Threads of Providence
When I was 18 and a new Christian (back in the early 70s) I worked as a short order cook in Hollywood Florida. There were two waitresses/bartenders who worked there also, Paula and Elaine. They were both about twenty one and I think it is fair to say they were believers but not really living as strong Christians. Whenever I had a break I would sit and talk with them about faith and the gospel. Back in those days I was especially excited about Bible prophecy! Anyway, I was also planning to go to Bible College. To make a long story short both Paula and Elaine decided to go to Bible college also. So we all went together and very quickly Paula met John Stevenson. They fell in love and were married. Last weekend I saw them again at the RTS gradutation where John received his Doctor of Ministry degree. Paula was kind enough to say, “You’re the reason we met and have been married over thirty years.”
But the plot thickens, in talking with John we realized that it was his friend Faith who had picked me up one day when I was hitch-hiking, talked to me about Christ, and when she discovered I was a new Christian, encouraged me to go to the Bible college she was attending. So God used Faith (the girl) to direct me and then me to influence Paula and then John met Paula…. Now, thirty five years later, John and Paula are still married, serving God and John just received his Doctorate from the seminary where I now teach as an adjunct professor. I can picture myself at 18 and Elaine and Paula at 21 sitting in a booth during a break at work talking about God and Scripture. We never know where simple things may lead.
I could tell another story of providence about Jim Coffield, who was a deacon in our church back in the 80s, went on to earn His PHD and now teaches at RTS also. It was fun to be with him in the ceremony. Here’s Jim in his full Academic Regalia. I especially like the hat and the thoughtful expression.
It was encouraging to see how God weaves the threads of providence together so that we move in and out of people’s lives and, in spite of much weakness, become the means by which God directs his people and unfolds his grace.
Larry is the senior pastor at 
I think stories like this are really cool and encouraging. They make is clear how little things you do everyday that hold very little significance may be very important in the long run. For example the story from the Church-wide meeting about Bob Robinson calling Arlene Molnar really blew me away.