways we don’t often see. And sometimes, someone is brought into our lives at just the right moment. That’s just one example.
Almost two years ago, we began attending a different church—long story. My wife and I do what we always do. After a time of recharging, we got involved in church life. She serves on the Welcome team, and I’m on the worship team. A few months ago, they asked if we would be open to forming and leading a small group. Yes! And I’ve marveled at how God planned this. There are many unlooked-for, even unexpected connections. For their privacy, I won’t go into all of them. Trust me, the coincidences aren’t random. God has a plan.
It’s easy to think of ourselves as insignificant in God’s view. Nothing could be further from reality. God is involved in even the most trivial parts of our lives. He orders our steps in ways we don’t see until we look back. One of my daily prayers is, “Lord, what are you doing today?” What I’m really asking is what do I need to do, who do I need to see, what do I need to say, and how are you moving and shaping my steps today?
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