When Coincidences Aren’t Coincidences
I just discovered the word Godincidence. I thought it was a newly created term, but it’s been around for more than 20 years. I used to call them God Moments, but I like this new term.
A God-incidence is when you experience something that feels like a coincidence, but deep down you you know it can’t be. In researching for this blog, I was amazed (but shouldn’t have been) by how much has been written on this: books, blogs, and countless Facebook and Instagram posts sharing similar experiences.
A Godincidence is when God orchestrates an encounter that feels like serendipity.
I also discovered that the concept of divine providence, the recognition of God’s hand in unexpected events, has been discussed in religious literature for centuries. Of course it has!
Why is this important to me?
The last three months have been a whirlwind of learning, growth, and making many mistakes about publishing my novel, Daughters of the Wilderness.
I had to learn five new publishing programs in a hurry. Ok, I’m going to admit one of my super obvious mistakes. One of the most important things an author does is obtain an ISBN number. This number identifies your book for bookstores, Amazon, libraries, and distributors. I carefully filled out all the required information, purchased the ISBNs, and thought nothing more about it until Amazon rejected my paperback.
When I went back to review the information, I discovered that I had misspelled Wilderness.
What???
Yes, really.
It was a Friday, and I would have to wait until Monday to find out if the ISBN agency would allow this correction. Otherwise, I would need to purchase a new ISBN and revise the already completed paperback files.
This mistake came after a string of other publishing blunders. I felt like I was failing, doing everything wrong, and letting down a story I had spent seven years writing. After all that work, my inexperience with publishing weighed heavily on me.
That’s when I revisited the verse that became the banner verse for my book:
I have always preferred the word acknowledge rather than some translations’ use of submit. Somehow, I thought acknowledgment was strong enough to describe my relationship with God.
But in that moment, I realized what it means to truly need God.
I prayed and told Him, “I’m doing this wrong. I’ve failed at getting your incredible Bible story into the world. No one is going to read it. I’m so sorry and I don’t know how to fix this. Please help me, because it’s all wrong.” And Wow! I’m amazed at what happened next.
Godincidene became my joyous new addition to my vocabulary.
Out of the blue, a woman I hadn’t spoken with in ten years called me. During our conversation, she introduced me to Steve Wormer, who invited me to appear on his You Are Worthy podcast.
My AMAZING part-time author assistant reached out to Carrie Schmidt from Reading is my Superpower, which featured me in a spotlight interview.
Simply by asking if I could be listed with Dana McNeely and Naomi Craig on their FB page, they invited me to appear on the Biblical Fiction Aficionados podcast, making me only the tenth author interviewed alongside writers such as Tessa Afshar, Angela Hunt, Jill Eileen Smith, Mesu Andrews, and Connilyn Cossette.
And the list goes on…
God took the wheel. And I am incredibly grateful for his personal involvement.
It’s no coincidence that this is the heart of the story in, Daughters of the Wilderness. When people ask what I hope readers take away from the story, my answer is simple:
God desires a personal relationship with us and calls us to live with faith, courage, and trust in Him.
He hears our prayers. He may not answer how we want or when we want, but I have learned that what he has planned is much better than I could’ve imagined
And if we’re paying attention, we start to see the many Godincidences in our lives.
Amen, Let it Be So.
