It was during a Life Planning Workshop, that John unwittingly discovered that he was witnessing a miracle! The organizer of the training event came to him with the announcement.
The large group of 30 individuals in the life planning exercise were predominantly First Nations people from Canada’s sub-arctic. They had been avidly taking part, making observations, answering questions, and bonding in enthusiasm. The whole workshop was spent looking at ‘life purpose’; personal strengths; dreams / goals; God’s achievements in their lives and especially discovering how their colleagues were being blessed by them. Near the end of the training, John invited them to envision themselves seven years into the future (2018!) and to write down a report of what Jehovah ‘had done for them between 2011 to 2018’. They enthusiastically wrote down their anticipations.
Afterward John learned that in that language the people have only two tenses: past and present. Future tense, beyond the next few days, does not exist. So to receive such an enthusiastic response envisioning the next ‘seven years’ was a miracle.
(Actually, this ‘future concept exercise’ is a struggle for many people. Few folk think beyond the next six months of living.)
A Blessed Encounter with a “Relative” Unknown!
Laura’s hobby of doing genealogical research, and our recent travels produced another miracle. We found a cousin that John had not seen since childhood. We had a reunion after 50 years of neither of them knowing the other’s whereabouts. She is starting production of a magazine called “Scatter Faith”, which we thought was an original and intriguing title. Her intent is to distribute a compact magazine filled with personalized testimonies of life with Jesus. That was the miracle. We were surprised and delighted to discover that she shares our faith. It was clear evidence that our Father has planted His children in special places to be His witnesses in the presence of family and friends.
Unexpected Supply – after Theft
During a recent Singing Saw Concert, John left his coat in the venue’s closet with our camera in the pocket. Afterward, his coat was there, but the camera wasn’t. Insurance is not an option for us, but Laura began hunting for a replacement anyway. A few days later our hostess said that when she had lost the battery charger and cables for her own camera, she had given it to a friend’s 3 year old as a toy. She volunteered to retrieve it. Would you believe it? It was the same as ours (except pink!) and fit our remaining charger and cables. I don’t think John even minds carrying a pink camera!
(originally e-newsletter post – Dec 2011)
