"Luck?"

 

“Luck?”

 

While on a tour of Italy in 2017 the bow on Karen’s glasses broke. Since they were a unique design we were concerned that repairs wouldn’t be possible. She contacted our small group at home for prayer then spoke to our Tour Director Guiseppe. He said his cousin who wore glasses lived in Turin, our next stop, and he’d see if she knew of an optical shop there. She did—and it “just happened” to be a block from our hotel. The optician “just happened” to be there at closing time and “just happened” to have what Karen needed. Luck? Or the hand of God?

On our Danube cruise this past summer one lens popped out of my glasses’ frame. This had happened before and it took a “pro” 20 minutes to get it back in. We prayed—and in less than five minutes I had it in place. Luck? Or the hand of God?

Legendary baseball executive Branch Rickey once observed, “Luck is the residue of design.” In other words, good planning is likely to produce a desired outcome. A list of common Christian sayings includes “Luck (I’ve also seen it as coincidence) is when God chooses to remain anonymous”, a down-home version of “…All things happen just as God decided long ago.” (Ephesians 1:11, NLT, emphasis added).

A dictionary I use defines luck as a “chance happening”. But is there any such thing? After a seven year affliction of mental illness the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar said of his recovery, “(God) does what he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand….” (Daniel 4:35, emphasis added). He found out the hard way that even he as the world’s most powerful ruler he was subject to God’s purposes—and the sooner you and I realize this the better off we’ll be!

When out nephew Jamie was three he represented his Sunday School class by giving the church’s new pastor a gift of Lucky Charms (the pastor’s favorite snack) during the installation service. But my brother Dave had put a piece of masking tape over the “Lucky” and had replaced it with “Sovereignty”! The congregation had a big laugh but it expresses an important truth: God is in control (“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it….”—Psalm 24:1, emphasis added). We may not fully grasp all of life’s unexpected events but we’re to (in Solomon’s words) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding….” (Proverbs 3:5) and remember (in Paul’s words) “…God is faithful….” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan