No Coincidence

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

When my dad was very weak and always sleeping a couple of days ago, my sister called the Methodist Church in U.P. for a Pastor to administer the anointing of the sick. Yesterday, Pastor Apilado visited and prayed for healing. He said he wanted to write a book about my grandfather, D.D. Alejandro, who was elected in 1944 to be the first Filipino Bishop of the Methodist Church during the Japanese occupation. 

In 1915, after studying Philosophy in Asbury College in Kentucky, grandfather, or Lolo as I call him, was appointed District Evangelist for Bulacan and Nueva Ecija and became editor of the Tagalog monthly newsletter “Mabuting Balita” (Good News). He also became an instructor in Union Theological Seminary. 

Looking through Facebook after the Pastor’s visit, I found a picture of my Lolo reading, while he was in Asbury College. Before, I could just imagine how my Lolo would be surrounded by books in the library. Now I have a picture of him! A lady found the picture among many in an antique shop. Isn’t that amazing? That she took the time to search and find who would be interested in that picture? She posted it in the Filipino Methodist History page. 

I can’t help but think about how the Lord is our good shepherd who always watches out for us. He is the shepherd who always looks for the one lost sheep. No good thing is coincidence in our lives. It is not coincidence that after all the prayers for my father, he is getting stronger. It is not coincidence that led Pastor Apilado to my dad’s house. He said he was one of my Lolo’s students and he was honored to meet his relatives. How many times has the Lord shown up in different ways, every day, to guide us, to love us, to help us, to accompany us? We just need to open our eyes and see our good shepherd ever with us!