Coincidences

In church this morning, I was really struck by how God has used so many different people and circumstances, in my life and that of people around me, to bring us closer to God. He really is amazing!
I started going to my current church, Holy Trinity Sittingbourne, nearly 4 years ago now and on my first day there I met someone that would become a lovely friend, Cathy, who had left that church but had decided to come back that day - coincidence? I think not...
Recently, a guy that went to my university church for three years, just after I left and who knows many of my really close friends from that church, decided to move to Sittingbourne and attend the same church, with no knowledge of me or our joint history - coincidence? I think not...
A friend from one of my last jobs as a teacher, attended Alpha last year and became a Christian; she was recently confirmed. She has been hoping to get her four daughters to come to our church and while she has been in Turkey with her husband, they have attended church this morning because one of them works with another member of the church! A coincidence? Well I think you get my point!
I have come to the conclusion that God places so many people in our lives at different times and we never know who or how we are going to influence them but it is so important to live life continually aware of this. God uses all of our situations and experiences for the good of His kingdom. I'm sure many of you would have realised this a lot sooner than I did and I think I've always known this on some level but it just really hit me today.
Someone once said that it takes on average fourteen incidents for someone to turn to Christ and to hear the good news. We are all part of those times for many people without thinking about it - how amazing is that?!