a popular tv series, ncis, has a lead character, leroy jethro gibbs. he developed a series of rules with respect to life and investigating crime. rule # 39, provides that “there is no such thing as a coincidence.”
do you believe in miracles?
do you believe in coincidences?
when coincidences are so many, what should be made of it?
in broadcasting one of the greatest home runs in world series’ history, the great vin scully declared “in a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.” as such, many consider kirk gibson’s game winning home run nothing short of a “miracle.”
many christmas tv movies contain tales of miracles. it would appear that many people have experienced special moments which defy explanation. this true story is one of them.
i was beginning my new life. i was building an office. to save money, i lived in one of the rooms during the construction. there was a drug rehabilitation facility that was nearby. the held religious services. the public was allowed to purchase tickets and attend. while i had not drug or alcohol issues, i purchased tickets for the services. i found the services’ message to be affirming for someone trying to rebuild their life.
over the years, i would get calls for renewal of my ticket/membership. i was called and the person assisting me aske me if i would wish to purchase “a family plan.” this would get me five tickets. the price wasn’t that much. i thought, “what the hell!” if someone needed a ticket, why not have a few to offer.
right before the holiday service, i went over to my parent’s house. i spoke to my mother. she told me that i should look for a particular religious leader when i was at services. she told me that his son had recently been admitted into the drug and rehabilitation facility. this religious leader was beloved by my family. i, personally, had not seen him for about 30 years.
i went to services. i have a bad back. therefore, i usually sit in the back and take a couple breaks during the service to stretch and get some fresh air.
for some reason, in the middle of the service, i decided to take a break and walk out. i entered the lobby to exit. immediately, i saw a man clearly agitated and quarreling with a facility assistant over admittance. he did not have a ticket and there were none to be offered. the facility was at capacity. the man was pleading that he needed to get in so he could see his son. i recognized him. it was the religious leader that my mother had told me to look for.
without thinking, i stood aside him and placed my arm around his shoulder to comfort him. i told the facility assistant that he was with me. he was part of my family plan. immediately, her resistance to him ended. everything was in order and he was allowed to enter. his pain was over. he could go in and see his son. he thanked me and i told him to go in and take care of what he needed to do.
since then, i have never seen him and never knew what happened. i do believe that i was there for a reason.
when i look back at the event, there were so many improbabilities: my decision to buy a family plan when i was going there by myself, my encounter with my mother giving me the heads up to look out for the religious leader, and my decision to leave the service at the exact time that he would be in the lobby. all of these coincidences led me to the opportunity to act on his behalf. is there no such thing as a coincidence? rule #39? what was this occurrence? was it a miracle?
for the religious leader, i am not sure how he viewed his coincidental encounter with me. to me, i felt that i was part of a miracle-like experience in that i was the vehicle to make something special happen.
in sum, this story is about two things.
first, this world is certainly one of mystery. it is a world of many wheels in motion. sometimes, things can happen for which there is no explanation. when these moments are positive, we believe in the notion of a higher power in the universe.
second, perceived miracles are not always about you. sometimes, we serve as vehicles to others to have their “miracle moment.”
in final sum i will never know why the event happened, i only know that it did.
happy holidays!
be well!!
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